BEE PACKAGES
Start new colonies with young, selected bees
Bee packages let you start new colonies from a population of young, healthy and genetically selected bees. They are a practical tool for expanding the apiary, replacing winter losses or starting new nuclei from a controlled biological base.
ORDER BEE PACKAGES
CONCEPT
What bee packages are
A bee package consists of a defined quantity of young bees taken from healthy, productive colonies and transferred into a container designed for transport and subsequent introduction into the hive.
Unlike a natural swarm, a bee package contains no frames, brood or stores: it is made up exclusively of adult bees that, once introduced into the hive and accompanied by a queen, can quickly build a new colony.
When and why to choose a bee package
A bee package is a versatile tool for taking targeted action in apiary management.
Build new colonies
to start new colonies from young bees, with no brood
Reinforce colonies
useful for reviving weak hives
Form mating nuclei
to set up mating nuclei efficiently
The benefits of a bee package
Predictable management
greater control compared with natural swarms
Flexible use
suited to any hive type and apiary set-up
Nucleus formation
to set up mating nuclei efficiently
Rapid build-up
fast colony growth, similar to a natural swarm
Low initial infestation
reduced varroa levels at the start
Lower pathogen load
reduced risk of bacterial and fungal disease
Limited viral load
a healthier and more stable biological base
Fewer treatments
less need for anti-varroa treatments in the first year
WHAT YOU GET
How our bee packages are made up
Tenuta Ritiro’s bee packages are designed to ensure biological quality, vitality and ease of introduction.
Each package contains:
- 1.5 kg of young bees
- bees taken exclusively from honey supers
- no drones or old bees
- option to deliver queenless or with a selected queen
Once introduced into the hive, the bees can cover roughly 5 Dadant-Blatt frames, quickly starting the build-up of the new colony.
How to introduce a bee package correctly
Transport and logistics
To safeguard the health of the bees, the entire logistics chain is designed to minimise transport stress.
The bees are stored in cold rooms at 7°C, while delivery is carried out with vehicles equipped for live bee transport.
This system avoids:
- thermal stress
- premature ageing of the bees
- loss of colony vitality
Package quality is also backed by Tenuta Ritiro’s genetic selection programme, in which varroa resistance and virus tolerance are two core criteria. The time between package production and delivery is under 3 days, to ensure the bees arrive in peak condition.