: Usually purchased only to replace a missing or failing queen in an existing hive. 2. Select a Reliable Online Supplier
When buying live honey bees online, the most critical decision for a beginner is choosing between and nucleus colonies (nucs) , as this affects the colony's initial survival and the difficulty of your first season. 1. Choose Your Bee "Format" buy live honey bees online
: Typically a screened box containing roughly 10,000 workers, a can of syrup, and a caged queen. They are cheaper ($100–$200) and available earlier in spring, but carry a higher risk of queen rejection or colony loss if weather is poor upon arrival. : Usually purchased only to replace a missing