My first time buying bees might have been the most foreign experience of my life. I ordered them, got a call from the post office that they had arrived, and drove over to pick up a buzzing box from the counter. There have been plenty of other stories over the years, and no matter how you get your bees, the day they come home is always exciting (and always long). When pickup day comes, our guide to installing package bees covers exactly what to do next.
If you are getting ready to start your first hive, the first real decision you will make is how to actually get the bees. There are four common ways to do it, and each one comes with its own cost, timing, and learning curve. Here is how they compare, and what I wish I had known before I picked up that first box.
The Four Ways to Get Bees
Before we get into the detail, here is the short version. You can catch a wild swarm for free, order package bees through the mail, buy a full established hive from another beekeeper, or start with a nuc (a small, ready-made starter colony). For most beginners I steer them toward a nuc, but every option has a time and place, so let us walk through all four.
1. Catching a Swarm
Hiving a wild swarm is the cheapest way to get bees, because a swarm is essentially free if you can reach it. It is also the biggest adventure, and the least reliable. As a beginner I had almost no luck with this. The one chance I got, the bees had settled too high up in a tree for me to safely reach them, and that was that.
If you want to chase swarms, know what you are signing up for. You need to be ready to drop everything and respond to a call the moment a swarm is spotted, because they rarely stay put for long. It helps to get on a local swarm list through your beekeeping club so you are in the rotation when calls come in. This route can work beautifully once you have a season or two under your belt, but I would not count on it for your very first colony. If you are curious about why swarms happen in the first place, our guide on why bees swarm explains the biology behind it.
2. Package Bees
Package bees are a group of unrelated bees shipped to you, usually by mail or picked up from a regional supplier. The package is a wooden box about the size of a shoebox, wrapped in screen mesh, with a feeding can in the center to keep the bees fed in transit. The queen and a few attendant bees ride along in a small separate cage suspended in the middle of the box.
Packages are sold by the pound, and most run between three and four pounds, which works out to roughly ten thousand bees. Ask your supplier the anticipated weight before you order, because the larger the package, the faster your colony tends to build. Expect to pay somewhere in the range of $135 to $200 for a three-pound package with a queen, though prices vary by year and region, so check with growers in your area for current numbers.
Here is the honest tradeoff. Package bees are gathered from many different hives, so they are not a single genetic family, and the queen is usually raised separately from the workers she ships with. The bees go through a fair amount of stress in transit. When they arrive, you shake them out of the box into your hive and then slowly introduce the queen, who is still in her cage. She chews her way out through a candy plug at one end, and over about three to five days the colony grows accustomed to her scent. With a little luck, everyone settles in and the bees get busy building. If you go this route, buy from a reputable grower rather than a large factory operation. For a closer look at how packages compare to nucs, see our deeper dive on package bees versus nucleus colonies.
3. Buying an Established Hive
You can also buy a full-sized, already-running colony in an established hive. This gets you the most bees and the most drawn comb right away, which is a real head start. The catch is that an established hive is a bigger up-front investment, and you are inheriting whatever condition the colony and equipment are in, so it pays to buy from someone you trust.
If you go this way as a beginner, try to negotiate some mentoring time with the beekeeper you buy from. Someone who knows that exact hive, and who can walk you through your first few inspections, is worth as much as the bees themselves. Whenever possible, buy hives that have been inspected before the sale and checked by your local bee inspector, so you know the colony is healthy and disease-free.
4. Starting With a Nuc
A nuc, short for nucleus hive, is my first choice for beginners. It is a small, established colony where all the bees are already related and working together. It comes with a tested, laying queen and brood at every stage of development, which means the colony is genuinely up and running before it ever reaches you.
A master beekeeper creates a nuc by pulling four to five frames (bees, queen, honey, and larvae included) from a strong working hive. Because those frames already have a head start, your colony tends to grow faster and settle more easily than a package. In my own experience nucs grow at a quicker pace than packages, and I have had more success establishing colonies from them. A nuc usually costs a bit more than a package, often in the $175 to $250 range depending on the season and your area, and you will typically either return the box it came in or leave a deposit for it.
Which Option Should a Beginner Choose?
If you want the simplest, most forgiving start, begin with a nuc from a local, reputable beekeeper. You get an acclimated family of bees with a proven queen, and a much gentler learning curve. If a nuc is not available or the budget is tight, a package from a trusted grower is a solid second choice, just expect a slightly slower start while the new colony comes together. Catching swarms and buying full established hives both have their place, but they tend to suit beekeepers who already have a season of hands-on time behind them.
Whatever you choose, do not do it alone. Find a local beekeeper to shadow, lean on your county club, and ask a lot of questions before your bees arrive. For more of what I learned the hard way in those early years, read our 5 beekeeping tips for beginners, and if you are still deciding whether this hobby is for you, our first beekeeping post tells the story of how it all began for me on the farm.
Once your bees are home, the next thing on your mind will be keeping them fed and healthy through their first season. Our guide on when to feed bees is a good next read.
And if you would rather enjoy the sweet results of beekeeping than take up the hobby yourself, that is the easiest place to start of all. Explore our Eastern Shore Honey collection to taste what each season’s bloom produces right here on the farm.
FAQs About Buying Bees
What is the best way to buy bees for beginners?
For most beginners, starting with a nuc from a local, reputable beekeeper is the easiest option. A nuc is a small established colony with a tested, laying queen and brood already developing, so it settles in faster and is more forgiving than a mail-order package. A package from a trusted grower is a good second choice if a nuc is not available.
How much does it cost to buy bees?
Costs vary by year and region, but a three-pound package of bees with a queen often runs about $135 to $200, while a nuc typically costs around $175 to $250. Catching a swarm can be free if you can reach it, and a full established hive costs more up front because you are also buying the equipment and drawn comb. Always check with growers in your area for current pricing.
What is the difference between a package and a nuc?
A package is a group of unrelated bees shipped with a separately raised queen, sold by the pound. A nuc is a small, already-functioning colony of related bees on four to five frames, complete with a laying queen, brood, and stored honey. Nucs tend to grow faster and install more easily because the colony is already established, while packages are often less expensive.
How many bees come in a package?
Most packages are sold by the pound and run between three and four pounds, which works out to roughly ten thousand bees plus a queen. Asking your supplier for the anticipated weight before ordering is worthwhile, since a larger package generally builds into a strong colony faster.
Where should I buy bees?
Buy from a reputable local grower or beekeeper rather than a large factory operation, and look for hives or nucs that have been inspected before sale and checked by your local bee inspector. Your county or state beekeeping association is the best place to find trusted local suppliers and to get on a swarm list if you want to try catching bees.
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