Plan and Prepare Ahead for Bee Pickup

Paint your hives ahead of time, giving them time to dry before moving in your new bees.

Which scenario would you prefer:

• You head to Betterbee and excitedly pick up your new nuc or package of bees. When you return home, your hive is all assembled, painted, and set up right where you want it. You place your nuc on top of the hive and open the entrance. The bees happily fly in and out. A couple of hours later you install the nuc into your hive setup. Or, you install your package right into the hive setup you have laid out and ready. You smile.
  
  
• You excitedly pick up your bees and your hive components from Betterbee. You get home and realize, "Oh no, now I have to assemble these boxes, find a good location for my apiary, set up the hive… ugh, can I paint this thing with the bees inside of it?!" All of a sudden your excitement around getting bees turns into stress and angst. Nobody (especially your new bees) wants that! You frown… a lot.

The months leading up to your bee pickup day are the perfect time to get ready for your new bees. Follow these quick tips with helpful links to start your year of beekeeping off on the right foot.

Order your bees in the winter

It may seem wild that you have to order your package or nuc of bees in December, January, or February for pickup in late April or early May, but supplies of bees are limited. Whether you get bees from Betterbee or another supplier, it is wise to get them on order as soon as possible or you run the risk of having no options when you shop closer to spring.

Betterbee offers three types of purchasable bee colonies: overwintered nucs, spring nucs, and packages. (We also offer a variety of types of queen bees throughout the spring and summer, but a lone queen isn't enough to start a new colony and fill your hive with bees.) Shop all bees here.

Learn more about where our bees come from:

• The Origin of Our Spring Nucs: All About Kutik's

• A Visit to Wilbanks Apiaries: Learn about Betterbee Package Bees

Buy (and assemble and paint) equipment

Bonus: Get your children, grandchildren, or other family members involved in painting the hives. This may lead to them taking more of an interest in beekeeping!

We always recommend that you buy your woodenware at least a couple weeks before getting your bees, so you have time to assemble (if necessary) and paint (necessary if you want to extend the life of your boxes), leaving adequate time for the paint to dry before the bees arrive. Even if you opt for polystyrene hives, they should still be painted to prevent the sun from damaging the polystyrene boxes over time. 

Check out these tips and tricks for painting your hives:

• How to Paint Bee Boxes

• What Color is Best to Paint Your Hives? 

Generally speaking, unassembled frames and boxes are "cheaper," but that's only if your time isn't worth too much to you! You can save yourself time by spending a little more to buy assembled hive boxes and frames. Then, all you have to do is paint your boxes to have them ready for new bees.

Considering trying your hand at making your hive components? Check out this article on building your own beehive.

Redesign your bee yard or clean and prepare your old equipment

If you have an apiary location set up that you aren't quite satisfied with, the time before you get your new bees is best for redesigning your bee yard. Do your yardwork and map out your new yard, then set up your hive stands where you want your new hives to go, keeping in mind these tips for choosing the best location for a hive.

Getting new bees but already have equipment from deadouts or past colonies? Most of the time, you can safely reuse your old equipment. Check out these tips for rehabbing old frames (hint: you don't need to scrape off the old comb!). You might also want to read additional information on checking old frames and equipment for diseases, and learning how to properly store and protect used equipment.

Final thoughts

The moral of the story is to plan ahead! We want your bee pickup day to be fun and the least stressful it can be. To make it that way, take the time now to order the hive bodies, frames, and other hive components you need, so you have time to prepare your apiary for its new residents!