The Saskatraz are growing in popularity among beekeepers for several desirable traits. So how do you find Saskatraz bees for sale? Beekeepers are seeking out these hardy bees to serve as the core of their apiaries.
This bee stock was originally bred at the University of Saskatchewan by incorporating genetics from European and Russian honey bee lineages. The result is a hardy, resilient bee that excels at pollinating plants like strawberries and corn. They also make some wonderful honey.
You’ve come to the right place because I’m going to share a list of beekeepers where you can find Saskatraz bees for sale.
But, first, it’s important to understand how much does is cost to buy Saskatraz bees, what are the associated costs, and how much may you anticipate paying for it.
How Much Do Saskatraz Bees Cost?
The price for Saskatraz bees varies depending on the the amount purchased and location. Expect to pay between $35-$55 or more depending on amounts ordered from the beekeeper.
What to Look for When Buying Saskatraz Bees
To ensure you obtain genuine Saskatraz bees, always source from reputable breeders. Try to select suppliers who:
- Specialize exclusively in raising and selling Saskatraz bees, not just generic hybrids
- Can provide documentation verifying the Saskatraz lineage of their breeder queens
- Perform regular testing and selection for mite resistance, disease prevention, and productivity
- Produce their own breeder queens instead of buying from outside sources
- Participate in ongoing queen rearing and improvement programs each season
- Are transparent about their breeding goals and selection criteria
- Provide relevant health certificates and inspection reports
Quality queen producers investing serious resources into their Saskatraz breeding stocks offer huge advantages. Verify sellers fully understand the Saskatraz sub-species and prioritize selecting for resistance, health, and productivity.
Purchasing Saskatraz Package Bees
The most common starting point for Saskatraz bees is purchasing a bee package. Packages contain:
- A mated and actively laying Saskatraz queen
- 1.5 to 3 pounds of worker bees (approximately 10,000-20,000 bees)
- A food can containing sugar syrup to sustain the bees during transport
Installing a bee package allows you to populate a new hive with Saskatraz genetics. It offers an easy way to establish a colony without managing the nuances of queens and brood.
When installing packages, be sure to:
- Carefully place the queen cage inside the hive after spraying her with sugar syrup
- Shake and evenly distribute the worker bees into the hive boxes
- Use a hive staple or push pin to secure the food can punctured side up
- Check back in 3-4 days to release the queen (once the bees have accepted her)
- Feed the new colony sugar syrup until foraging is well underway
Saskatraz package pricing ranges from $100-$150 depending on supplier and package size. Schedule spring orders early, as availability is limited.
Nucleus Colonies
An alternative is to purchase an established nuke or nucleus colony. These consist of:
- 3-5 frames of brood, food stores, and bees
- One mated Saskatraz queen
- Approximately 5,000-10,000 worker bees
- Often housed in a 5-frame cardboard nuc box
Since a nuc contains a laying queen and brood nest already accepted by the workers, it essentially acts as a mini starter hive.
To install a Saskatraz nuc:
- Carefully transfer the frames and adult bees into a prepared full-size hive body filled with drawn comb for expansion
- Verify the queen made it into the new hive successfully
- Feed the colony sugar syrup and monitor stores until built up
Advantages of nucs:
- Faster start-up than packages
- Queen already accepted reducing failure
- Combs with food stores help the colony become established
Drawbacks:
- Requires more beekeeper preparation
- Heavier to transport than packages
- More expensive initial purchase ($150-250 per nuc)
Overall, nucs provide an accelerated means of obtaining started Saskatraz colonies. But they work best for those with some beekeeping experience.
Queen
You may also choose to purchase mated Saskatraz queens alone. Queens cost $30-$50 each when sourced from breeders.
Then you can:
- Let the queen naturally mate with your local drone population. This dilutes Saskatraz genetics over time but allows localized bee adaptation.
- Purchase multiple queens to requeen your existing hives for a staggered transition.
- Introduce the queen to splits or nuclei created from your own hives to generate new Saskatraz colonies.
- Incorporate controlled drone colonies from your Saskatraz hives for desired mating.
Because queens mate in flight with 30+ drones, open mating alone slowly infuses hives with Saskatraz characteristics over successive generations. Using isolated mating yards speeds genetic gain.
Requesting Breeder Saskatraz Queens
Some dedicated Saskatraz producers may offer special breeder queens from their elite breeding lines, though these are difficult to come by. Pricing ranges from $200-$500 each for prime breeders.
Breeder queens allow you to generate your own subsequent generations of daughter queens through grafting. If planning to propagate queens yourself, quality breeder stock is essential.
This option only makes sense for very serious queen producers. For the average beekeeper, mated production queens offer the best results.
Where to Find Reputable Saskatraz Queen Producers
Here are several recommended sellers to consider when sourcing quality Saskatraz bees:
- OHB – Northern California – https://www.ohbees.com/
- VP Queens – Moultrie, GA – vpqueenbees.com
- Golden Glen Honey – Jordan, MN – goldenglenfarm.com
- Anarchy Apiaries – Georgia – anarchyapiaries.org
- Honey Bee Genetics – Orland, CA – honeybeegenetics.com
- CMF Nucs – Ocala, FL – cmfbees.com
Other vendors may also offer Saskatraz bees, but be sure to closely evaluate their knowledge and qualifications. Verify they follow reputable breeding practices and quality standards.
The optimal season for purchasing bees runs between early spring and mid-summer when new queens are being propagated. Place orders well in advance, as Saskatraz bees are produced in smaller batches than typical commercial bees.
