2022 was not a good year for bee productivity with all the wet weather and then cold winter. We do not have many hives available and a long wait list already. We apologise for the delay in receiving your hives but we are at the mercy of the weather and the individual colonies progress. Place your order and we will be in touch when we are confident we have a strong hive ready for you.
Current wait time for QLD orders: Approx 3-4 months. Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready for you.
NSW customers: we will not be able to fulfil new hive orders for NSW customers until spring 2023 (wait list currently sitting around November). Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready for you.
** If you are in a Varroa mite red eradication zone we will not be sending hives until the baiting program has completed. Map of zones at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/eme... and see the ANBA response at https://www.anba.org.au/varroa... **
We cannot accept part-payments.
Gift certificates available after purchase, please email us.
Want to keep your own stingless bees? You can start by finding your own nest in need of rescue and transferring it to a box, or pleading with a friend to share theirs with you. Or you can take an easy path and buy your first hive.
Pricing
We sell Honey OATH hives stocked with a strong nucleus of bees for $600 each. This price includes a complimentary metal roof. Our hives have a clear brood excluder that is taped over, confining the bees to the bottom two boxes to allow for wonderful temporary viewing opportunities. A closure is included with your stocked hive to keep the bees in. We sell two bee species, see details below.
2022 was not a good year for bee productivity with all the wet weather and then cold winter. We do not have many hives available and a long wait list already. We apologise for the delay in receiving your hives but we are at the mercy of the weather and the individual colonies progress. Place your order and we will be in touch when we are confident we have a strong hive ready for you.
Current wait time for QLD orders: Approx 3-4 months. Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready for you.
NSW customers: we will not be able to fulfil new hive orders for NSW customers until spring 2023 (wait list currently sitting around November). Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready for you.
** If you are in a Varroa mite red eradication zone (parts of NSW) we will not be sending hives until the baiting program has completed. Map of zones at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/eme... and see the ANBA response at https://www.anba.org.au/varroa... **. Please do not order if you are in a red zone.
We cannot accept part-payments.
Gift certificates available after purchase, please email us.
Want to keep your own stingless bees? You can start by finding your own nest in need of rescue and transferring it to a box, or pleading with a friend to share theirs with you. Or you can take an easy path and buy your first hive.
Pricing
We sell Honey OATH hives stocked with a strong nucleus of bees for $600 each. This price includes a complimentary metal roof. Our hives have a clear brood excluder that is taped over, confining the bees to the bottom two boxes to allow for wonderful temporary viewing opportunities. A closure is included with your stocked hive to keep the bees in. We sell two bee species, see details below.
For placing an order to purchase a stocked hive please read. For local pickup, we usually have hives available (unless there is a wait list time listed, see above). When mailing hives, we charge a postage and handling fee of $50 for QLD and $100 for NSW. If you are needing your hive couriered, there may be a slightly longer wait period. Various payment options are available. If we do have a wait list please proceed with ordering as usual and we will contact you closer to when the hive is ready to arrange a date to collect/send. We cannot accept part-payments or deposits.
Please note - we do not send our bees to Mackay and northwards, as we wish to avoid genetic pollution between two distinct populations of hockingsi bees
In preparing for the arrival of your recently purchased hive, or while considering whether to buy a hive, there are a few important factors to consider. These include:
Our GUARANTEE
We guarantee the survival of hives for one year as long as they are treated properly. You must follow the advice given by us in terms of positioning and moving your hive, and take reasonable steps to ensure their survival. If your hive dies under these conditions, we will replace it, free of charge, upon return of the original dead hive box. Note that we cannot guarantee a hive that experiences temperatures of greater than 42°C, less than 0°C, receives direct sun after 10 am in summer, is kept outside their natural geographical range, is opened, is split, or has honey extracted. Fire and flood damage excluded.
Our BOXES
See the product page for an in-depth description of our honey OATH hives, https://shop.sugarbag.net/products/honey-oath-design. We only sell pine honey OATH hives stocked with bees. A closure is included with your stocked hive purchase as this is how we keep the bees inside, ready for you to release at home.
Which species?
We sell two Australian native social stingless bee species - Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi. These species have different natural ranges dependent on temperature and we send our hives to areas with warm climates between Nowra, NSW and Mackay, QLD.
Tetragonula carbonaria naturally occurs in coastal areas between Nowra NSW and Bundaberg Qld. This is the most cold tolerant species and can survive in many parts of NSW, including all coastal areas from Nowra north. However as you move inland from the coast and the moderating influence of the ocean, the climate becomes less favourable. This is especially true where you gain altitude. So Canberra and Katoomba are definitely not suitable. Areas where you can grow bananas perennially and they bear fruit, may also be suitable to keep carbonaria. If you get heavy frosts, it may not be suitable. If just an occasional frost, then it could be OK. Remember, they are really a subtropical species. In cooler areas hives need to be carefully sited and managed. Harvesting honey from hives in these areas may not be possible. These bees will not fly below 18°C and they need their stored food to survive through winter. It also may never be possible to propagate your hive in these areas. Certainly people do divide hives and extract honey in Sydney, but usually close to the coast where the extremes of low and high temperature are moderated. If purchasing a hive for location is such areas, we would not be able to offer our usual guarantee if they succumbed to cold in the winter.
We also have hives of Tetragonula hockingsi available for sale. This species is well suited to warm suburban areas of Queensland, particularly from Brisbane surrounds and northwards.
We will allocate you the most appropriate species for your area. If you have a species preference (some areas of QLD only) please email us after placing your order.
If you are unsure that Tetragonula species is suitable for your area, please email us first.
We do not sell bees separate to the hive box.
You will receive an email after your purchase with some important information about your hive - please check your spam or junk folder!