Gentle Bee Packages for Beekeepers
Welcome to Our Apiary
Our family started keeping hives as a backyard project two decades ago. We learned firsthand the challenges of keeping colonies alive through harsh winters and finding reliable local equipment. This hands-on experience drove us to build a comprehensive resource for Chicagoland residents. As a full-service beekeeping supplier, we treat every customer like part of our own apiary family. We focus on providing healthy bees alongside the specific education needed for long-term apiary success.
Choosing Between Colony Types
Beginners often ask us to explain the differences between starting options. A bee nuc is an established miniature hive that gives you a major head start during unpredictable Midwest springs. High-quality bee packages consist of a shaken cluster of worker bees paired with a separately caged queen bee. Starting from a package means the colony must build wax comb from scratch. Both options work well when paired with the right local support.
Cold-Hardy Genetics and Queen Bees
Winter survival dictates the success of any apiary. We prioritize cold-hardy genetics raised right here in Illinois to give your hives the best chance at thriving year-round.
- Carniolan and Russian breeds offer superior resilience for Midwest winters
- Saskatraz lines show excellent rapid spring buildup
- Locally mated queen bees adapt quickly to our specific regional climate
- Grafted local stock improves overall overwintering success
Call us today or email [email protected] to secure your cold-hardy stock.
Apiary Management and Extraction Services
Managing an apiary takes time and physical labor. Property owners and agricultural farms often want pollination benefits without doing the heavy lifting themselves. We offer professional hive setup and ongoing seasonal maintenance.
Meyer Bees handles the regular inspections and health treatments required to keep colonies thriving on your land. We also support experienced beekeepers with commercial-grade honey extraction services at our Minooka facility. You get your honey professionally processed without needing to buy expensive extracting equipment.
Bee Packages ??? or Package Bees ???
Bee packages are for sale and available in early spring. We head to Georgia for a week or so for each “batch” of packages. During this time we shake the bees for the packages, fill feed cans, catch and mark mated queens and assemble all the bee package pieces. Once everything is ready, we truck all the packages back to Chicago, IL in a climate controlled vehicle. From start to finish, the bees are quickly run through the “package process” to minimize stress and get them to customers quickly. Bee packages are available on multiple pickup dates mid March through the end of May.
Local Packages
Once our colonies in the Chicagoland area build up we will begin shaking packages from our own local colonies. We then add a Meyer Bees queen to the packages and you have a package with zero transport stress and bees and queen accustomed to the Chicagoland weather. Contact us to request a local package (availability dependent on the weather and colony build-up times, local packages typically start mid to late-May through August).
We are now taking orders for 2027 bee packages, nucs and queens. Call 815-521-9116 or email [email protected] to place an order.
2027 Italian, Carniolan, Russian, Golden West and Saskatraz packages are available
starting around mid March (depending on weather) through to the end of May – order now!
2027 Nucs are available with pickup dates mid April through September
2027 Italian, Carniolan and Russian queens are available mid March and the rest of the season
2027 Saskatraz queens available mid April to end of June
>> call us 815-521-9116 or email [email protected] to get on the list for 2027 <<
click PDF brochure below or visit our SHOP for details
Nucs
In early spring and throughout the summer, we perform splits on our strongest bee hives across all of our Illinois apiaries to produce 5-frame nucs for sale. The splits are then transported to our main site in Minooka where we add a marked and mated queen. The 5-frame nucs are then built up over several weeks to contain 2-3 frames of brood, 1-2 frames of honey/pollen and a large number of foragers. Once a nuc box is of the correct strength, it is available for customers to pick up. Note – there will typically be some undrawn foundation on the outside frames to allow for colony growth.
Overwintered Nucs
We will have 2026 overwintered nucs available being kept / maintained at our Minooka IL apiary to be sold as 2027 overwintered nucs with the original 2026 overwintered queens. We let the nucs build up during early spring to make sure there are no issues with supersedure. Call 815-521-9116 or email [email protected] for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to bring my own boxes for pickup?
We provide a specialized transport box for a bee nuc. You must have your permanent woodenware set up at your apiary for the transfer once you arrive home.
How soon should I install my colony after pickup?
We recommend transferring your bees into their permanent hive equipment within 24 hours of pickup.
How long does it take for a package to build comb?
Worker bees begin producing wax almost immediately when fed properly. It generally takes them a few weeks to draw out enough comb for the queen bee to begin laying a substantial brood pattern.
What should I feed my new colony?
New colonies require supplemental feeding to build wax comb and raise their first round of brood. Sugar syrup provides the essential carbohydrates needed for immediate energy and comb production.
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