Bee Happy Package Ordering

Bee-Happy Just a few 'bee' things...

Bees and Queens for your hive(s)

    This season's Bee Run is on for early April deliveries.
    Get your order in while space is available. Packages nearly sold out.

    Please click a topic below for more info.
    Or, click here to jump directly to the ordering page.

What's offered, When, and How Much...
- Honey Bee packages and Queens.
  
  Our supplier continues to provide top quality, fresh, certified honeybees.
  Queens are new, mated, and laying.
  Packages are 3lbs of fresh, certified, quality bees, and includes a queen.
  
  Two popular races are available here: Italian, and Russian hybrid.
  A comparison of these 2 races can be viewed here and here.
  An older research abstract regarding superior mite tolerance traits of the Russian race can be found here.
  
  Think of this effort as a cooperative buying group for honeybees.
  Because we consolidate your orders into a truckload of packages, prices can be offered at or below what you'd pay to have them shipped. The significant advantage here is that there is much less handling and transit time, they get care along the way by an experienced beekeeper, and thus arrive much healthier, and with a much higher survival rate. Conversely, the track record for otherwise shipped bees is poor.
  This means you get more value than nucs.
  
  Costs for this season are:
  1. Packages (3lb):
    1. w/ Italian queen: $125
    2. w/ Russian hybrid queen: $128
  2. Queens:
    1. Italian: $32.00
    2. Russian hybrid: $34.00
  3. Options for queens:
    1. Marking: $3.00
    2. Clipping: $3.00
How it works...
- The yearly 'bee run' is basically a cooperative, designed to be as easy, efficient, cost-effective, and convenient as possible. Our focus is on getting bees delivered as fresh and healthy as possible. We coordinate with our supplier to get the packages as close to being shaken as possible, and immediately head back and start deliveries directly from the return route.
  Bees are reserved from the supplier months in advance, offered to you on a first-come first-served basis, and delivered to you at one of the predetermined drop locations along our return route. You would select the drop spot most convenient to you.
  Groups of recipients that are local to each other could coordinate to have a designee pick up bees for that group, saving on further travel. I'd put you in touch with others at your request.
  
  Here's a little more detail:
  1. We have bees reserved; specific quantity, estimated cost
  2. Your orders are taken (usually starting in Nov.-Dec.)
    1. Name
    2. Address
    3. Email address (used only to keep you informed)
    4. ONE phone number (cell/mobile is preferred for texting)
         (Where you can be contacted on delivery day;
          used in leiu of email for prior contact if necessary;
          also please indicate whether texting to your cell is okay.)
    5. Your order specifics:
      1. Quantity of packages and/or queens
      2. Race(s) desired
      3. Queen marking and/or clipping instructions
    6. Pick a drop spot from the list provided
    7. Add any notes in the space provided, like additions, your proxy
      (if not you), questions, or references to prior communications...
  3. A copy of this order is sent to the email address provided in the order.
    If you did not get this, and you checked your junk/spam folder,
    then it is likely that your email address was entered incorrectly.
    Either resend your order, or call me for help.
  4. Once processed (may take a day), expect an order confirmation email:
    1. Summary of items ordered with costs
    2. Payment method options:
      1. Checks or Money Orders; no fees for payment this way.
      2. Paypal and Venmo are accepted.
          Sending via Paypal to "Friend and Family" avoids any fees.
          Credit cards via Paypal will incur fees.
          IMPORTANT: Any and all fees are your responsibility.
      3. Currently, direct credit cards are not accepted.
    3. Summary of your pickup spot
    4. Any other details relevant to your order.
      If you did not get this email, and you checked your junk/spam
      folder, then call me ASAP for help.
  5. Send monies to secure your ordered item(s).
  6. Delivery day: we text (or call) when 1-2hrs from your drop location;
       You get there in time - before we get there.
       We arrive, distribute these orders, and roll-on to the next drop.
       If you miss it, you must call to make other arrangements.
Ordering...
- The following are the available methods for ordering:
  1. Click here for the online Order Form
  2. Phone: 215-789-9420
Questions / Need help?
- Got questions? New to beekeepeing? Need some help? We are happy to help wherever we can.
  1. Send us an email (preferred), or;
  2. Phone us at: 215-789-9420

Important Notes / Other info

More details on deliveries

Deliveries have almost always been on a Sunday (secondarily Saturday); and intents are to keep it that way whenever possible. We all have regular jobs which, for the most part, keeps our weekdays busy, and Sundays have proven to be the most cooperative day for deliveries. It is possible that unusual circumstances may require a day change, in which case immediate notice will be given.

