• A Close-up View of Italian Package Bees
1 1

Spring 2027 Pre-Order: Italian Package Bees, 2 lb

Spring 2027 Pre-Order: Italian Package Bees, 2 lb

$135.00 USD
$135.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Delivery Site

Pre-order now for April 2027 pickup

"Limited availability per pickup location"

View full details

🐝 Northern Climate Beekeeping Data

USDA Hardiness Zones Zone 4a – Zone 6a
Winter Survival Good — Requires Adequate Fall Stores in Zone 4 and Colder
Spring Buildup Good — Steady, Consistent Buildup Through Spring
Temperament Gentle — Excellent for Beginner Beekeepers
Honey Production High — Outstanding Honey Producers, Strong Foraging Drive
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 Beekeepers Prioritizing Honey Production, Zones 4–6

💡 Darin's Expert Advice

"Italians are the workhorses of honey production. If you're in southern Minnesota, southern South Dakota, or Wyoming — Zone 4b and warmer — and your primary goal is pulling honey supers, Italians are hard to beat. They maintain larger clusters through winter, which means they need more stores going in, but they also hit the ground running in spring with bigger populations ready to work the first flows. Like all our stock, every Italian colony is freeze kill tested for hygienic behavior and VSH verified. The trade-off vs. Carniolans is winter consumption — make sure you leave enough honey or plan to feed going into fall."

📋 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

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.

A 2 lbs package of Italian bees with a proven unmarked queen ready for installation.  These bees are packaged in Northern California after almonds and are selectively bred for mite resistance.  Selectively raised for gentleness and productivity.

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 February 28, 2027 )

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