3 replies to this topic

[Floridaantz1000]

Hi I was looking into getting a queen bee or a queen bumblebee to start beekeeping. I can pay 60 for one.

[m99]

For those prices I'm pretty sure you could get full on hive nucs or at least mini-nucs (i.e. a small starter colony of nursebees and the queen) from professional apiarists. Which is what you should be doing if you're starting out fresh, buying a lone queen won't get you far. Even wild queens always leave their birth hive with a pre-formed gang of attendants when budding, because they need the help.

 

In many areas the local bee sellers are also one of the main resource for local knowledge and info too, so ideally they'll be able to give you tips and advice along the way.

[FSTP]

there are companies that sell Bumble bee queens and colonies. They're used extensively in commercial hot house tomato farming. Bumblebees are perfect for that application because they can tolerate being indoors and are great for buzz pollinating the tomato plants. 

[ANTdrew]

there are companies that sell Bumble bee queens and colonies. They're used extensively in commercial hot house tomato farming. Bumblebees are perfect for that application because they can tolerate being indoors and are great for buzz pollinating the tomato plants.

If you do that, make sure you’re only getting species native to your region. Commercial use of non-native bumblebees has introduced pathogens into the ecosystem.