Question 1

What breed of bees do you raise?

Accepted Answer

You may be familiar with other common breeds of bees, such as Italians, Carniolans, or Russians. Our bees are not any one specific breed. We started our operation years ago with Carniolans, but we have been grafting and raising our own queen since 2016, and all our queens are open mated (meaning we don't do any artificial insemination). For this reason, our bees are considered a hybrid. Our Iowa Hybrid bees are extremely gentle and easy to work. The queens are prolific brood layers and we select strongly for winter hardiness and low mite counts. They are an excellent, hardy bee for our Iowa climate.

Question 2

Do you ship bees?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we do not ship any bees. All bees must be picked up from our farm in Runnells, Iowa.

Question 3

Do you still have nucs available?

Accepted Answer

When we transition to a waiting list for our nucs, we will update that info on our nuc product page. If you can still place an order for a nuc, then we still have availability.

Question 4

What if I change my mind or need to cancel my order?

Accepted Answer

Deposits for nucs are non-refundable, unless we can find another customer to take your place. If we are able to sell the nuc(s) you ordered to someone else, then we can refund your deposit.

Question 5

I've never bought a nuc before. How do I take it home? Do I need a pickup truck?

Accepted Answer

Our nucs will be sealed and are safe to ride inside the car with you. If the weather is warm and sunny, we encourage customers to have the nucs inside the vehicle with air conditioning running to prevent the bees from overheating inside their nuc box. More information can be found in our Bell Farm Nuc Instructions.

Question 6

Can you mark my queen for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Every Bell Farm queen is marked. We follow the standard, international color marking code, as follows: (e.g. 2027 is Yellow)