Honeybee Pick-up Day: What to Expect

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Honeybee pick-up day is a pretty exciting day around here. Now that we've been doing it for a few years, we've got it down to a pretty smooth operating procedure.

The colonies will begin making their way to us from their winter vacation location mid-week. Once the bees arrive here, we inspect each one to make sure they look good. We'll check for a healthy queen, plenty of bees, and food stores. The evening before pick-up day, we will head back out to the bee yard and seal up the entrances of each nuc to keep the bees inside for their transport in the morning. (You're welcome.)

Before pick-up day

  • Be sure you have your hive equipment ready to go. You will need, minimally, a deep hive body to place the nuc frames into. They won't fit in a medium box, so be sure you've got a deep!
  • Scope out the location of your hive. You don't want to move the bees once you place them in your yard, so be sure that the hive is located just where you want it.
  • Have your protective gear and tools ready. You might not need it on pick-up day, but you will want it when you move the frames into the hive.
  • If you plan to feed your new bees (your probably should), have a feeder and liquid feed ready.

On Pick-up Day

  • Pick-up hours are from 6:30 - 8:00 am ONLY
  • You will pull into our parking lot and one of our staff will check you off of the list and hand you a pick-up ticket. 
  • You'll drive up to the loading area. You can absolutely wear your new beekeeping suit if you feel more comfortable. No judgement here.
  • We'll load up your bees and you're on your way!
  • Check out our nuc installation guide for more.info on that part of the process
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Live Installation Demonstration  |  7 AM

At 7:00 am, we will do a live demonstration in our apiary. All new beekeepers are encouraged to attend and watch as we move bees from their transport box into their new hive. We'll share some tips and hopefully alleviate any last-minute worries! There is no cost to anyone picking up nucs, but you MUST bring your own protective gear.