Live Italian Package Bees: NSW Pickup Only

Includes 3 FREE Bonus Items — Worth $40+

There’s nothing quite like the moment you receive your first package of live bees — a buzzing, vibrant colony in your hands, ready to be installed into a new hive and begin the journey of building, foraging, and producing honey. Our Live Italian Package Bees are the ideal way to start a new hive or expand your existing apiary, giving you a healthy, ready-to-install colony with a mated queen sourced from robust, gentle, productive stock.

Each package contains approximately 1.2 kg (3 lbs) of Italian honey bees plus a mated Italian queen — enough to establish a thriving new colony or strengthen an existing one. Italian bees are world-renowned for their gentle temperament, high honey production, and adaptability to Australian conditions, making them the perfect choice for beekeepers at every experience level. To help your new colony get off to the best possible start, every package now includes THREE FREE bonus items: diatomaceous earth powder for natural pest control, an entrance reducer, AND 2 varroa treatment strips — essential protection that gives your bees the best possible chance to thrive during their critical first weeks. Pickup begins late October 2026 at our Granville, NSW location. Reserve yours now — demand consistently outstrips supply during the spring season.

Important: NSW Pickup Only

Live bees cannot be shipped due to Australian biosecurity regulations and the welfare of the bees themselves. This product is available for pickup only at our Granville, NSW showroom (Unit C2 & C3, 2 Factory Street, Granville, NSW 2142 — next to Clyde train station). If you’re located outside NSW, please contact us on 1300 692 766 to discuss alternative arrangements or to check whether package bees are available from our QLD location.

What’s in a Package of Bees?

Each package contains everything you need to start a new colony — plus three free bonus items to protect your bees in their first weeks:

●     Approximately 1.2 kg (3 lbs) of worker bees — typically 10,000–12,000 bees

●     A mated Italian queen — ready to lay eggs as soon as she’s introduced to her new hive

●     Sugar syrup feed — to keep the bees nourished during transport

●     Travel cage — a clean, ventilated wooden box with mesh sides for safe transport home

●     FREE Diatomaceous Earth Powder — natural, chemical-free pest control for ants, small hive beetle larvae, and crawling pests around the hive

●     FREE Entrance Reducer — essential for protecting your new colony from robbing and pest invasion during the vulnerable establishment period

●     FREE Varroa Treatment Strips (2 strips) — enough for one full varroa mite treatment, giving your new colony immediate protection against the most serious threat to Australian beekeeping

Why the Free Varroa Strips Matter

With varroa mites now established in Australia, every new colony needs immediate mite protection — even bees from healthy stock can carry small populations of mites that grow rapidly if left untreated. The 2 free varroa treatment strips included with your package are enough for one complete treatment of a single hive, giving your bees immediate protection right from installation. This is genuinely critical — a new colony establishing comb and brood is especially vulnerable to varroa damage, and starting with proper mite control dramatically improves your chances of a successful first season. Simply hang the strips between brood frames as directed, and let them work for 6–10 weeks while your colony establishes.

Why the Free Entrance Reducer Matters

An entrance reducer is one of the most important tools for a new colony. A package of 10,000–12,000 bees may sound like a lot, but it’s actually a small colony compared to a fully-established hive of 40,000–60,000+ bees. With so few guard bees, your new colony simply can’t defend a full-size hive entrance — leaving it vulnerable to robbing from neighbouring hives, wasp attacks, ant invasion, and small hive beetle. The entrance reducer narrows the hive opening to a defensible width, helping your bees protect their territory. It also helps the small colony regulate temperature and humidity more easily as they build comb and brood. Once your colony grows to full strength (usually 6–8 weeks), you can remove the reducer.

Why the Free Diatomaceous Earth Helps

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural, food-grade powder made from fossilised diatoms (microscopic sea creatures). It works as a mechanical pest killer — the microscopic sharp particles damage the exoskeletons of crawling insects, dehydrating them. It’s completely chemical-free and safe for bees, humans, and pets. Sprinkled around the base of your hive, on the ground beneath, or in problem pest areas, DE provides effective ongoing pest control against ants, small hive beetles, earwigs, and other crawling pests that would otherwise stress your new colony. It’s a beekeeper’s secret weapon — simple, effective, and perfectly aligned with chemical-free hive management.

Why Italian Bees?

