Queens for Sale

About My Queens

I've been catching feral swarms for 32 years, but I got serious about keeping the genetics only recently. These feral survivors are the basis of the genetics of the bees I keep now. I started offering them for sale in 2004. I plan to have a limited number of queens from the black feral stock available at the end of June of 2009. Some queens come out black, some are Tiger Striped and a few are Gold.

2009 Price Schedule

$20 shipping and handling per shipment.
$29 each for unspecified color (could be gold, tiger striped or black)
$34 each for specified color (gold would be mostly yellow with maybe a little black, tiger striped would be about fifty/fifty and black would be mostly black with maybe a little brown striping)

Shipping

They will be shipped Express mail by USPS which should be overnight for most locations.

Caveats

I've found queen rearing to be very unpredictable, so my plan for 2009 is to post here, on Beesource.com and Beemaster.com when I have some available. Usually that's the end of June or later. Also keep in mind I can't ship when the temperatures either here or at the destination are over 85 or the queens simply don't arrive alive plus the post office usually will refuse to ship them anyway.

How to Get on the Waiting List

If you would like some queens, please email me. I need: Your name and address, the number of queens you want, color preferences, and a contact phone number if you want the Post Office to call you.

Payment

I do not want payment until I am ready to ship. Payment can be made by personal check or through PayPal to the email address above

Shipping Options

Also, I can require a signature or not on the shipment. You should think about the ramifications and which would best suit your situation. When a signature is required the Post Office will not deliver the queens if you are not there. Instead they will return them to the Post Office, after the carrier is done with their route. This means the queens often get caught in a game of deliver tag where they are on the truck on their way to you all the time but never get delivered. On the other hand requiring a signature can prevent them from leaving them in a hot mailbox. For busy people who have to work, it usually works better to not require the signature. I know when I have a package that requires a signature they never even knock on the door even though there are people here all the time and I end up playing tag for a day or two.

It's helpful if you notify your Post Office that you are expecting the queens. You can give any special instructions, like don't leave them in the black mailbox in the sun, leave them in the shade on the porch, or whatever fits your situation.