Carpenters Apiaries/Better Bees
CCD/Mite Resistant Queens and Natural Honey

ABOUT US

picture of  mauled mite

         
                                                             

We are a small-scale high-quality operation producing

The Martha Carpenter Mite Mauler breed of Queens 

 

Our goal is to produce the best quality queens and honey, delivered to the public at a fair and reasonable price.

Our apiaries are inspected by the Florida Division of Plant Industry, and are certified free from injurious communicable diseases or pests and unwanted races of honey bees.
Samples of bees from breeder queens are sent to the state lab in Gainesville, FL and tested for African genes. Thus ensuring that no African traits exist.

 

No mite control chemicals have been used since spring of 2005. Resulting in money saved by not buyng mite control chemicals and a healthier  chemical free colony

I select breeder queens from my honey producing hives, selecting only the gentlest, of the best honey producing hives with no mites or mite indicators , resulting in superior Queens.

Honey is handled carefully in small lots, to keep the purest flavor and is of the highest quality. 


 
          Company History

          Carpenter’s Apiary was established in 1868.


We were a migratory apiary with 2000 hives of bees, which moved between New York, Florida, Iowa, North and South Dakota.

We pollinated apples and Birds foot Trefoil in the Lake Champlain Valley of New York. we made clover, goldenrod, basswood, and buck wheat honey . In Florida, We pollinated truck farms that grew all kinds of vegetables. We also made orange, palmetto, and gallberry honey. In the north central part of the U S, We pollinated soy beans and sunflowers, we made sunflower,and clover honey. As a result produced a number of different flavored honeys each year.
 

Since I retired I began raising survival queens, by not using mite controls and checking test pans lined with freezer paper, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, which were placed in a special made bottom board so they could be removed without disturbing the bees. We pull the tray with the paper and debris after two hours so we could find the mites. Using a 30x power glass we looked for mites that had been pinched and killed,in the grooming process. Only bees that have a high percentage of pinched mites are used as breeders. By selective breeding for more than 20 years we have developed a strain of bee that will build up quickly, produce a large amount of honey, are colony collapse and mite resistant



















 
                                                              Customer Testimonials


"These are the best dang bees I  ever have seen, and their honey is sweet!"
   The Bee Master


I have used many different queen breeders in the past 10 years but these are by far the best I've seen. He also has very good service, I always get my queens in a timely manner. I recommend William and his team 100%!!!! *****  
  Hiveman
 
William will never over book, when he takes an order he knows he can fill it. He will not take an order just to hold it. He has never missed a shipping date      
  John
 
Carpenters Queens are very prolific layers they build up fast,their bees are gentle and make big honey crops 
   Steve
 
William is very careful to tell you that you might get your bees the next day or it might take three or four as he has no control over the post office. where I have had other shippers that guarantee I would get them the next day and when they did not show up, said I shipped them.The post office didn't deliver them. it is not my problem.
 I will be buying all my queens from William Carpenter   

          Buzzy
 
Carpenters apiaries have the best Queens, their workers are calm and very good honey producers I will buy all my queens from them   

Carol
 

Thanks Bill
         For you quick response on this issue. You are the first Queen breeder to call me on the phone to help with a problem that means a lot to me. I look forward to receiving the replacement queens and the businesses that we are sure to do in the future.
Thanks Vic

 

Hi Mr Carpenter, You said your bees would make lotsa honey...You weren't lying! The two hives built up with your queens, I got two big swarms and a small third...just took 10gal of honey and there's more there.

I thought I was a lousy beekeeper, maybe the genetics were a big part of my spotty production.

Now I have five colonies...strong vigorous bees...Lucky I found you.

Thanks, Randy in Live Oak


Bill thanks for the prolific queens I got from you they have exploded my hives which were on life support and saved me. thank you for such an awesome experience. I'll see you in September!!!   

Steve





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