Pierson, MI raised honey bees available seasonally, including mated queens, queen cells, nucleus colonies, and full colonies.

Strong Bees Start with Strong Planning

 

  • Our apiary operates on a structured breeding program designed to produce strong, resilient honey bee colonies specifically adapted to West Michigan conditions. We work with three carefully selected queen lines — Golden West, Caucasian, and a locally established Scottville survivor line — each chosen for their complementary strengths in productivity, temperament, and long-term colony health. By maintaining dedicated drone saturation colonies, utilizing multiple mating yards, and following a planned grafting schedule, our queens are open-mated under controlled conditions that promote reliable genetics, strong brood patterns, and enhanced natural resilience. This deliberate approach ensures the bees we offer are not only locally conditioned, but thoughtfully bred for sustainable performance in northern climates.

  • Every nuc we sell is built from carefully managed production colonies and is thoroughly evaluated before release. Our queens are fully mated, actively laying, and held in the colony to confirm successful establishment and strong brood patterns. Each nuc contains a balanced population of bees, brood in all stages, and adequate food stores, ensuring customers receive a healthy, stable colony ready to grow quickly once installed.

  • Our operation is built around sustainable management practices that prioritize colony health, natural resilience, and long-term productivity. We emphasize hygienic genetics, strong nutrition, responsible mite management, and careful seasonal planning to support healthy bees without unnecessary intervention. By focusing on locally adapted stock and thoughtful colony management, we strive to provide bees that are both productive and well-suited to thrive in the Midwest environment.

Queen Cells

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Larsen’s Lake Apiary is our working honey bee program at Sticks n Stones Market.

We produce raw honey and nurture strong, locally adapted colonies year-round

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • We do offer local honey in a variety of container sizes.

  • We work with:

    • Golden West breeder lines

    • Caucasian breeder lines

    • Select locally surviving Michigan stock

    These lines are evaluated under West Michigan conditions and selected for:

    • Strong brood patterns

    • Calm temperament

    • Overwintering ability

    • Sustainable honey production

    We do not mass-produce queens without evaluation.

  • We offer both locally adapted survivor stock and and queens raised in Northern California. With the Michigan weather we cannot produce our local stock as early other climates. Our California line offers beekeepers looking for early nucs or queens an option.

  • Each nuc includes:

    • 1 Pro-Nuc Container

    • 5 deep frames

    • A proven, laying queen

    • 2–3 frames of brood in all stages

    • Food resources

    • Balanced population

    Colonies are ready to transfer into standard 10-frame equipment.

  • Our nucs are typically available in May through July. The estimated dates are noted in the item. It is dependant on weather and brood development.

    We do not release colonies early simply to meet calendar dates. Strength and queen performance determine readiness.

  • We guarantee that each nuc leaves our yard queen-right and healthy.

    Because colony management after pickup is outside our control, we do not offer long-term replacement guarantees. However, we are committed to supporting customers with guidance and troubleshooting.

  • We operate a structured breeding calendar and cap colony production based on strategic capacity.

    A deposit secures your nuc within our limited seasonal production. This allows us to plan responsibly and avoid overextension.

  • Our program prioritizes:

    • Brood strength

    • Foraging drive

    • Balanced temperament

    While honey yield depends heavily on weather and management, our colonies are selected to build population quickly and take advantage of Michigan nectar flows.

  • Yes — with proper education and equipment.

    Our bees are selected for temperament and stability. However, we encourage all buyers to:

    • Have equipment ready

    • Understand feeding requirements

    • Plan for mite management

    We are happy to answer pre-purchase questions.

  • We follow responsible integrated pest management (IPM) practices when necessary to maintain colony health. Our goal is strong, productive colonies — not unmanaged collapse risk.

Images from the Apiary

A bee collecting nectar from a large white flower.
Close-up of pink lupine flowers with a bee collecting nectar on one of the blossoms.
Pink and white flower with a bee on the yellow center.
A close-up of a bee on a vibrant pink coneflower with orange and yellow center, surrounded by pink and purple flowers in a garden.
Close-up of pink Allium flowers with two bees collecting nectar.
A close-up of two bees on a white flower with yellow center, surrounded by green foliage.
Close-up of purple flowers with a honey bee collecting nectar.
A bee flying towards pink flowers on a green background.
Sunflower with pink sunglasses on it and a bee at the bottom of the flower's center, with green leaves and another sunflower in the background
A close-up of a sunflower with yellow petals and a honey bee flying near the flower, against a blue sky background.
A honey bee collecting nectar from an orange and yellow flower with green leaves in the blurred background.
A close-up of a bee on the green part of a sunflower with bright yellow petals. The bee has fuzzy black and orange body and transparent wings.