Queens & Nucleus Colonies

Q: When are Queens and Nucleus Colonies available for pick-up in Nigeria?
A: Queen bees and 5-frame Nucleus (Nuc) colonies are available starting at the beginning of the rain-fed nectar flow in April through October at our Ibadan apiary, with scheduled biosecure transport hubs across Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Kwara, and Abuja.

Q: Can I order live bees for delivery outside Oyo State?
A: Yes. While direct apiary pick-up at Sandalwood Apiaries in Ibadan is always recommended, we arrange ventilated overnight livestock transport for bulk Nucleus colony and mated queen orders to designated collection points across Southwest, North-Central, and Southeast Nigeria.

Q: Are your queens already mated and marked before pick-up?
A: Every Sandalwood Apiaries queen is naturally open-mated in our isolated drone-saturated mating yards, inspected for a solid brood pattern, and marked with the international seasonal crown color before release.

How to Establish Strong & Productive Honey Bee Colonies in Nigeria

Whether you are establishing your very first backyard hive in Ibadan or scaling a 200-colony commercial honey farm across the Guinea Savannah, starting with calm, disease-resistant, locally adapted genetics is the single most important factor in your honey harvest. At Sandalwood Apiaries, our breeding program selects exclusively for gentle temperament, low absconding tendency, high hygienic behavior, and heavy tropical nectar foraging.

Selecting the Right Colony Option for Your Apiary

We offer three primary ways to stock your Langstroth or Kenyan Top-Bar hives depending on your timeline and beekeeping experience:

• 5-Frame Langstroth Nucleus Colony (Nuc): Our most popular choice for both beginners and commercial apiaries. Includes 5 drawn Langstroth frames containing capped and emerging brood, pollen and honey stores, thousands of nurse bees, and a prolific laying queen ready to transfer directly into a 10-frame hive body.

• Locally Adapted Mated Queen Bee: Ideal for requeening an aggressive or failing wild colony, splitting strong hives during the swarming season, or boosting honey production with proven Sandalwood stock. Shipped in a ventilated Benton mailing/introduction cage with attendant worker bees and candy plug.

• Complete Colonized Starter Hive Package: A turnkey Langstroth colony already established inside a seasoned timber brood box with bottom board, inner cover, and galvanized telescoping roof—ready to place directly on your hive stand.

Preparing for Colony Pick-up & Hive Installation

Before collecting your Nucleus colonies or mated queens from our Ibadan breeding yard, ensure your hive stands, smoker fuel, and protective veil are prepared at your apiary site. Inspect the weather forecast and aim to transfer your frames during late afternoon when foraging flight is calm.

Important: Apiary pick-up time for live Queens and Nucleus Colonies at our Ibadan yard is strictly between 7:00 AM and 10:30 AM or 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM on scheduled collection days to keep colonies cool during transit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Queens & Nucleus Colonies

Q: How soon will a 5-frame Nucleus colony produce harvestable honey?
A: When installed at the start of a strong floral flow (such as cashew, shea butter, mango, or savannah multifloral bloom), a 5-frame Nuc rapidly expands to fill a 10-frame brood box within 3 to 4 weeks and can begin storing surplus honey in your first super during the very same season.

Q: How do I introduce a Sandalwood Mated Queen to an existing colony?
A: First ensure the receiving colony has been queenless for 24 hours and remove any emergency queen cells. Wedge the queen cage between two central brood frames with the candy plug facing slightly upward (away from falling debris), and allow the workers 3 to 5 days to chew through the candy and release her peacefully.

Q: What should I feed a newly installed Nucleus colony?
A: If natural nectar flow is light or rainy weather keeps foragers indoors, feed a 1:1 sugar-to-water syrup using an entrance or frame feeder for the first 10 to 14 days so the bees can rapidly draw out new wax foundation frames.