News 2018

Bill's Bees has 2018 Bees for Sale! Order NOW for Spring delivery. We sell only Italian Honey Bees with known gentle genetics that are easy to work with and build up abundantly for pollination and honey production. Whether you are a new beekeeper or already an experienced beekeeper, these bees are perfect for you. Our VSH-Italian Queen Bees are from our favorite breeders in Northern California where there are no Africanized Honey Bees. These bees are ideal for Backyard Beekeeping in Los Angeles. Medium Box Complete Hive Special - ($250): A complete hive is an established nucleus colony with a VSH Italian queen. It includes a used commercial grade hive top, bottom board,...

An employee of Bill’s Bees prepares hives for transportation to almond groves. Credit: Tracey Samuelson/Marketplace (Every year about this time, Bill's Bees takes part in the greatest pollination event in the universe - almond pollination. In 2015, Tracy Samuelson featured Bill's Bees in her piece for Marketplace, (it's reposted below in its entirety). Enjoy!) "Commercial Beekeepers - the Unsung Heroes of the Nut Business"  "Bill Lewis is waiting for the sun to set, the time of day when his bees crawl back inside the short white boxes that house their colonies. As the sky turns pink behind the San Gabriel mountains, on the...

“I don't like to hear cut and dried sermons. No—when I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees.” ~ Abraham Lincoln Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History February 12, 2014 ·  Happy Birthday ~ Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln - Born February 12, 1809  via: Historical Honeybee Articles - Beekeeping History DID YOU KNOW?...Abraham Lincoln was "very fond of honey." As a child in Indiana Abraham Lincoln was used to eating honey, and a biography quoted the following from a letter written shortly after his death: "Mr. Lincoln was very fond of honey. Whenever he went...

In March and April you’ll be picking up your bees (hope you’ve got your bee order in, they’re going fast!). Below are some things to consider and plan for before you pick up your bees. Location, Location, Location: A location in the open, preferably with a southern or easterly exposure, for maximum sunshine throughout the day. Away from animals and children, not along a foot path, or where there is direct traffic.  Protected by a barrier (approx. 2 feet from - and facing a hill or wall) from wind, streets, etc. This will also force the bees to fly up and...