Package Bees, Nucs, and Queens for Sale in Ironwood, MI

Little Apiary on the Prairie delivers package bees, nucleus colonies, and mated queens to Ironwood, Michigan, with pickup scheduled for April 2027. Ironwood is our westernmost Upper Peninsula stop, in the Gogebic Range snow belt where three hundred inches of snow is a normal winter. We are a family-owned operation based in Fargo, North Dakota, running since 2018. We do not ship live bees — you meet the truck at a scheduled stop and take your bees home the same day.

Our stock is Carniolan and Italian genetics selectively bred for mite resistance, hygienic behavior, and northern winter hardiness. Every colony is mite-tested before it loads.

When is the Ironwood pickup?

April 2027. The exact date has not been announced yet. Every 2027 delivery wave runs in April. We set the specific dates once our California supplier’s timing is locked and we can see the spring weather picture — announcing a date we can’t hold does nobody any good. You’ll get your exact date and time window by email as the route firms up.

We will not run a route on schedule if running it on schedule puts the bees at risk. Read our delivery date policy.

Where in Ironwood do we meet?

The Ironwood pickup point is a highway-accessible parking lot, confirmed by email along with your date and time window. We choose lots a 48-foot trailer can actually get in and out of, close to the highway, so you aren’t driving half a day for a box of bees. You select Ironwood as your pickup location at checkout.

Arrive 15 minutes before your window opens. We have dozens of stops down the line and living animals in the back, so we can’t hold a stop or run the route twice.

Do nucs and packages arrive together?

No. Nucs and packages are delivered on separate days at every stop. We bring nucs through first, then come back through the same towns with packages about two weeks later. If you order both, expect two pickup days and two confirmed windows.

There’s a reason we run it in that order: we carry replacement nucs on the package run. If your colony has a problem, we can bring you another one instead of making you wait a season. We carry a limited number of spares, so it isn’t a blank check — but it’s why the route works this way.

Other pickup stops near Ironwood

If another stop is a shorter drive, use it — you pick your location at checkout: Covington, MI · Marquette, MI · Manistique, MI · Dafter, MI.

See every stop on our 2027 pickup locations page, or read more about buying bees in Michigan.

What can I buy for spring 2027?

Product	Price
5-Frame Nucleus Colony (Nuc), Carniolan or Italian	$195
Minnesota Overwintered Nuc, Carniolan or Italian	$215
Package Bees, 3 lb, Carniolan or Italian	$160
Package Bees, 2 lb, Carniolan or Italian	$135
Mated Queen, Carniolan or Italian (unmarked)	$45

Everything on this page is a pre-order for spring 2027 delivery. Nothing ships now.

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Questions?

Call or text (701) 809-0153, or email info@littleapiaryontheprairie.com. We’re always happy to help, even if you didn’t get your bees from us.