Starter Bee Hives - 5 Frame Nucs
We are proud to offer mite resistant, winter hardy, gentle honey bees.
We offer VSH-Italian, Saskatraz or Randy Oliver Queens in our Nucs.
VSH-Italian POL-LINE 2.2
VSH Pol-line queen bees are bred exclusively from instrumentally inseminated VSH breeder queens, and are selected for mite resistance, gentleness, honey production and rapid spring buildup. VSH stands for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene, and is one of the keys to keeping healthy, mite-resistant colonies. The VSH trait was originated from USDA stock in Louisiana.
Bees exhibiting the VSH trait interfere with the reproduction of varroa mites by detecting and removing bee pupae that are infested with varroa mites. This VSH activity slows the spread of varroa, and keeps mite populations below damaging thresholds.
Our mite counts in the spring of 2025 were "zero" because of the VSH trait in these bees. We have also found that the VSH line overwinters well in Ohio and builds up fast in the spring for a great honey crop.
Learn more about: Varroa sensitive hygiene
Saskatraz Hybrid
Saskatraz hybrids are produced by Olivarez Honey Bees using Saskatraz breeder queens constructed in Saskatchewan, Canada by Meadow Ridge Enterprises
Saskatraz breeder queens are selected for honey production, wintering ability, temperament, tracheal mite resistance, varroa tolerance / resistance and brood diseases. The Saskatraz breeding program uses recurrent natural selection to select for varroa tolerance in productive colonies with good economic traits. The OHB Saskatraz Hybrid have been crossed high VSH lines to increase stability of the varroa tolerant trait.
Bees exhibiting the VSH trait interfere with the reproduction of varroa mites by detecting and removing bee pupae that are infested with varroa mites. This VSH activity slows the spread of varroa, and keeps mite populations below damaging thresholds.
We have found the Saskatraz bees overwinter well in Ohio, have great honey production and are the most gentle bees we have ever worked with.
Learn more about: Saskatraz Honey Bees
Randy Oliver Queen - Golden West
These Queens are developed by the legendary honey bee researcher Randy Oliver of ScientificBeekeeping.com and brought to you through Olivarez Honey Bees.
Randy Oliver is known for his honey bee research, and it shows in the bees that he and his sons raise. They are productive, gentle, and have a reasonable degree of mite resistance
Starting with only a single mite resistant colony out of 1500, over the years they’ve slowly increased the percentage of their hives that exhibit complete or partial mite resistance. Over half their colonies maintained infestation rates below 2% over the entire course of the season, right in the middle of crowded apiaries with plenty of mite drift – without the application of any miticides.
They breed only from queens whose colonies are very gentle and healthy, exhibited above average mite resistance and honey production
Learn more about: Randy Oliver's Queens
We sell bees in Nucs & Packages
We produce our nucs here from our Ohio Over-Wintered bees.
We are now excited to be an Authorized Distributor for Olivarez Honey Bees! OHB has raised bees in Northern California for more than 50 years. An now you can get an OHB premium package of bees and pick it up right here at our location in Ohio.
Our apiary is certified disease and pest free by the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture.
More about our honeybee nucs
Bee Hive Nucs will have 5 deep frames of bees with brood, pollen, honey, and a laying Queen. At home you will need your own deep hive body, bottom board, 5 empty frames, a feeder, a lid, a hive tool, bee veil or jacket, beekeeping gloves, and a smoker.
Queen will be in the nuc and laying for at least 3 weeks before pickup so I can evaluate her performance and make sure you are getting a quality queen. Nucs will be in Jester plastic nuc boxes at pickup.
Because there is brood hatching and young bees emerging, nucs build up more quickly than packages and need to be transferred to full size colonies immediately. They will usually be ready for a second brood box within a couple weeks of installation. Nucs should be fed until all frames in the first and second brood chamber are drawn out.
Build and paint your hives ahead of getting your bees, as you will need to install the bees in their new home the day you get them. Don’t wait!