Deliveries are done at preset 'drop sites' along the return route from the supplier. Following are the currently slated drop sites, with very rough historical ETAs:

Drop sites: Rough ETAs:

Jennersville: 103 Jennersville Rd, 19390;
Bank far parking lot;
~.1mi South on Rt 796 from Rt 1 bypass 7:15a-8:00a

Swedesboro, NJ: 401 Harmony Rd, Gibbstown, NJ 08027;
Gibbstown Shopping Ctr parking lot;
Gibbstown exit, West off I-295/US-130 9:15a-10:00a

K of P: 181 S Gulph Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406;
Home Depot parking lot;
area farthest from the store towards S Gulph Rd 11:30a-12:00p

Frazer: 30 East Swedesford Rd, Malvern, PA 19355;
Penn State Great Valley Campus parking lot;
Rt 29 North exits off Rt 202, to Swedesford Rd 1:00p-2:00p

The ETAs are just that - estimates, and are based on general time from recent past runs. While we strive to make these times, actual travel could easily change things.
You are free to pick any of these locations. If you do not specify a location, one will be chosen for you based on your address. Changes are allowed up to the Thursday before the delivery weekend, yet it is preferred to be set well before then.

On delivery day, you will be contacted 1 to 2 hours prior to my arrival at your drop site. Texting to you is the much preferred method (if at all possible), as I will be driving, and blasting a text to a group is much easier - and safer - than calling individuals. You will need to reply once so I know you got the msg. The plan is for you to be there BEFORE I get there so that deliveries can happen as fast as possible, so I can get on to the next group.

If you miss a pickup, you will need to get to a subsequent drop spot or make other arrangements to come and get your bees. Please do not expect me to hang around at a drop spot waiting for you, as there are other bee recipients waiting. And, I will be exhausted from days of driving.

Bee Quality and Delays

Quality bees are the focus with this bee run. That means that if it takes a bit longer to ensure robust health and quantity for the best chances of survival and performance, then it is worth the wait. Our main supplier is of the highest integrity and quality and is most trusted. They have been providing quality bees for years and years for this bee run.

Remember - bees (at least the bees this bee run gets) are not something that you can just go pull off a shelf! They are provided in a real-time manner. When it is determined that supply hives are healthy and strong enough, which happens only after good build-up periods, bees are 'shaken' from the hive and given a new, mated, laying queen. Then the packages are ready for delivery. As such, there is always the possibility of delays. One to three week delays are not uncommon. The 2015 run was delayed 5 weeks; which turned out to be perfect, as the weather had just eased.

A recent exception, the 2013 season was an unusually tough one! Bee deliveries were delayed more than once. There were deep issues with bee supplies due to horendous losses and very slow build-ups. Some apiaries closed altogether. 2013's nine week delay was very uncommon. Yet, in spite of the very late starts, reports from our recipients showed that packages and queens did very well.

Beekeeping can get tough. Big Ag continues to develop new pest controls, like crop seeds which are coated with pesticides that develop right into the plant which directly affect honey bees. Compound this with uncooperative weather and increasing pest affects, and it is not hard to understand the dilemma.

There are stories of other deliveries that were rushed too soon from other suppliers where those bees have fared very poorly at best, and had a very high loss rate. This is the sort of experience we work hard to avoid.

Refund Policy

A great deal of work and investment goes into setting up and managing this effort. This is a cooperative endeavor, not a business. As part of the model, your processed payment confirms your order and it's delivery as described here, and it covers only just that. Since re-processing cancelled orders creates considerable additional work, not to mention additional costs and potential changes in package prices, there is a processing fee for cancelled orders: $10/pkg, $5/queen.
An alternative to cancelling orders is that you find another taker to buy your purchase(s). We will be happy to direct referrals to you if you need; let us know ASAP.
There can be no cancellations/refunds once notified that our pickup date is confirmed (usually 7-10 days prior to actual pickup). The supplier is fully paid by then, and cannot be expected to complicate and coordinate refunds and stranding packages. And, bees cannot be returned to the hives if I get there and refuse them, as the bees have begun acclimation to the new queen.