Saint Mary's Apiaries

04/03/2024

3 Day SALE!

Local bees: HUGE SPRING SALE this week April 4th - 6th, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Saint Mary’s Apiaries.

We are selling many different size colonies, and also nucs. First come, first serve.
Prices starting at $150 and up. Stock is mostly VSH New World Carniolan. Notes written on painter’s tape on lids from this week’s inspection.

Walk through the beeyard and pick out the one(s) you want. Will take cash or check. Payment in full to take in woodenware and/or to hold if wanting to transfer next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday into your own equipment. If doing this, instructions are listed on my website: saintmarysapiaries.com.
We will write your name and SOLD on the colonies or nucs of your choice for transfer next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
Please check this page for pickup instructions.
There will be 8 frame, medium, full-sized colonies for sale, (1,2, and 3 boxes high), complete with woodenware, lids and bottom boards.
You may also pay in full to hold them for pick-up in the purchased woodenware on any of the 3 sales days.

I do have an email I can send you with further information if you’d like.

We will continue to sell colonies and nucs through the months of April, May and June excepting for April 11th through the 20th. Thank you as always for your business. We appreciate you.

08/31/2023

On one of the beekeeping pages someone asked about Organic Honey Labeling. I couldn’t remember which page so here is some information on it from Keith Tignor:
The VDACS Marketing Office has information, see https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/sales-certified-organic.shtml. USDA has information on their website as well, https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program. In Virginia you’ll need to contact a certifying agent. This pdf covers the basics of the certification process pretty well: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/organicflyer.pdf.

08/26/2023

Please message me in the morning if you would like to help learn how to extract honey. We can have some fun! 🥰

12/20/2022

I hope I get to dress like this soon! 🥰

12/19/2022

My husband and I just had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica for a week and was able to make a stop at Mundo De Las Abejas (World of Bees), a bee santuary in the rain forest. They could only house 3 known species of stingless bees in 2019 and today boast having identified and are hiving 23 species! So remarkable! One of the beekeepers has traveled to VA to the Spikenard apiary for training on more than one occasion. Hopefully he will visit Saint Mary’s Apiaries one day. Even though they don’t sting, they do have a painful bite.

12/19/2022

Bees NOT relaxing in Florida!

11/14/2022

11/14/2022

My first year making bake and no-bake sugar bricks. I’m putting these on about 30% of my colonies. The kitchen smells good, the Thanksgiving cacti are blooming and my cat is gracing me with her presence. My husband pitched in with helping to smash down the sugar “bricks”. I will try to give an update on how these worked.

10/04/2022

https://youtu.be/PducS0rwLkM

Click here to stream/download 'Wholehearted': https://wearemessengers.lnk.to/WholeheartedSUBSCRIBE to this channel and follow at:Instagram: https://www.insta...

10/03/2022

After having many challenges this bee season, including beeing hit head-on while sitting at a stop sign in C’ville, it is definitely a wonderful time walking the perimeter of Saint Mary’s Apiaries on a cool damp fall evening. Taking a break from learning Spanish on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon, soaking in sunsets the Good Lord saw fit to shake a few pears out of my tree. So exciting!
Still lots to do to get these girls ready for winter. Eating that elephant one bite at a time, but with more restful sleep, that elephant is sure getting tastier.
God is Good!
Soon I will be compiling names for nuc/colony orders for spring. I will Not be taking nuc orders on my website for next season, however there will be a “Once in a Century” sale which will be BOGO.
Note: Newbees will Not be sold full colonies unless they have a mentor.
I will also have some queen castles for sale and possibly some woodenware, which will most probably include some mating boxes and nuc boxes. Every beekeeper should have a few nuc boxes and possibly a mating box or two.
How about that? A 🐝 Yardsale. Something to look forward to!
❤️ 🐝*•*•*•*•*•*•.•.•.•. ❤️

09/12/2022

I just love his tongue. 🥰

09/10/2022

I had two homeschool groups last week. This is something I normally do in the spring, but what the heck; they were able to learn about and help with fall management. It’s always a fun time for all! 🎈
Today I will be doing lift tests on 110 colonies and proceeding to do a second round of Pro-Sweet on only those that are in need of more fall nutrition.
If you are a person given to impulsivity, please come over for a visit before the rain starts and you will get to feed some bees! They are grateful creatures. Their humming is music to my ears. 🥰