'About:
Hello! My name is Christine and I own The Kansas Bee Company. I started this bee business in 2016 and it's been an amazing 8 years! I'm also an accountant for a General Contractor in Kansas. I like to tell people I'm a beekeeper and a bookkeeper, haha!
My husband Jake is a very talented carpenter and he helps me when he's not busy working. We operate a small number of hives, so we are by no means a commercial beekeeping operation. My goal isn't to run hundreds of hives. My goal is to help thousands of new beekeepers get started!
At the very bottom of this page, you will find a slideshow of pictures we've taken over the years!
FAQ'S/Contact:
How can I reach you? You can text or call me at 816-739-0726.
You can also email me at: [email protected]
I work as an accountant during the day, so I am not always available to answer right away. Thank you for your understanding.
What are your hours? The Kansas Bee Company is an online - home based - business. Honey is sold in stores and the stores have their own specific hours. We do set up appointments at our home in Belton, MO for honey pickup. Please note: If you miss an appointment, or arrive extremely late without communication, there will be no more appointments made for you . Please refer to the HONEY tab for more information on purchasing honey. Bee sales are online only, while bee pickups are pickup only. (Pickups are only for customers who have pre-purchased bees). While I don't have set hours, I reply to most calls/texts within 24-48 hours.
Why are you called The Kansas Bee Company, but you are located in Belton, MO? I get asked this quite often! I started the business in 2016 with a beekeeper on the Kansas side, hence the name. Now I am on my own, but the name had grown, so I couldn't really change it at that point.
I want to start beekeeping, what is the best time to start? April - June! Bee sales start in the fall, for pickups the following Spring.
I'm ready to start learning, what should I do first? Take the "Introduction to Beekeeping" class I have recorded through zoom. This class is under the CLASSES tab on this website. Once you take this class, you will understand so much more about how to start this hobby, trust me!
Do you ship bees? No. We do not ship bees! If you purchase bees from another state, I'm going to assume you are local with a long-distance number.
I live several hours from Belton, Missouri. Will the bees survive a long trip home? Absolutely! We close your NUC or HIVE and ensure it is ready for your trip home. Bees are perfectly safe in the back of a truck for several hours. We wouldn't sell them to people out of state if traveling wasn't safe.
Do you sell queens? No, and I don't have a referral for anyone who does sell queens. ** Please note that all of our nucs and hives have mated and established queens living inside the boxes. She is walking around, laying eggs and being tended to by the bees. The queen is not marked. We do not mark the queens for an additional fee. You do not need to find her; you need to find eggs. **
Do you sell packages? No, I do not sell packages. Packages come from Southern states where the weather is much warmer. When they arrive in KS/MO in April, we are still dealing with colder temperatures, or the reverse happens, and we are warmer than expected. I've seen pictures of an entire shipment of packages get overheated on a UPS or Fed-Ex truck. This results in their death. :(
What's the difference between a NUC and a package? A NUC is an established hive, just 1/2 the size of a full hive. The queen is introduced and laying eggs. The frames have comb built on them and honey stored on them. A package is a box of bees with a queen inside who has not been introduced. After you shake the bees into your empty hive, the bees will need to build comb and start storing away honey. The queen will also need to be introduced to the colony. You will receive a package sooner than a NUC, but overall, you're still ahead by purchasing a NUC. Also, just because you receive a package sooner, that doesn't mean it's a good thing. Packages arrive from Southern states like Georgia for example. While the weather may be warmer there, we still have nights that drop below freezing in early April here. I get calls every year from people who received their package in the middle of April, and it froze to death in KS/MO. I do not sell packages.
I just need one box, or a smoker, or a hive tool. Do you sell individual items? Technically, no. I sell kits that include everything in a set. I do have extra items on occasion, so please feel free to call or text me to inquire: 816-739-0726
I have bees living inside my siding, what do I do? Call Midwest Bee Removal at 816-217-4214. Tell them The Kansas Bee Company sent you. **I do not move bumblebee's nests, handle a carpenter bee problem, kill wasps or yellow jackets. If you have a cluster of honeybees hanging off a tree limb, fence post or something else that is outside, I can possibly retrieve it. It depends on how high the cluster is off the ground and where you are located.
