Looking for "treatment free" bees. Who up north is taking a trip...

[Stone]

down south (or up north) to pick up bees or nucs?  Can't find too many suppliers who supply treatment free bees.  Just "the fat bee man" and Bee Weaver who I know of.  Anyway, I'd like to find some nucs or packages and would share my 2011 Toyota van and/or a ride to do so.

[Jim134]

You got Michael Palmer in VT. he sell nucs
His email  is mpalmer@together.net



   BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)

[Stone]

Hey, thanks!

[Robo]

Michael is a great guy and has great bees, but they are not treatment free.

[Stone]

Yeh, I met Mike at the first Leominster conference.  We were sort of neighbors.  At least from Long Island.  Went to separate schools  together.... :-D

[bud1]

i have seen videos of one of the 2 you mentioned demonstrating how to use a foger on his hives (forgot name of blue crystals that he mixes with the oil
Now in my opinion that is treating and he is always touting no cemicals, i keep wondering what those crystals would be defind as if you looked in a chemestry book and what about the oil

[Stone]

Just got an email from Michael in answer to my inquiry.  He says he does use treatments on his bees.  No deception at all....

[deknow]

...both don and michael use treatments, and have been forthcoming in this regard.  i've never asked what michael uses specifically, but don has always been upfront about his use of fgmo and essential oils.  when we visited don, he had open drums of dry sugar in his nuc yard.
both are great  beekeepers, but don mainly produces bees (not honey) michael produces both.
deknow

[mathew]

Try Long Lane Honey Bees. He doesn't treat his bees too.

[Stone]

deknow,

I guess it's all in how you define "treatment".  I don't mind feeding sugar or using essential oils.  I use Honey Bee Healthy too.  Just don't want to use "hard" stuff. You know, the "cides".

I'll try Long Lane. Thanks.

[VolunteerK9]

I'll try Long Lane. Thanks.

It says they are mostly sold out for 2011, but their shipping policy made me raise an eye:

RETURN POLICY: If your bees arrive at your local post office in a dead condition, DO NOT ACCEPT THE BEES. Your bees will have lots of dead bees on the bottom as this is normal. We say 1" of dead bees is not an issue. More than 1" might be a reason to carefully inspect the overall health of the remaining bees. Please undertsand that once you accept the package from the post office, whatever happens after that is your responsibility. If your bees are dead, and this rarely happens, ask to fill out FORM 1000 and refuse the bees. Once you accept the bees and take them home, they are yours and this includes the queen.

Now if anyone knows how in the world to inspect a queen inside a package surrounded by 10,000 homeless bees at the Post Office, please let me know. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere. I expect certain losses when anything live is shipped, but not the core of the whole hive. How about buying a new car with a 100k mile warranty on everything except the motor?

[Stone]

or the transmission!  

Yeah, I read that too. Good observations, VolunteerK9.  You know what they say: Caveat Emptor.  Many, many other suppliers do better with their guarantees.  I'll stay clear of Long Lane...Just don't like the sound of all this.

I've already paid for some local nucs and put in an order for some local packages - so I'm covered for this season.

[buzzbee]

Or you could pick up the phone and ask them to clarify about the queen if the rest of the bees are fine. They will probably address your concerns.i know most package suppliers will ship a new queen if she turns up dead. However,they usually expect the old one shipped back in the unopened queen cage.
This is probably for that errant package that takes 15 days lost in the mail and arrives with most of the bees dead on the bottom.Once you accept them ,the post office assumes no responsibility,even if priority was paid for.

[Robo]

I know David from the WpN Beekeeping Podcasts,  he is a great guy.  I'm sure he would do what is right.