Cascade Natural Honey Company
Package Bee Program
FAQS
Where do you get your packages? Our packages are from Heitkam’s Honey Bees in Orland, CA. Pat Heitkam is the owner. Heitkam’s have been producing packages and queens for over 30 years. Pat is a past President of the California Bee Breeders Assoc. and a member of the California Beekeepers Assoc. Heitkam’s produce about 1,200 queens per day.
Can I order individual queens? Yes, you have your choice of either Italian or New World Carniolan queens.
Where do I pick up my packages? At our house in Bellevue. Information, notices and delivery details will sent via email.
When is my payment due? All orders are to be pre-paid in advance by mid-March.
What is the price per package? Price per 3-lb. package of honey bees is $159.09 pre-paid each. Included in the price is a refundable $5.00 deposit on the return of the core package bee boxes. Plus a 10% WSST ($15.91). Your total price per package is $175.00. Qualified WSST exemptions are accepted. Please make your check out to Cascade Natural Honey Company.
What is the price per 5-frame nuc of honey bees? Price per 5-frame nuc of honey bees is $235.45 pre-paid each. Plus a 10% WSST ($23.54). Your total price per 5-frame nuc of honey bees is $258.99. Qualified WSST exemptions are accepted. Please make your check out to Cascade Natural Honey Company.
Can I return last year’s core package bee boxes even if they did not come from you? Yes, I will be paying $5.00 each for useable core package bee boxes.
When can I return this year’s core package bee boxes? They can be brought back to our house in Bellevue. If I am not home, leave the boxes in front of the garage with a note giving your name and mailing address. I will send you your $5.00 per box deposit in the mail. If I am at home, I will give you your deposit personally.
Are your packages and queens warranted? Yes, the subjective performance of the queen is fully guaranteed. The breeder plans in advance for a certain amount of queen failures. I will be doing any and all queen warranty adjustments should they be necessary. You will be able to pick your warranty queens up at our house in Bellevue.
What if your delivery date of April 24 is changed? Our delivery slot is given well in advance of the queen breeding season. For the breeder, delivering a quality-bred queen is essential. Therefore our delivery date is subject to change. Delivery is at the complete discretion of the breeder. Typically, by the first of April, our delivery date is confirmed. Any and all information, notices and delivery details will be sent to you via email.
Can I get a four-pound package? Unfortunately not, our rigging is such that the larger sized four-pound package bee box does not fit like the smaller three pound box. So that we can haul the maximum number of packages, we only offer the standard three pound package.
Can I get a marked queen? The breeder and I discourage the marking of queens. It has been proven at times, be harmful to the queen and be an obstacle to proper queen acceptance. Should you strongly want a marked queen, I will purchase a marked individual queen which will be transported in a box with only queens and attendants. The day of your package pickup, I will remove the unmarked queen and replace her with your marked queen. You will need to delay hiving your package for an additional day or two to insure quality acceptance.
What is the deal about WSST? The resale of honey bee packages to “non-eligible apiarists” in Washington is a WSST taxable event. Please see the Washington State Department of Revenue website for more details.
How fresh are your packages? Heitkam’s shakes and loads queens into your package bee boxes on a Friday. These packages are then brought into their cold storage building for the evening. Early Saturday morning, these packages are loaded on to our specially configured trailer. 12 hours later we arrive in Bellevue. The packages are kept overnight in our garage for distribution to you Sunday morning. By the time you install your packages Sunday afternoon/evening, the bees have been in the boxes 2 ½ days.
How many years have you been doing this? We have been safely transporting quality packages and nucs for over two decades.
Can I change my order once it is placed? Of course you can. By the first week of April we hope our order is fixed but, changes up to that time are acceptable. So that I have an electronic record, please send any order changes to my email.
Cascade Natural Honey Co.
Cary Therriault (206) 920.2150
3045 125th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005