NC-Bee-Dude
10-11-2009, 01:46 AM
I just want to give a big TWO THUMBS UP to Jack Tapp and his staff at Busy Bee Apiaries in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They rock!
In June, I got a package of bees from what I now know to be a less than stellar apiary in Georgia. This apiary ran a great game with a website and Ebay listings -- but I'm among a crowd of people that got ripped off by them this year.
I salvaged enough bees out of the package to start a nuc, but needed a queen...and needed her fast. So searching the Internet, I found a listing for Busy Bee Apiaries in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and called Jack Tapp, the owner.
To cut to the chase, I got a top shelf Minnesota Hygienic queen from Busy Bee! Once she got enough cells to lay, she went right to work in a thick and consistent laying pattern -- and hasn't stopped.
Feeling I needed to "beef up" this colony, I called Jack and asked if I could buy some frames of brood. I called that morning and he said they would be ready by noon (I am an hour away so its easy to drive there). When I got there, Betsy and Shelley (who work there) had two of the most beautiful frames of brood ready to go for me. So I came home and hived them and this colony is doing great -- between the queen and brood from Busy Bee, and feeding them through the summer, they've done extremely well.
I have nothing but the highest praise for Busy Bee Apiaries and Jack, Betsy and Shelley. They have great customer service, give terrific advice, and they're willing to help out when needed. And they sell limited goods from Brushy Mountain Bee Supplies too..including hive supplies and supplements for your colonies. But they don't sell package bees, only queens and brood, and the brood depends on availability -- so call before you make a trip. Oh, and they ship queens too in case you're not close enough to drive.
My advice is...if you're looking for Minnesota Hygienics or maybe some brood, and you're looking for nice people who do good work, call Busy Bee Apiaries!
Their number is: (919)942-2006 and they're open Monday through Friday.
In June, I got a package of bees from what I now know to be a less than stellar apiary in Georgia. This apiary ran a great game with a website and Ebay listings -- but I'm among a crowd of people that got ripped off by them this year.
I salvaged enough bees out of the package to start a nuc, but needed a queen...and needed her fast. So searching the Internet, I found a listing for Busy Bee Apiaries in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and called Jack Tapp, the owner.
To cut to the chase, I got a top shelf Minnesota Hygienic queen from Busy Bee! Once she got enough cells to lay, she went right to work in a thick and consistent laying pattern -- and hasn't stopped.
Feeling I needed to "beef up" this colony, I called Jack and asked if I could buy some frames of brood. I called that morning and he said they would be ready by noon (I am an hour away so its easy to drive there). When I got there, Betsy and Shelley (who work there) had two of the most beautiful frames of brood ready to go for me. So I came home and hived them and this colony is doing great -- between the queen and brood from Busy Bee, and feeding them through the summer, they've done extremely well.
I have nothing but the highest praise for Busy Bee Apiaries and Jack, Betsy and Shelley. They have great customer service, give terrific advice, and they're willing to help out when needed. And they sell limited goods from Brushy Mountain Bee Supplies too..including hive supplies and supplements for your colonies. But they don't sell package bees, only queens and brood, and the brood depends on availability -- so call before you make a trip. Oh, and they ship queens too in case you're not close enough to drive.
My advice is...if you're looking for Minnesota Hygienics or maybe some brood, and you're looking for nice people who do good work, call Busy Bee Apiaries!
Their number is: (919)942-2006 and they're open Monday through Friday.