Do you provide tours? Not at this time. Our focus is on creating new beekeepers, so we have beekeeping classes. We have Spring and Fall workshops. We do not have a kids beekeeping curriculum. Our focus is on adult beekeepers.
What kind of bees do you sell? The BEES we sell are a strain of Italian & Minnesota Hygienic Italians: Minnesota Hygienic Italians were developed by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. Dr. Spivak was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010 These bees are bred to have a high degree of hygienic behavior known to be effective against diseases of the brood such as American foulbrood and chalkbrood. This trait is thought to be two behaviors acting in synergy, the uncapping of diseased cells, then the removal of the pathogen along with the pupae, effectively disrupting the disease lifecycle. Full Disclosure, as I never make false claims to make a sale - the queens are not artificially inseminated, therefore the bees are not 100% pure MN Hygienic. When a queen is left to "open mate" you cannot control the drones she is mating with. Bottom line, our bees are not mite resistant, nor would I ever make such a claim. You still need to treat for mites accordingly.
I live in a suburban neighborhood so I can't have bees right? WRONG! You don’t need a lot of land to have hives. That is a common misconception about beekeeping. All you need is a backyard with enough space for the hives themselves. The bees fly up to 3 miles a day for food and water. And they are not going to be a nuisance to your neighbors. Most of the time your neighbors aren’t even aware you have hives. Also, you are legally allowed to have 2 hives in your suburban backyard in most cities throughout Kansas and Missouri. Please check with your city to be sure of the ordinance. Please check out our video about bees in the burbs! Kansas City Bees! - YouTube
Do your frames fit in the flow hive? Yes, they are the same dimensions. The only difference in a Langstroth hive and a flow hive is the supers. Please refer to the flow hive tab for more information about the flow hive.
Will I get honey my first year? The short answer to this is maybe. If you start with a full hive in May, you're more likely to get honey in your first year, but everything depends on the nectar sources you are surrounded by and the weather conditions. Focus on hive management year one and honey will come by year two for sure!
How much time does it take to keep bees? You need a minimum of 2 hours a month to inspect 2 hives. You should be inspecting at least twice a month! When you purchase bees, it is your responsibility to take care of them. You cannot leave a hive in your yard and never get in it to inspect it. You don't need to pull every frame for an inspection, just make sure there are eggs during each inspection. If you see eggs, you know the Queen has been there at least in the last 3-4 days. The #1 thing I tell new beekeepers is to look for eggs! The Queen is sometimes very hard to find, she moves fast and can play a good game of hide-n-seek!
Can you make money from Beekeeping? Yes! After a hive has survived the winter, it can be split into possibly 3 hives in the Spring. You can sell these splits, (NUCS). You can also sell honey from your hives, or lip balm and lotion from your wax. So, yes...this hobby can pay for itself in time. What other hobby does that?!
Business Policies:
We reserve the right to cancel any class that fails to meet the sufficient enrollment, for bad weather or for instructor illness. A refund will be provided. If you cancel, our standard no-refund policy applies.
**Bee deposits and/or payments in full are non-refundable. **
Bee Pickups:
Bees are ordered between October – April with an estimated pickup date. Everything is based on weather in beekeeping. Please refer to the "Bee Pickups" tab for more details.
Please note: We do not contact customers individually about their bee pickup date/time.
We have the following methods of direct and open communication:
• Private Facebook group page called "The Kansas Bee Company Customers."
• Public announcement on the regular Facebook business page.
• Bee Pickups tab on this website.
We are very communicative about bee pickups.
When the bees are ready, it's very important that you arrive in a timely manner, to pick them up. The bees cannot be held past their pickup date. Their well-being is our top priority!
There are no refunds for no-shows at pickup. We've made your bees for you, based on your payment/order. This is stated on your receipt at the time of purchase.
After you've picked up your bees, I provide a 48-hour window of time to replace them. It is your responsibility to bring your bees back to Belton, Missouri for the exchange. * We do not discourage anyone to inspect their bees before they leave our property. *