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Pre-order now for April 2027 pickup

Spring 2027 Pre-Order: Buckfast Package Bees, 3 lb — Gentle and Low-Swarming

Spring 2027 Pre-Order: Buckfast Package Bees, 3 lb — Gentle and Low-Swarming

$175.00 USD
$175.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Delivery Site

"Limited availability per pickup location"

This is a pre-order for spring 2027 delivery.

These bees are not available this season. You are reserving a colony for pickup on our spring 2027 delivery route. Pickup only — we do not ship live bees.

Delivery is scheduled for April 2027, and those dates are tentative. We haul live animals across many states. Weather, supplier timing, and colony health all move dates, and we will not run a route that puts bees at risk. You'll receive your exact stop, date, and time window by email. Read our delivery date policy.

Nucs and packages are delivered on separate days. We bring nucs through first, then return through the same towns with packages about two weeks later. If you order both, expect two pickup days.

What Are Buckfast Bees Best For?

Buckfast bees are the line Brother Adam spent seventy years developing at Buckfast Abbey in England, crossing Italian stock with the old English black bee and more than a dozen other subspecies. The result is a calm, hard-working bee bred for honey production and, above all, for staying put instead of swarming.

What's Included:

• Approximately 3 pounds of worker bees (about 10,000 bees)

• One mated, laying Buckfast queen (unmarked)

• Queen housed in a separate cage for safe introduction

• Sugar water for transport

Buckfast Bee Characteristics:

• Temperament: Very gentle — bred for calm handling

• Swarming: Low — the trait the line is best known for

• Spring Buildup: Strong and steady — prolific, long-lived queens

• Honey Production: Excellent — selected for surplus

• Color: Leathery brown, often with lighter bands. Color varies between colonies — Brother Adam bred for performance, not for a uniform look.

Best For: Beekeepers who want a gentle, productive colony that is slow to swarm, and who would rather work bees than chase them.

Questions? Call (701) 809-0153

Delivery Waves

We run four delivery waves. Nucs go out first, then we come back through the same towns with packages about two weeks later — so nucs and packages are never picked up on the same day.

  • Waves 1 & 2 — Southern: Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, South Dakota, southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin. Nucs on Wave 1, packages on Wave 2.
  • Waves 3 & 4 — Northern: Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Nucs on Wave 3, packages on Wave 4.

Delivery is scheduled for April 2027 and dates are tentative. We don't publish a stop-by-stop schedule until we're confident in it. You'll receive your exact stop, date, and time window by email. Read our delivery date policy.

Payment Options

  • Pay in full by credit card at checkout
  • Cash-on-delivery available (50% deposit required by January 31, 2027)

To pay your 50% deposit now by card, use coupon code 'Half Cash'.

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Photo: Maja Dumat, CC BY 2.0

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🐝 Northern Climate Beekeeping Data

USDA Hardiness Zones Zone 3b – Zone 5b
Winter Survival Excellent — Proven in -40°F Northern Plains Winters
Spring Buildup Excellent — Rapid Spring Expansion, Conservative Fall Shutdown
Temperament Very Gentle — Ideal for Backyard & Residential Apiaries
Honey Production Moderate to High — Efficient Foragers in Short-Season Climates
Mite Resistance Freeze Kill Tested & VSH (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) Verified
Genetic Source Northern California Breeding Stock — Selected for Northern Climate Adaptation
Selection Program 8+ Years in Selective Breeding Program (Est. 2018)
Recommended For Northern Climate Beekeepers, Zones 3–5, First-Time & Experienced

💡 Darin's Expert Advice

"For Zone 3–4 beekeepers, I always recommend Carniolans first. Their winter clusters are tight and efficient — they don't burn through stores the way Italians can in a long northern winter. They shut down brood rearing early in fall and ramp back up fast in spring, which is exactly what you want when your season is May through September. Every colony we sell has been freeze kill tested for hygienic behavior — that means the bees can detect and remove damaged brood through intact cell caps, which is the gold standard for mite resistance screening. If you're in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, or northern Minnesota, Carniolans are my top recommendation."

📋 Data verified by Darin, owner of Little Apiary on the Prairie — 8+ years breeding bees for USDA Zones 3b–7a.
📞 Questions? Call (701) 809-0153