2026 Overwintered Nucs HALF Payment

Nucs are from MD stock with proven source queen that will have been MD State Inspected by the Dept of Agriculture. We will not release the bees until they are inspected and have built up sufficiently to allow the colony that remains enough resources and bees to succeed.  This process takes time and patience. We will contact you as soon as your number comes up. Please have your equipment ready to go by the first part of May. Every year we call and folks are not ready to pick up when the bees are ready to split. This is a real balancing act. If the bees swarm, we lose the overwintered queen and half of the workforce. We aim to split them into the nuc before that happens. Each colony is different, and we try to respond to each as individual needs require.  Sometimes the weather allows for us to release early. Often it is mid to end of May and June pick up. We wait for the weather.  We will not ship. Nucs must be picked up at our Leonardtown or Waldorf Apiaries OR you can arrange an appointment for delivery (for a fee) by Diane.

You must wear appropriate gear and bring your hives/nuc boxes for transport to the pick-up location as we will pull the bees from our hives and place them directly into your hives. We will spot the queen and make certain the bees have what they need to succeed. We have transport boxes for a fee or you can borrow and return with advanced notice so we have them on hand. A $25 deposit per box is required- 

These are full active apiaries with up to 50 colonies on each site. Please do not bring young children or those with bee sting allergies to pick up without appropriate gear. When you arrive, there will be bees flying. Splitting bees for nucs causes disruption to their normal activities and they often let us know we are not welcome during this process. Caution is necessary and required. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR BEE STINGS IN THESE APIARIES.

Once the bees are loaded in your vehicle, they are your livestock, and we highly recommend you make haste to relocate them to your property. Honey Bees generate a lot of heat and can become easily overheated in Nuc boxes or in the back of a truck bed. It is imperative that you get them home and into their new location as soon as possible to avoid potential loss of life or heat damage to your queen and colony. 

Maryland state law requires registration of your bees and we recommend you do this day 1 to avoid any conflict with applicable state laws. Cybil Preston, the state apiary inspector, is wonderful and a great source of information. It is free and easy and may save the life of your colony at some point. For a registration form, go to http://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/apiary_inspection.aspx.