Packages via Mail

There are a number of places that still ship package bees via mail, either USPS or UPS.  3-lb packages, unless otherwise noted.

• Mountain Sweet Honey [GA] - Italian, $125-ish
• Kelley Beekeeping [KY] - Italian, Carniolan, or Saskatraz, $198-ish
• Gold Star Honeybees [GA/TN] - mixed-breed, winter hardened (supposedly), treatment-free, $185
• R Weaver Apiaries [TX] - Buckfast, clipped/marked, shipped via UPS, $175
• Winters Apiary [TN] - Caucasian, shipped via UPS, $140
• Roberts Bee Company (H&R Apiaries) [GA] - Italian?, $87 for 2-lb, $97 for 3-lb

It seems perhaps more economical to get a cheaper package initially, build up their numbers, and then introduce a queen of the desired type, since the queens are typically $30-40 each and could be used to split an established hive.