Agricultural Hall

    

2022 BEES!

Bees sold by Agricultural Hall are supplied by local dealers who drive south every spring, pick up packages from bee-breeder farms (most of which are in Georgia), and hurry back within 24 hours, usually with about 400 - 800 packages in tow!  I bring them to Ag Hall within a few hours of their arrival in New England.

Here's this year's list as of 1/5/22 (changes frequently):

Package / Nucs / other	Variety	Marked Queen	Arrival Date (est.)	Price
Package	VSH	Yes	Monday, March 28	$175
Package	VSH	No	Monday, March 28	$170
Package	Buckfast	Yes	Monday, March 28	$175
Package	Buckfast	No	Monday, March 28	$170
Package	VSH	Yes	Friday, April 8	$175
Package	VSH	No	Friday, April 8	$170
Package	Buckfast	Yes	Friday, April 8	$175
Package	Buckfast	No	Friday, April 8	$170
Package	VSH (primarily Italian)	Yes	Monday, April 18	$155
Package	VSH (primarily Italian)	No	Monday, April 18	$147
Nucleus/Nucs	VSH	Yes	Late April/early May	$225
Nucleus/Nucs	VSH	No	Late April/early May	$215
Package	Carniolans	Yes	Tuesday, May 4	$170
Package	VSH		TBA	TBA
Queens	Russian mated queens	No	Thursday, May 27	$55

To order bees:

Follow this link or send an email to Bees2022(at)AgHall.com, and please tell me:

1)  How many packages, nucs, and/or queens you'd like;
2)  Which variety (VSH, Italian, Buckfast, Russian or Carniolan);
3)  Whether you want a marked or unmarked queen (if applicable); and
4)  Which date you'd prefer.
5)  Please also include a phone number where I can reach you in a pinch.  (Sometimes things move quickly when the bees come to town.)

I will respond with a confirmation email, along with payment instructions.



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Some characteristics of Italian, Carniolan, VSH,  Buckfast, and Russian bee stocks:

Buckfast:  Originally bred 104 years ago by Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey in Britain, Buckfast bees proved resistant to tracheal mites, then ravaging Britain's honeybee populations.  Buckfast are desirable on almost all fronts; brood and honey production are high, swarming drive is low, and continuing breeding programs have also produced Varroa mite-resistant progeny.  Little wonder it is sometimes called the "Beekeeper's Bee."
Carniolan:  They build comb and gather honey very quickly.  Reportedly the most docile bee (but aggressiveness in any variety can vary widely).  Not likely to rob.  Because their buildup is fast, they require more careful management to control their tendency to swarm.
Italians:  The most common commercial bee.  Good honey producers.  Generally gentle.  Long brood season means large colonies well into fall.  Italian bees are more likely to rob honey from other colonies, putting healthy colonies at risk of catching and spreading disease.
Russian:  Brood production is more closely related to nectar flow than in other bee stocks; spring build-up is good, and when nectar falls off in late summer, the queen cuts back dramatically on her egg-laying.   They are more hygienic (especially better at fighting-off parasitic Varroa mites) and generally more resistant to disease.  Defend well against robbing.  Reportedly less docile than Italians.
VSH:  Varroa Sensitive Hygienic bees were bred by the USDA and found to have hygienic behavior, in that they are more likely to remove varroa-infested pupae from capped brood cells before the mite reproductive cycle is complete.  They are not guaranteed to survive varroa infestations without intervention, but they generally do somewhat better at suppressing varroa population growth. 

Again, there are always variations from colony to colony, even within varieties.

For more details, see;
                   https://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/the-different-types-of-honey-bees/ 
...or do a Web search.  There's a lot of info out there!

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Ordering notes & tips:

> Aim for early bees.  It's not unusual to hive packages with snow still on the ground.  And if you successfully hive a package in early April, you could be taking honey in June.  Later packages seem to merely survive, but not always thrive, ...until year two.

> Dates are estimates.  We can hope and cross our fingers, but they'll come when they come.

> Your bees come from four different suppliers, and each supplier has a slightly different reimbursement policy for dead queens and packages containing laying workers.  In general, I will replace dead queens as long as you report them to me within four of their arrival at Ag Hall.  Virgin queens will be replaced if reported to me within 10 days.  

I can not replace packages -- there is no instance where a supplier will replace a package.  The 10-14 days after hiving a package are critical, and it is important that you monitor your queen's behavior thoroughly.  Please feel free to call with any questions.  

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Some things to consider in the off season (November - March):

• *  Feed if your hive's resources are low.  They usually have sufficient stores to last into February.  Simply lifting the hive from the rear (just a little!) is a good way to check weight.  For feeding tips, I like these essays; https://honeybeesuite.com/the-minimalist-guide-to-winter-feeding/ (my favorite), and https://honeybeesuite.com/no-cook-candy-board-recipe-for-feeding-winter-bees/
• *  Do you have all the woodenware you need for spring?  Is it clean and bee-ready?
• *  Do you have locations to place your new hives made from splits or caught swarms?  (And if you know anyone wanting to host a hive, please share it with others either by calling me, or by posting the contact info to the BABA GoogleGroup.)
• *  Planning to set swarm traps?  Get your locations and equipment ready.  Lures help.