Jack Anerson honey

We are Taking Orders Now for delivery in April 2025



Updated: April 30th 2025

Wednesday hoping to rebook for Thursday
Ketchikan Bees have been bumped again due to lack of room on the jet.!!!!
We are booking them for tomorrow on the same flight and hoping for room.


So this week we are sending bees again for Ketchikan, Prince of Wales, Wrangell and Sitka. We have ordered new bees and they are on board. we have confirmed space on the plane to Ketchikan. It will depart Seattle a bit after 2 and arrive Ketchikan to be moved to island air to prince of wales. Because it is later in the day there is a chance the bees might not make it till Thursday. Wrangell and Sitka will travel by ACE. We can call you if there is a delay. No news is good news.
We managed to recycle the old packs and found new homes for those bees. The bees traveling in this shipment were new packs made up fresh on Monday so they can stand any delay that may show up.

Extra note, if when your bees arrive and the syrup can is empty, no not panic. Air travel can cause the air in the can to expand and contract pumping the liquid out, but rest assured that the bees can suck up much of that sugar water and still have a quantity of it inside of them, and as long as the bees remain bearded they conserve their energy and they can last over a week.

Kodiak, Fairbanks, Bethel, Juneau, Gustauvs, Haines all were delivered with success.

WE do not have any more bees packs for 2025. We will possibly have nukes later in May. They will run close to $400.00 to $500.00 depending on how much equipment you might need with them.


Questions? Call Jack at 907-365-9199

If you can't get Jack see below for Jim

Texting works well too, Jack 907-365-9199

or Jim 907-317-2367


Welcome to Alaska Bee Wrangler, "beehive Alaska".
This is almost May and we do not have any bees
Left for the 2025 season.
.

Bees have been delivered to all points but Ketchikan Wrangell, and Prince of Wales and Sitka. These should all deliver this week.
We will still have bees only be offered as nukes for 400.00 to $500.00 depending on the amount of equipment you may need.

250.00 was the price for new packs of bees. That is the price for Fairbanks, Anchorage or the Mat-Su Valley
Southeast Alaska, Western Alaska and Kodiak add 20.00 per pack.
(This is due to the extra handling required and trying to meet minimum freight port requirements ).
Your bees may need private carriers to get them to places like Skagway and Haines, Prince of Wales etc. That will require extra cost to those areas from hubs like Juneau and Ketchikan or Anchorage.

Click on the order form above
and fill it out.

Since mid February the Bloom of the Almonds was started on time in the Orchards, so starts the process for us to get bees this year 2025. March begins efforts to raise queens. Rain storms in North California have not delayed the packages as of today. All seems to be on schedule.

Delivery dates

We have space t Ketchikan to arrive on the 30th, flight 7004 at 3:23 pm
Ketchikan had bumped the bees this 23 April. We will have to start over with fresh bees and it will possibly be a week before space is found.

This is an example of why we charge more for SE and other bush area bees. We will have to spend a few extra hundred dollars to get you bees but it is something that we assumed when we accepted your order, so there is no extra cost on your end.


Classes will resume in February 2026

We have equipment for sale that is needed to start your colony at competitive prices.



Yes this is the same place you were looking for. The format that was used for our old web page was discontinued and we are now adjusting to a new format. New information will appear here as the days progress. We are the same Bee Wranglers as before.
Feb 8 2023



Stranded Bees

Bees that are left at a shipping point by things that come up beyond our control at times have to bee dealt with.

Ketchikan bees were recently stranded in Seattle by the airfreight not able to carry them.

Because we were shipping out another batch of bees to Anchorage later that day, we managed to put them on that flight. Still they had no customer destination waiting for them, but that area is our largest market and finding a home for them is more likely in that area. In the past we have found homes for them in the Northwest and so there are thing that can be done to get the bees to a home.


NEW BEES FOR 2025




Package bees are available the second week third week and sometimes the 4th week in April. Most years that is the schedule, but sometimes they can be delayed depending on the weather. Favorable weather is needed for the Queen production and the bee production can be affected by the bloom in the Orchards.


The Almond Bloom is due in a few weeks and that will start the process of getting us bees. By middle of February the trees began blooming and the bees servicing the bloom will cause the hive populations to increase. The Queens will be developed and mated in March, so that is the next step is getting bees to Alaska.


We will still have discounts for early buy of the bee packages. We suggest 4 pound packs for Alaska areas.


Remember that once you get the bees they need sugar water. It can be sprayed on them but bee carful not to over spray. You can also spray sugar water on the frames. Either new frames or drawn comb. This helps the bees receive sugar in a quick method and it will help their bodies produce heat. If it is single digits out and it is to improve a day or two later, you can wait. Times like this also can help the bees by putting frames in the hive with honey left over from last year.


Upon receiving the bees you can put the package in a cool dark area. about 55-65 degrees. If they stay bearded that is ideal. a few bees running around is normal. If they all start to run around, you can cool them off by placing them in a cooler area. Outside can be used to cool them but do not leave them out there long, just till they beard again. If temperatures are below 15, I would not put them outside.


You might have a wooden box Queen cage or a plastic queen cage.


Wooden Queen cage: Queens can be direct released into the hive or the queen can bee Placed in the hive with a marshmallow in the cage hole. Normally a cork is blocking the cage hole. you need to remove the cork and place a marshmallow where that cork was but you should be indoors. When you place the marshmallow in the hole the queen can fly and be lost if you are outside. Each Year we hear of beekeepers losing Queens that fly away in the outdoor. Indoors the Queen can be captured and placed back in the cage if she Trys to fly away.


