{"product_id":"buckfast-package-bees-3lbs","title":"Spring 2027 Pre-Order: Buckfast Package Bees, 3 lb — Gentle and Low-Swarming","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"laop-preorder-2027\" style=\"border: 2px solid #b8860b; border-radius: 6px; padding: 14px; margin: 0 0 18px; background: #fffbea;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is a pre-order for spring 2027 delivery.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"\u003eThese 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 8px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery is scheduled for April 2027, and those dates are tentative.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/delivery-date-policy\"\u003eRead our delivery date policy\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNucs and packages are delivered on separate days.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"soft-divider\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Are Buckfast Bees Best For?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuckfast 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's Included\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Approximately 3 pounds of worker bees (about 10,000 bees)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• One mated, laying Buckfast queen (unmarked)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Queen housed in a separate cage for safe introduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Sugar water for transport\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuckfast Bee Characteristics:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Temperament: Very gentle — bred for calm handling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Swarming: Low — the trait the line is best known for\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Spring Buildup: Strong and steady — prolific, long-lived queens\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Honey Production: Excellent — selected for surplus\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Color: Leathery brown, often with lighter bands. Color varies between colonies — Brother Adam bred for performance, not for a uniform look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest For:\u003c\/strong\u003e Beekeepers who want a gentle, productive colony that is slow to swarm, and who would rather work bees than chase them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuestions? Call \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"tel:+17018090153\"\u003e(701) 809-0153\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"soft-divider\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery Waves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWaves 1 \u0026amp; 2 — Southern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, South Dakota, southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin. Nucs on Wave 1, packages on Wave 2.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWaves 3 \u0026amp; 4 — Northern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Nucs on Wave 3, packages on Wave 4.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery is scheduled for April 2027 and dates are tentative.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/delivery-date-policy\"\u003eRead our delivery date policy\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"soft-divider\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePayment Options\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePay in full by credit card at checkout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCash-on-delivery available\u003c\/strong\u003e (50% deposit required by January 31, 2027)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo pay your 50% deposit now by card, \u003cstrong\u003euse coupon code 'Half Cash'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003es\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5; color: #8a8a8a; margin-top: 22px;\"\u003ePhoto: Maja Dumat, \u003ca style=\"color: #8a8a8a;\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eCC BY 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