INITIAL SET-UP OF HIVE(s)
We will come and assess your backyard/property and choose the best spot to place your hive so the honeybees and you are happy. Once the site has been determined the Bee Ranchers will procure and install all the equipment and honeybees necessary to have a successful colony.
MAINTAINING THE HIVE(s)
We will service your hive(s) year round to help ensure a stable and healthy colony of honeybees. This typically averages 2 visits a month from MAR – OCT, the typical Bee Ranching season.
HARVESTING OF HONEY
We will extract the surplus honey for you. At our house, this becomes a social gathering as we invite friends and family over to watch the extraction process and celebrate the event! There is nothing better than chewing on fresh honeycomb just out of the hive. If we are lucky, we will get to do this at least twice during a season.
BOTTLING AND LABELING OF YOUR HONEY
We will jar and label your very own personalized raw, gravity strained, backyard honey for you to eat, give away as gifts to friends and family, as hostess gifts, holiday gifts, teacher gifts or client gifts.
HIVE HOSTING
For those who don’t want to own the hives, bees and honey but would like to help out the honeybee and have an enhanced landscape, we will install and maintain our own hive(s), and for your efforts, give you up to 2 lbs. of honey per extraction.
SWARM RESCUE
If a swarm has lit on your property (typically during the Spring), call us and we will come capture the swarm and install them in one of our own hives ensuring a safe, healthy home for the bees to enjoy.
Bee Rancher BUZZ 
we have a hive starting in the eves and a few some how showing up inside. Can you give us a contact so someome can come and reclaim this part of the yard and house. we are in oakland hills area.
Tim, please give Mike Vigo a call @ 925-519-0560. He’ll discuss with you and determine the best approach and whether he can help you or not. I suspect that he will be able to. Good luck!
I’m very interested in having a hive on my property in central Lafayette. Please add me to a list for when you have an opening.
Hilma, thank you for your interest! We suspect that you heard about us through the Lamorinda Weekly article? We’ll definitely put you on our list for next seasons hives. In the mean time, if you have any specific honeybee questions or observations, feel free to reach out to us.
I would like to host a beehive. I live in El Cerrito. Please contact me either at the above email address or you can phone me at 510-672-3621. Thank you!
Martha, thank you for the interest. We are maxed out with our hosting hives but will add your name to the contact list for next season. In the mean time, if you have any honeybee related questions or comments, don’t hesitate to drop us another line.
We would like to host a hive on the Walnut Creek/Lafayette border. Please let me know who to speak to, etc. Thanks! Sioban Bowyer
Sioban thank you for your interest. I’ll let Mike know you’ve left the comment and you can contact Mike directly at mike(at)thebeeranchers.com. He’ll give you all the info you need.
Thanks!
Hi,
We would like to host a beehive in Orinda – please let me know if there are currently any openings. thanks
Best,
Lisa O’Connor
Hi there, I would very much like to be a host to one of your bee hives. I live on Bay Farm Island in Alameda. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Take care,
Christine
We saw your artical in the Weekly and would love to have a hive! Please let us know when you have an opening. We live in central Lafayette and have lush garden and hillside space, + family history w/grandpa Carlo’s bees.
Carl & Beth Oddo
Carl, please forgive our lack of responsiveness to your inquiry! Please e-mail Mike Vigo and he can discuss with you your needs mike(at)thebeeranchers(dot)com. Thank you for your interest.
I’m very interested in having a hive on my property in Alameda. Please add me to a list for when you have an opening.