E270 - Package Bees with Anne Frey

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew welcomes Anne Frey to explore the practical and often uncertain process of preparing for spring package bees. Together, they discuss one of the most common beekeeper questions—how many colonies to order—highlighting that the answer depends not only on winter losses, but also on personal goals, budget, and the balance between enjoyment and workload in beekeeping. 

The conversation then shifts to the realities of transporting packages safely. Jim and Anne emphasize that overheating is the greatest danger during travel, noting the importance of airflow, spacing between packages, and a...