3# Package Bees

IN-STORE PICK UP ONLY. WE DO NOT SHIP PACKAGE BEES. Please make sure we have the correct e-mail and phone number of the person picking up the bees. You must bring a drivers license or other valid ID to pick up your bees. Please go to our website and look for the scrolling banner on our homepage:  we will keep this banner updated with information on the delivery of the packages.

• 3# package 
• A mated Italian-Carniolan Cross Queen (INCLUDED--Queens will not be marked) reared for gentle nature, honey production, large foraging range and over wintering.  Italian-Carniolan Hybrid bees are a favorite among new beekeepers because they are hardy and have an extended foraging range. Easily adapting to changes in their environment, they thrive in urban areas as well as rural. They are exceptionally gentle and are well suited for colder northern climates. Also known for their early spring population explosions at the first sign of pollen, Italian-Carniolan hybrid honeybees feature the best traits of both Italian and Carniolan bees.
• A package of bees consists of 3 pounds of bees, a mated queen in her cage with a cork plug, and a can of sugar syrup for the journey.  The queens and bee packages are produced in Northern California and shipped by our supplier in a climate controlled truck. 
  
• Scheduled Delivery Date: Last Saturday, April 2026 at Rocky Mountain Bee Supply, 24 S. Walnut St., Colorado Springs, CO 80905 (719) 375-5094 Time:  6:00 am to 3:00 pm (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
• In-store pickup only on date of delivery. WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT "HOLD" packages.  If you cannot make the pickup, it is YOUR responsibility to notify us and make arrangements to have someone pickup and install your bees. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REMEMBER TO PICK UP YOUR BEES...YOU WILL NOT GET AN EMAIL REMINDER OF THIS...SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!
• Please review our purchase policy/refunds/cancellations here:REFUND POLICY FOR LIVE BEES
• The pickup date is subject to change due to weather...you must be flexible.  
• ALL E-mails from us after ordering your bees are courtesy emails.  It is your responsibility to check and make sure that the delivery date is still viable.  We keep the scrolling banner on the home page of our website constantly updated with the latest status of the bees. delivery: https://rockymountainbeesupply.com/
• We will inspect your package with you at the time of pickup to ensure to your satisfaction that the bees are healthy.
• PLEASE REVIEW OUR REFUND POLICY ON LIVE BEES:  REFUND POLICY FOR LIVE BEES.Once you leave the premises with your bees, we are not responsible for them.  If you are a brand new beekeeper, or new to the state of Colorado, we  strongly encourage you to take a basic beekeeping class to increase your success with your colony. We have a great online class: check out Brass Tacks Basic Beekeeping Class. For in-store classes, please check out Upcoming Events Calendar or our Classes & Training for in-person classes.
• Install your package as soon as possible. Your queen needs to be hung in her cage between frames in the middle of the bottom box and remain in her cage for a 2 to 3 day period to ensure that she is accepted by the colony. Using a queen cage holder really takes the guesswork out of hanging her properly. Please watch the video on how to install your package: https://youtu.be/zJplmynh_0g or https://youtu.be/OTuQc79nfUw
• DO NOT RELEASE YOUR QUEEN TOO EARLY.  After the introduction period, you may remove the cork and release her into the box.  PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE CORK WITH A MARSHMALLOW. We are not responsible if your queen flies off, nor are we responsible if they eat through a marshmallow too early and kill the queen.  Just don't.  Please view the video on how to release your package queen:  https://youtu.be/yfmy6qawwDU
• PLEASE FEED YOUR PACKAGE A 1:1 SYRUP WATER AND DO NOT LET THE FEEDER RUN DRY UNTIL YOUR BEES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED TO TWO DEEP BOXES.  FAILURE TO FEED YOUR BEES CONSISTENTLY WILL DIMINISH THEIR CAPACITY TO DRAW OUT WAX COMB AND EXPAND WITH ENOUGH RESOURCES TO SURVIVE THEIR FIRST WINTER.
• Consider installing 3 to 5 frames of BetterComb in the middle of your bottom deep box (make sure to add remaining frames so you have no empty spaces) to give your bees a three to four week boost in development.  Also, adding bee nutritionals will help your package get established and overcome the stress of shipping:  SuperDFM , Complete Bee , Hive Alive
• Your package bees will have been treated for varroa destructor mites in early spring prior to delivery; HOWEVER: due to the prevalence of PMS (Parasitic Mite Syndrome) we saw this past three years, we recommend you give your bees a week to settle in, and do an additional spring treatment on them while their brood is fairly small.  Additionally, we recommend you do a mite count (simply  accomplished with an Varroa Check unit) in July/August and treat if thresholds warrant it.  Follow up with a thorough treatment again in the fall before winterizing. Failure to treat your bees on a regular regimen for varroa mites could cause colony failure. Oxalic acid (delivered by a vaporizer), Apiguard, or Apivar are great treatments for varroa mites and are on the gentler end of the treatment spectrum. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.