Why Buy Local Bees?

Why Buying Local Bees matters 

Local bees can be a little more expensive — so are they worth it? Are locally adapted genetics really that important to winter survival? Yes and no. Local bees often outperform bees from southern sources, but research suggests this may have less to do with genetics and more to do with stress and colony condition. Scientific research has shown that overwintering success in the Northeastern United States is predicted primarily by colony size and strength going into winter — not simply geographic origin (Döke et al., 2019). That means how strong your colony becomes before winter matters more than where the bees were originally produced. So why do locally produced bees often perform better?

Southern Package Production. 

Package bees are produced at scale by large, often commercial beekeepers. The bees used are frequently overwintered in the southern United States, sometimes after being used in migratory pollination systems. During package production, bees are shaken from many colonies into a communal holding container, weighed into 3-lb increments, and placed into screened boxes. These queenless packages are then given a newly mated caged queen and a can of sugar syrup before being prepared for shipping. Each individual package often contains bees from multiple colonies, and those bees are unfamiliar with their new queen. This system is efficient — but it introduces multiple stressors before the bees ever reach your yard.

Southern Nuc Production  

Many southern nucs are overwintered in large apiaries and then shipped north in the spring. In some operations, nucs may be assembled using brood and frames from larger production systems. These nucs are then provided with a queen and prepared for shipment. Not all southern nucs are the same, and many producers work hard to maintain high standards. However, shipping and assembly practices can still introduce stressors that local bees may avoid. It's all about stress, not genetics Research conducted in the Northeastern United States found that geographic origin alone was not a strong predictor of overwinter survival (Döke et al., 2019).  What matters most is colony condition — and stress plays a major role in that condition.

Thermal Stress

During shipping, both packages and nucs can be exposed to vibration and rapid temperature fluctuations. Research has shown that long-distance transportation can cause measurable temperature stress in honey bee colonies (Melicher et al., 2019). Honey bees regulate temperature by forming a cluster when cold and spreading out and fanning when warm. Maintaining this temperature balance becomes more difficult during transport, especially when bees are confined in screened enclosures and subjected to vibration. Additional research has shown that temperature stress can reduce the viability of sperm stored in the queen’s spermatheca, potentially affecting her long-term performance (Andrée et al., 2020). Even small impacts at this stage can influence colony growth later in the season.

Metabolic Stress

Honey bees require diverse pollen sources to obtain the full range of amino acids, vitamins, and micronutrients needed for optimal health. Migratory pollination however often forces bees to rely on one or two sources of pollen for several weeks at a time, leading to temporary nutritional deficiencies. Bees returning from pollination may already be under nutritional deficits when they are used to produce packages.  During transport both packages and nucs are confined in their enclosures and must consume what resources are available to them.  They are unable to leave the hive to defecate or gather resources, and may arrive at their destination tired and hungry.  

Pathogenic Stress

Research has shown that colonies involved in migratory pollination systems can exhibit higher viral loads and altered antiviral gene expression compared to stationary colonies (Simone-Finstrom et al., 2022). While many commercial beekeepers manage diseases carefully, large-scale movement and colony aggregation can increase pathogen exposure risk. A good local supplier should be transparent about their mite management and health monitoring practices.

Local Bees are Happy bees

When starting a new beehive, either from a package or a nuc, the bees must quickly build up their population,gather nectar and pollen, build comb, and create a honey reserve for the winter.  Multiple studies indicate that colony weight (honey stores) and population size entering winter are among the strongest predictors of winter survival (Döke et al., 2019). The ability of a colony to gain weight, resist pathogens, and maintain population growth is directly influenced by the stressors described above. Locally sourced bees have typically not spent days in transport. They are often actively foraging up until pickup. This allows them to begin building immediately under the same environmental conditions they were raised in. That helps your hive reach the “critical mass” it needs before fall, which research shows is strongly linked to winter survival. (Döke, et al. 2019)

Bottom Line

Research shows that locally sourced bees are more likely to build up faster, be healthier and are more likely to survive the winter. Not only does buying locally likely give you a higher quality of bees to start the season, it also supports your own local community and economy rather than the large commercial operations. Finally, by buying locally, you help build relationships with other local beekeepers who are much more likely to help you troubleshoot issues with your bees should they arise. 

Citations 

Andrée Rousseau, Émile Houle, Pierre Giovenazzo. Effect of shipping boxes, attendant bees, and temperature on honey bee queen sperm quality (Apis mellifera). Apidologie, 2020, 51 (5), pp.724-735. ⟨10.1007/s13592-020-00756-3⟩. ⟨hal-03175964⟩

Dacotah Melicher, Elisabeth S Wilson, Julia H Bowsher, Steve S Peterson, George D Yocum, Joseph P Rinehart, Long-Distance Transportation Causes Temperature Stress in the Honey Bee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Environmental Entomology, Volume 48, Issue 3, June 2019, Pages 691–701, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz027

Döke, M. A., McGrady, C. M., Otieno, M., Grozinger, C. M., & Frazier, M. (2019). Colony size, rather than geographic origin of stocks, predicts overwintering success in honey bees(Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Northeastern United States.Journal of Economic Entomology, 112(2), 525–535. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy377 

Martínez-López, V., et al. (2022). Migratory beekeeping and its influence on the prevalence and dispersal of pathogens to managed and wild bees. Global Ecology and Conservation, 36, e02137. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224422000499

Melicher, D. M., Wilson, E. S., Bowsher, J. H., Peterson, S., Yocum, G. D., & Rinehart, J. P. (2019). Long-distance transportation causes temperature stress in the honey bee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Environmental Entomology, 48(3), 681–701. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz027

Simone-Finstrom, M., Li-Byarlay, H., Huang, M. H., Strand, M. K., Rueppell, O., & Tarpy, D. R. (2022). Impact of honey bee migratory management on pathogen prevalence and abundance. Journal of Insect Science, 22(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieac001 https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/22/1/17/6523145

USDA, Agricultural Research Service. (2019, April 18). Weak honey bee colonies may fail from cold exposure during shipping. https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2019/weak-honey-bee-colonies-may-fail-from-cold-exposure-during-shipping/