Italian bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) are the most widely-kept honey bees in the world for good reason. They’re known for exceptionally gentle temperament (ideal for hobbyists, urban beekeepers, and beginners), strong honey production, robust brood-rearing, and excellent adaptability to Australian climates from cool highlands to subtropical regions. They’re a forgiving breed that handles handling well, recovers from setbacks quickly, and produces consistent results year after year. Most experienced Australian beekeepers favour Italian bees — and they’re an excellent choice for your first colony.

Package Bees vs Nucleus Colonies — Which Should I Choose?

Package bees and nucleus colonies (“nucs”) are the two main ways to start a new hive, and each has its place. Package bees come as loose worker bees plus a queen, with no comb or brood — they’re more affordable, easier to transport, and let you start fresh with clean equipment. Nucleus colonies come as 4–5 frames with established brood, comb, and a laying queen — they’re faster to establish but cost more and require specific frame compatibility. Package bees are ideal if you want to control every aspect of your new hive’s setup and don’t mind a few extra weeks of build-up time.

What Do I Need Before Pickup?

Before you collect your package bees, make sure you have:

●     A prepared hive — a complete beehive setup, frames, and foundation ready to receive your bees

●     Protective gear — a beekeeping suit, gloves, and a veil for safe handling

●     Smoker and hive tool — essentials for any beekeeper

●     A bee feeder — vital for supporting your new colony in the first few weeks (we recommend our 3-litre internal frame feeder to prevent robbing)

●     Sugar syrup or fondant — for feeding the colony as it establishes

●     A suitable hive location — sheltered, away from heavy foot traffic, with morning sun and afternoon shade ideally

How Do I Install Package Bees?

Installing package bees is simpler than most beginners expect. Once you’re back at your apiary, you’ll remove the syrup can and queen cage from the package, suspend the queen cage between two frames in your prepared hive, and gently shake the remaining bees into the hive. Close up the hive, install a feeder, and let the bees settle. Within a few days, the workers will release the queen by chewing through the candy plug, and within 1–2 weeks she’ll be laying eggs and the colony will begin building comb. Our team can walk you through the process in person when you pick up — just ask.

When Should I Reserve My Bees?

As early as possible. Package bee demand is seasonal and predictable: every spring, demand spikes as new beekeepers prepare to start their first hives and existing beekeepers expand. We typically sell out before pickup season begins, so reserving early is the best way to guarantee your bees. Pickup begins late October 2026, but orders are accepted now. Once you reserve, we’ll contact you with pickup details closer to the date.

Who Are Package Bees For?

Package bees suit any NSW beekeeper starting fresh or expanding their apiary. They’re ideal for first-time beekeepers wanting to start their journey with a complete starter colony, hobbyists adding a second or third hive to their backyard, sideliners scaling up their operation, schools and community gardens starting beekeeping programs, and anyone replacing a lost colony after winter or unexpected setbacks.

Specifications

●     Contents: Approx. 1.2 kg (3 lbs) of bees + 1 mated Italian queen

●     Breed: Italian honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica)

●     Temperament: Gentle, productive, beginner-friendly

●     Bee count: Approximately 10,000–12,000 worker bees

●     Packaging: Ventilated wooden travel cage with mesh sides

●     FREE bonus items: Diatomaceous earth powder + entrance reducer + 2 varroa treatment strips (worth $40+)

●     Pickup location: Granville, NSW showroom (next to Clyde train station)

●     Pickup timing: Late October 2026 onwards

●     Shipping: Not available — pickup only due to bee welfare and biosecurity

●     Pre-orders: Strongly recommended — typically sell out before season starts

Why Buy From Beekeeping Gear?

Beekeeping Gear has been Australia’s trusted source for live bees, queens, and beekeeping essentials since 2016. Our package bees come from healthy, gentle, productive colonies carefully managed for hive vigour and disease resistance. When you pick up your package, our team — all practising apiarists — can walk you through the installation process in person, answer your questions, and help you select any supporting equipment you need. Call us on 1300 692 766 with any questions before ordering, or visit us at our Granville showroom for a chat.

Reserve your Live Italian Package Bees today — secure your spot for late October 2026 pickup before stocks sell out, and start your beekeeping journey with the gentle, productive Italian bees that beekeepers around the world trust. Plus, you’ll receive 3 FREE bonus items — diatomaceous earth powder, entrance reducer, and 2 varroa treatment strips — to protect your new colony in its critical first weeks.