Setup
Set Your New Saskatraz Bees Up for Success
To give your new Saskatraz colony the best opportunity to flourish:
- Carefully follow the supplier’s installation and hive placement instructions
- Continue feeding sugar syrup until the hive is gathering nectar and building comb
- Avoid opening the hive too frequently initially; check the queen’s status after 2-3 weeks
- Monitor food stores and feed again in autumn to ensure adequate winter preparations
- Keep records on the colony’s health and varroa mite levels to identify needs
- Expand the hive into additional boxes as the population grows through the warm season
- Add a honey super once the bees near 70-80% capacity in the brood nest
- Overwinter with extra insulation, a wind break, and protection from extreme cold
With proper care, your Saskatraz bees will reward you with fast spring build-up, robust honey production, and excellent overwintering capability. Their favorable genetics provide tremendous advantages against the challenges facing beekeepers today. Follow a reputable Saskatraz breeder’s guidance, and your beekeeping endeavors will benefit for years to come.
Questions
- What are the main traits of Saskatraz bees?
Saskatraz bees exhibit strong resistance to varroa mites, good winter hardiness, increased honey yields, fast spring build-up, and gentle temperament.
- Where did Saskatraz bees originate?
Saskatraz bees were first developed at the University of Saskatchewan by breeding European stock with Russian honey bees to select for beneficial traits.
- How are Saskatraz bees different from other bee types?
Compared to most commercial bees, Saskatraz bees have better mite hygiene, lower disease susceptibility, increased honey production, and higher overwintering success.
- What is the best way to obtain Saskatraz bees?
Purchase Saskatraz queens, nucleus colonies, or package bees with mated queens from reputable breeders selecting for purity. Avoid open mated queens alone.
- How can I ensure I’m getting true Saskatraz bees?
Request documentation from sellers verifying the Saskatraz pedigree of breeder queens. Seek established specialists focused on propagating this specific stock.
Saskatraz Bees For Sale
Now, let’s get started by listing beekeepers that may have Saskatraz bees for sale, I am sure you will find one near you. However, most of the keepers ship all over the world, so it doesn’t matter where you are.
OHB – Northern California – https://www.ohbees.com/
VP Queens
2434 GA-122, Moultrie, GA 31768 229-985-0292 https://vpqueenbees.com
Golden Glen Honey
1960 200th St E, Jordan, MN 55352 952-492-4549 http://www.goldenglenfarm.com
Anarchy Apiaries
PO Box 1144, Rochelle, GA 31079 478-957-0466 https://anarchyapiaries.org
Honey Bee Genetics 12450 2nd St, Orland, CA 95963
661-588-1531 https://honeybeegenetics.com
CMF Nucs
5703 CR 225, Ocala, FL 34472 352-804-2826 https://cmfbees.com
Draper’s Super Bee 4300 Glenwood Rd, Anderson, SC 29621 864-261-3276 https://draperbees.com
Swarm Catching Company
1624 12th St, Mosinee, WI 54455 715-693-3171 https://swarms.buzz
PT Apiary 1758 Raspberry Rd, Monett, MO 65708
417-236-5489 https://ptbees.com
Crow River Apiary 5928 homestead Ave, Grove City, MN 56243 320-248-5407 http://crowriverapiary.com
Miller Bee Supply 613 Miller Ln, Newport, NC 28570 252-223-2919 https://millerbeesupply.com
Simpson’s Bee Supply 1220 CR 512, Bastrop, TX 78602 512-321-8855 http://www.simpsonsbeesupply.com
AJ’s Bees
9462 County Road 302, New Castle, CO 81647 970-984-2493 https://ajsbees.com
Charmo Honey Bee Company 744 Galvin Road, Belgrade, MT 59714
406-388-3788 https://www.charmohoneybee.com
Blue Ridge Honey Company 134 Jamestown Road, Cashiers, NC 28717 828-743-3678 https://blueridgehoneycompany.com
Bee Weaver Apiaries 16495 C.R. 319, Navasota, TX 77868 936-825-2333 https://beeweaver.com
Logan Bee Farms 215 Birch Lane, Kenai, AK 99611 907-283-9110 https://loganbeefarms.com
Robinson Brothers Apiaries P.O. Box 39, Glennallen, AK 99588 907-822-8556 https://www.robinsonbrothersapiaries.com
Back Forty Bees 16755 Cleary Road, Susquehanna, PA 18847
570-396-3633 https://backfortybees.com
Ohio Queen Breeders 11414 Houdeshell Rd, Newark, OH 43056 740-334-5981 http://ohioqueenbreeders.com
Hidden Creek Apiary 21452 Hidden Creek Road, Elk, WA 99009 509-710-7907 https://hiddencreekapiary.com
Final Thoughts
Obtaining quality Saskatraz bees for sale takes a bit more care and planning than buying ordinary stock. But the advantages of starting with superior mite-resistant, winter hardy genetics far outweighs the extra effort. Investing in Saskatraz bee stocks from reputable breeders gives your operation a proven foundation.
Always verify the credibility of any Saskatraz bee provider and scrutinize their breeding practices before purchasing queens, nucs, or package bees. Opt for established breeders dedicated specifically to propagating pure Saskatraz bloodlines. Request documentation on the lineage and health testing performed.
While initial acquisition costs run higher than average bees, robust Saskatraz colonies will reward you with bountiful honey harvests and minimal hive losses in the long run. Carefully follow the supplier’s instructions for installation and management to give your bees the best start. Monitor food stores and protection from extremes.
With proper care, Saskatraz bees exhibit tremendous resilience against varroa mites, diseases, and harsh weather due to their optimized genetics. Taking these extra steps stacks the odds in your colony’s favor.
For beekeepers facing frustrating hive losses or excessive chemical treatments for pests, the Saskatraz honey bee provides a proven solution. Their balanced set of favorable traits helps hives prosper where other bees struggle. Contact reputable Saskatraz breeders today to acquire hardy bees ready to thrive in your apiary.