Plastic Queen cage: you can remove the plastic cap and expose candy in the form of a plug in the cage. If you wish you can use the head of a flat head nail to remove much of the candy for quicker release. The bees are going to have to eat through the candy to release the Queen.






WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH YOUR BEES THIS TIME OF THE YEAR (January- February)???



Many Beekeepers have tried to winter the bees from last summer. If you have hives that are trying to get through the winter now is the time to pay attention to them. It is best not to ever try to open them in the middle of winter. But if you have an upper entrance that is allowing the moisture to escape from the bees you might bee able to see steam escaping from that upper entrance. Also the snow on top of the hive will generally have a dip in the middle of it, reflecting the warmth of the live bees inside. Also by looking into that small hole at the top you can see bees moving around on top of the frames in the hive, especially on warmer days when it is in the 20's or 30's. (I have used a small flash light to aid checking on bees in the hive)


This year in much of Alaska there is snow. NOW is the time. Before April arrival you can shovel 10 or 20 shovel full of snow each day or 100 per week to uncover your bee area and make a path to the bee yard. I have some customers that hire a loader to uncover the area so they wait. starting now also gets you a free work-out.


If you have determined that the bees have died then later this month and into March the hive can be dried out by stacking each box on its end and letting the air blow though the boxes. Many times bees crawl into the cells as they are dying. You need not remove these bees from those cells. New bees introduced later can remove those in the cells better than you can. Air blowing through a dead hive will allow the insides to dry out. loose bees can be brushed out or allowed to drop from the hive. If you notice mice activity this also helps deter further damage by opening them up.

By drying out the hive it will allow any bees left in the cells to be removed later by new bees once they arrive. You must remember though as they clean out these bees that are winter kill and deposit them out side the hive that you new bees are not the ones showing up, dead on the landing board. Again It is not necessary for the beekeeper to try to remove those bees that are wedged in the cells if they are dry. If you wait later than March to dry the hive out it will be much harder, the insides will be goo in April and late March. That is very difficult for the bees to clean up.


Wintering Bees is not an easy activity. Many times they make into March and then might die or dwindle to small numbers.



BEE DELIVERY DATES Above in the titles



Delivery dates are in the mid part of April and a second ship date will be the end of April. Check here for any last minute delays or freight problems we may encounter that delay the bees.


Please remember, delays can still happen and there is always a slight chance the bees could be late to one stop or the other.


For any questions you can call Jack 907-365-9199 or Jim 907-317-2367



BEE TYPES



Bees are New World Carniolan, Old World Carniolan, Italian and Buckfast. Buckfast are a limited supply and may not bee available for late order. People commonly want to know the difference between the New World Carniolan and the Old World Carniolan? Most commercial Bee yards raise Carniolan and Italian in the lower 48. Italian is the most commonly used Bee in the country. When mating the Queens, Italian or Carniolan it is difficult to control which Drone mates with which Queen. So cross breeding takes place. In time the Carniolan has some of the Italian traits and Italians have some of the Carniolan traits or a cross takes place. The Old World Carniolan has more of the true Carniolan traits due to the fact that the Italians Drone involvement are greatly reduced in the yard or not present at all.



BEGINNING BEE KEEPING CLASSES



Beginning Bee Keeping classes will be on the 8th of March this year. Call 907-365-9199 for additional details. located at 1526 Karluk street in Anchorage. Parking can be on the street South of the house


Class will include what to do with the bees and what not to do. Different seasons and what to expect. Different start-up procedures and how to install the bees, feed the bees. How to expand and when to expand the hive. How to collect the Honey and Pollen. Methods of wintering the bees. Equipment to use. etc.. Bring a lunch or snack so you can stay and hear and share in all that is said. Class will start at 10:00 and continue to about 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon.



WHERE WILL YOUR BEES COME FROM?



What we do to get the bees to you? Bees originate in the Almond Fields in California. Because of the early Bloom in February the Bee population expands. The excess bees are available for sale. We order the bees in late winter and early spring and pick them up from California, we drive the bees to the Pacific Northwest. Then they are airfreighted to Alaska. We work with the airfreight companies to get you healthy bees.



WHERE ARE YOU IN ALASKA?



Each distribution location has the bees available for the bee keeper to pick up.. You must PRE order and pay for bees in February and March to pick up in April. Later orders and last minute orders are more expense due to the extra work and personal needed to complete your order. Order early for discounts. Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell and Bethel are all main delivery points. Further locations can be reached by water or small plane to Skagway, Haines, Craig and other island locations. Sitka and Petersburg and Wrangell require an 8 pack minimum to cover the freight. Some areas incur additional fees for delivery.



We Deliver BEES to All areas of Alaska!



BEES Delivered to All points of Alaska
for the 2023 season



WELCOME





Bees are what we do!
Get ready to order for 2025 season.
Get your order in early to save money



HOURS





Call any time before 9:00 pm AK time.
Text any time, and we will respond as
soon as we are able



CONTACT US





907-365-9199 Jack
907-317-2367 Jim
Text any time





Tools of the Trade.
Don't forget your glove!



Processing the bees
for air transport



Bees in a newly installed hive



A working hive showing the rake needed to to insure no moisture is held on the bottom board