Bee Day 2025 Delivery Information & Updates

Last updated: December 2024

This page will be used to keep everyone up to date on what we know about our bee pickup days. 

We plan to have a drive-through pickup to keep everyone comfortable with spacing. Every customer who purchases bees is assigned a bee number. If you know what additional items you want to pick up while you are here, please call ahead or order online so we can have it ready with your bees. Please tell the person answering the phone what your BEE NUMBER is. Or, if you order online, please enter your BEE NUMBER in the comments section at the end of checkout.  

Cold Weather at Pickup

Cold weather can be good for starting bees. The bees that have died in the past on the way to their new homes have overheated.  It is unusual for it to happen, but cold is not the issue, heat is the issue. Hiving packages while it is cold or rainy tends to make sure the bees stay in the hive and do not fly off. With the cold, the bees need some calories, so feed them sugar syrup. Protect them from any wind, especially if they get wet with syrup or water.  In snowy weather with temps near freezing, putting the bees inside a garage or cellar can help.  For most people, we are past that weather.  

When to expect package bee pickup

We have three loads of packages coming from Wilbanks Apiaries. The dates of each we are planning are:

• Package 1 (1st Delivery): Early April
• Package 2 (2nd Delivery): Early May
• Package 3 (3rd Delivery): Mid-May

Patrick Wilbanks is focused on maintaining his reputation for quality 3-pound packages with good queens and on-time delivery. 

Queens are another important part of the equation. He received an overall score of A from the NC Honey Bee Queen and Disease Clinic on his queens tested this spring.  

If you are interested, click here to view the weather at Wilbanks Apiaries in Claxton, Georgia. Claxton's other claim to fame (aside from being a great place to raise bees) is that it's the Fruitcake Capital of the World!

When to expect spring nucleus colony pickup

The spring nucs are expected as follows:

• NUC1 (1st Delivery): Early-mid-April
• NUC2 (2nd Delivery): Late April
• NUC3 (3rd Delivery): Late April/Early May

The spring nucleus colonies are coming in 3 loads from Kutik’s South Carolina operation. The owners of Kutik’s have been very proud of their reputation for strong nucs with quality bees. They are looking to take the time the bees need to make a good nucleus hive. 

When to expect overwintered nucleus colony pickup

Overwintered NUC handouts will begin in mid-April and conclude in mid-May at the latest. Please watch your email for more scheduling details. 

At Betterbee, Anne, our head beekeeper, and her crew make up nucleus colonies in the summer to overwinter around Greenwich. We overwinter these using the methods put forth by Kirk Webster and Michael Palmer. These hives are in the area of Betterbee, but need to be taken out of their overwintering boxes and put in other nuc boxes to go to their new homes. We will let customers know about these as the weather in Greenwich improves and our beekeeping crew has time to get out, inspect, and move these hives. If a customer has bought other bees, we will endeavor to make it so they can pick up all of their bees in one trip. 

Helpful Links for New Beekeepers

How to install packages and nucs

Check out these videos from Betterbee's Head Beekeeper and EAS Master Beekeeper, Anne Frey, on how to install your nuc or package: