FAQ’s

You can text or call me at 816-739-0726. 
You can also email me at:

thekansasbeeco@yahoo.com

I work a traditional 9-5 during the day, so I am not always available to answer right away. Thank you for your understanding. 

KC Bee Lady is an online - home based - business.

Honey is sold in stores and the stores have their own specific hours.

We also have porch pickup in Belton, Missouri. And we deliver within 20 miles of Belton, MO. 

April /May/June! Bee sales start in the fall, for pickups the following Spring.  

Take the "Introduction to Beekeeping" class I have recorded through zoom. Once you take this class, you will understand so much more about how to start this hobby, trust me!

No. We do not ship bees! Bees are pickup only!

Absolutely!

No, and I don't have a referral for anyone who does sell queens.  Please note that all of our nucs and hives have mated and established queens living inside the boxes. She is walking around, laying eggs and being tended to by the bees. The queen is not marked. We do not mark the queens for an additional fee. You do not need to find her; you need to find eggs.  

No, I do not sell packages. Packages come from Southern states where the weather is much warmer. When they arrive in KS/MO in March/April, we are still dealing with colder temperatures, or the reverse happens, and we are warmer than expected. I've seen pictures of an entire shipment of packages get overheated on a UPS or Fed-Ex truck. This results in their death. :( 

A NUC is an established hive, just 1/2 the size of a full hive. The queen is introduced and laying eggs. The frames have comb built on them and honey stored on them. A package is a box of bees with a queen inside who has not been introduced. After you shake the bees into your empty hive, the bees will need to build comb and start storing away honey. The queen will also need to be introduced to the colony. You will receive a package sooner than a NUC, but overall, you're still ahead by purchasing a NUC. Also, just because you receive a package sooner, that doesn't mean it's a good thing. Packages arrive from Southern states like Georgia for example. While the weather may be warmer there, we still have nights that drop below freezing in early April here. I get calls every year from people who received their package in the middle of April, and it froze to death in KS/MO. I do not sell packages. 

Technically, no. I sell kits that include everything in a set. I do have extra items on occasion, so please feel free to call or text me to inquire: 816-739-0726

Call Midwest Bee Removal at 816-217-4214. Tell them The Kansas Bee Company sent you. **I do not move bumblebee's nests, handle a carpenter bee problem, kill wasps or yellow jackets. If you have a cluster of honeybees hanging off a tree limb, fence post or something else that is outside, I can possibly retrieve it. It depends on how high the cluster is off the ground and where you are located.  

Not at this time. Our focus is on creating new beekeepers, so we have beekeeping classes. We have Spring and Fall workshops. We do not have a kids beekeeping curriculum. Our focus is on adult beekeepers.

The BEES we sell are a strain of Italian & Minnesota Hygienic Italians: Minnesota Hygienic Italians were developed by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. Dr. Spivak was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010 These bees are bred to have a high degree of hygienic behavior known to be effective against diseases of the brood such as American foulbrood and chalkbrood. This trait is thought to be two behaviors acting in synergy, the uncapping of diseased cells, then the removal of the pathogen along with the pupae, effectively disrupting the disease lifecycle. Full Disclosure, as I never make false claims to make a sale - the queens are not artificially inseminated, therefore the bees are not 100% pure MN Hygienic. When a queen is left to "open mate" you cannot control the drones she is mating with. Bottom line, our bees are not mite resistant, nor would I ever make such a claim. You still need to treat for mites accordingly. 

WRONG! You don’t need a lot of land to have hives. That is a common misconception about beekeeping. All you need is a backyard with enough space for the hives themselves. The bees fly up to 3 miles a day for food and water. And they are not going to be a nuisance to your neighbors. Most of the time your neighbors aren’t even aware you have hives. Also, you are legally allowed to have 2 hives in your suburban backyard in most cities throughout Kansas and Missouri. Please check with your city to be sure of the ordinance. Please check out our video about bees in the burbs!

Yes, they are the same dimensions. The only difference in a Langstroth hive and a flow hive is the supers.

The short answer to this is maybe. If you start with a full hive in May, you're more likely to get honey in your first year, but everything depends on the nectar sources you are surrounded by and the weather conditions. Focus on hive management year one and honey will come by year two for sure!

You need a minimum of 2 hours a month to inspect 2 hives. You should be inspecting at least twice a month! When you purchase bees, it is your responsibility to take care of them. You cannot leave a hive in your yard and never get in it to inspect it. You don't need to pull every frame for an inspection, just make sure there are eggs during each inspection. If you see eggs, you know the Queen has been there at least in the last 3-4 days. The #1 thing I tell new beekeepers is to look for eggs! The Queen is sometimes very hard to find, she moves fast and can play a good game of hide-n-seek!

Yes! After a hive has survived the winter, it can be split into possibly 3 hives in the Spring. You can sell these splits, (NUCS). You can also sell honey from your hives, or lip balm and lotion from your wax. So, yes...this hobby can pay for itself in time. What other hobby does that?!