Every February we are so tempted to order package bees! But they come in the middle of March - and you know what the Yukon looks like at this time of year.
Package bees often struggle in northern climates due to the following reasons:
- High risk of cold stress: Package bees lack the comb infrastructure and food reserves of established colonies, making them more vulnerable to spring cold snaps and unexpected weather fluctuations.Package bees do not come with frames nor drawn comb. There is a high probability that the hive will experience delayed comb production in northern climates. The bees need to work quickly to draw out comb for the queen to lay eggs and cold weather and lack of forage can delay this process, further limiting colony growth. End result is time runs out for building comb and preparing for honey storage and winter preparations.
- Poor queen quality or acceptance: Queens shipped with packages may not be well-mated or adapted to northern conditions. Additionally, there is a risk the colony may reject the queen, delaying brood production.
- Limited resources during early season: In northern regions, early spring often has few or a complete lack of forage opportunities. Bees may struggle to find enough nectar and pollen to build up stores and feed brood.
- Competition with established colonies: Package bees may face challenges from robbing or resource competition from stronger, established hives in the area, which can further weaken the colony.
- Winter survival issues: Even if the colony builds up during the season, it may not reach the critical size needed to cluster efficiently and maintain warmth through long, harsh winters.
For northern beekeepers, alternatives such as overwintered nucleus colonies (nucs) or locally raised bees are often more successful, as these options involve bees that are already adapted to the local climate, have combined and a head start in colony development. So let's stick to nucs!