If you are just starting in beekeeping I highly recommend starting with two or more hives. Having two hives allows you to compare their build up and also to share resources. For example, if you have one hive that is weak with only a few frames of brood and your other is strong with lots of bees and brood you can give the weak hive a frame of brood from the strong colony. There are lots of other reasons to keep 2 or more, however if you are comfortable only starting with one your first year then start with one! If you have any questions about the nucs feel free to email: mike@HartvilleHoney.com
More about our honeybee packages
SHIPPING IS THE MAIN REASON FOR PACKAGE BEES FAILING. FOR OVERALL COLONY HEALTH AND GREAT QUEEN PERFORMANCE OUR PACKAGE BEES ARE PICKUP ONLY AT HARTVILLE HONEY BEE FARM IN NE OHIO
We are now excited to be an Authorized Distributor for Olivarez Honey Bees! OHB has raised bees in Northern California for more than 50 years. An now you can get an OHB premium package of bees and pick it up right here at our location in Ohio.
Package bees are a great early season option for those wanting a head start, for those beekeepers interested in growing their apiary and for beekeepers interested the learning opportunity watching a colony build up from scratch.
Every package comes with a marked mated queen.
The Customer is responsible for picking up the package bees within 2 days of arrival. Pickup dates are approximate and subject to change. Notifications are sent out via email. We will notify of any changes. IF YOU INSTALL YOUR PACKAGE INTO NEW EQUIPMENT YOU MUST FEED YOUR BEES. The success of a colony is ultimately the responsibility of the beekeeper. No refunds.
Gear you MUST have before you pick up your bee nucs!
One deep frame box (8 or 10 size).
Enough empty frames to fill 1st box (3 for an 8 box / 5 for a 10 box).
Bottom and top boards.
You will need at least 1, even 2 more boxes with frames as the season advances, depending on bees vigor, climate etc.
It would also help if you had a hive tool, bee veil or jacket, beekeeping gloves, feeder and a smoker.
I can assist you with geting this equipment.
Terms
HoneyBee Nucs and Packages must be picked up at Hartville Honey Bee Farm in Uniontown, Ohio 44685. Shipping is not available. We will contact you when it is time for you to pick up your nuc or package.
Ohio Overwintered nucs are overwintered here in Ohio. Other nucs that are not labeled as "overwintered" are produced from our overwintered stock with a new queen added. Some Saskatraz and Golden West queens are from OHB and some are raised here on our bee farm.
When you order a nuc from us, a non-refundable deposit is due at time of order, before we create the nuc for you. Balance of $100 is due at pickup in cash or cashiers check only. The reason the deposit is non-refundable is because we create and grow a nuc custom for you with the queen you want.
All bee purchases are final and cannot be exchanged, refunded, or canceled. Responsibility for the bees passes to the customer once they leave our premises.
Returns & Refunds: There are no returns or refunds once the customer accepts the bee package or nuc at our pickup location in Uniontown, Ohio. If for some reason, I am unable to fill the order, the customer will be due a full refund. Honey Bee Nucs will be available in May and June, weather depending, and no later than July 10. If the nucs are not ready for pickup by July 10 at the latest, the customer is due a full refund at their request. If the customer fails to pick up the nuc after having been notified that the nuc is ready for pickup, this does not give the customer the right to a refund.
The customer understands and acknowledges that bees and nucs are living creatures and are perishable. Hartville Honey Bee Farm will not be responsible or liable for loss of bees or nucs due to overheating once they are received by the customer. It is the responsibility and duty of the customer to insure that packages and nucs are kept cool and out of direct sun until they are installed in hives.
The Customer is responsible for picking up the package bees within 2 days of arrival. Pickup dates are approximate and subject to change. Notifications are sent out via email. We will notify of any changes. IF YOU INSTALL YOUR PACKAGE INTO NEW EQUIPMENT YOU MUST FEED YOUR BEES. The success of a colony is ultimately the responsibility of the beekeeper. No refunds.
