Pioneer Valley Apiaries

08/09/2024

Fire sale is still going and this is all that's left!
7 singles (colonies on 10 frames) - $185 each
- each would come in two EZ nuc boxes
7 doubles (colonies on 20 frames) - $280 each
- each sealed up as best as possible in two deep hive bodies, a bottom board, and an inner cover—equipment is used and unpainted as pictured below
Pick up in Northampton/Amherst, MA. PM me or contact me from the website at pioneervalleyapiaries.com if interested. Thanks!

06/02/2024

TOO MANY BEES! FIRE SALE ON HONEYBEE COLONIES!
$100 off 5-frame nucleus colonies. Add more bees & brood—$50 for every additional 5 frames. Even selling fully established hives.

More info at https://pioneervalleyapiaries.com/nucleus-colonies/

05/09/2024

I'll be sampling honey at the River Valley Co-op's Big Deal spring sale this Friday (May 10th) in Northampton from 2-5pm and this Saturday (May 11th) in Easthampton from noon-3pm. Come try some raw local honey and ask me about buying local overwintered honeybees (nucleus colonies are STILL AVAILABLE!!). Then stick around the co-op for live music, paella, and other prepared foods! (Music and food Friday 4-7pm in Northampton and Saturday 11am-2pm in Easthampton.) See you there!!

04/20/2024

Fulfilling nuc orders now! Get 'em while they're hot. pioneervalleyapiaries.com/nucleus-colonies Send a check in quick to get 'em quick and save $10 on each nuc.

04/11/2024

The bees are buzzin' and nuc time is just around the corner! I expect to start calling customers to arrange pick up of their nucs in the next week or two. Go to pioneervalleyapiaries.com/nucleus-colonies to place your order now for LOCALLY RAISED and OVERWINTERED BEES! $235 each. Send a check quick for $10 off each nuc!

03/01/2024

Infinite gratitude to Simple Gifts Farm for letting me keep bees on their land and selling my honey in their store over the years. Jeremy and Dave are both incredibly kind, helpful, humble, down-to-earth dudes. I sincerely wish them all the best in the next chapters of their lives. The closing of Simple Gifts Farm is the end of an era that I and the community will remember fondly and miss dearly.

P.S. Farming/ag work is truly, insanely hard, and so often yields so little material reward. Please please please support your local farmers. (And beekeepers!)

01/10/2024

Now taking orders for 2024 nucleus colonies! All are overwintered and will be ready for pick-up April/May. $235 each. Get $10 off each nucleus colony when paying by check. Place your order early to secure your bee purchase! Pioneervalleyapiaries.com. Thanks!

05/25/2023

If you're looking for locally raised overwintered bees, it's not too late! They were just given a clean bill of health by state bee inspectors and are looking great. Health certificates will be provided for bees to be taken outside MA state lines, and can be provided to in-state purchasers who request one, too. $225/nucleus colony. Shoot me an email at [email protected] or give a call at 413-341-0510. Thanks!

05/17/2023

Hi folks, lots of overwintered nucleus colonies still available and some with 2023 queens expected to be available soon! State inspection happening all day here on May 23, so if you're from outside of MA or otherwise just want your bees to be inspected, you can get your bees shortly after that date. MA residents can pick up their bees sooner! pioneervalleyapiaries.com

03/29/2023

Congrats to my best bud Zac Lamas on his game-changing research and findings! Awesome commercial beekeepers make especially awesome bee researchers.

If you haven't already heard, Zac and I have teamed up this year to make nucleus colonies that you can purchase with either one of his newly-raised Rockstar queens or with an overwintered queen. Both are great, and with plenty available either way at the time of this writing, you're still very likely to get the preference you indicate. Go to pioneervalleyapiaries.com for more info!

In this compelling presentation Zac Lamas shares findings regarding the aggregation of Varroa mites on Drones and discusses sampling methods and protocols be...

01/19/2023

Pioneer Valley Apiaries is back to selling nucleus colonies this year and has both overwintered and spring-made nucleus colonies available. The spring-made nucleus colonies are made with queens provided by Zac Lamas at Rockstar Queens. All nucleus colonies are $235. Pay by check and get $10 off per nucleus colony! When you order, I will note your preference between overwintered or spring-made colonies, but the later you order, the greater the chance that the type you ultimately receive may differ. Preferences on type are fulfilled on a first-order-first-served basis. Head over to pioneervalleyapiaries.com/nucleus-colonies/ for more information and to purchase.