ABOUT US
Continuing a 100+ Years Family
Tradition
We aim to introduce beekeeping to adults and children in order to promote pollinators, honey bees and beekeeping and in so doing, stewardship of the environment. In support of this mission, our seminars and mentorship programs help teach beginning beekeepers of all walks of life how to responsibly maintain their own hives. Additionally we develop and maintain apiaries that can also serve as the location for hands-on and one-on-one beekeeping classes. Mr. Ferreira is currently enrolled in the prestigious Cornell University Master Beekeeper Program and he is also the founder and director of the Borough of Naugatuck Parks & Recreation Beekeeping Program and Bee Sanctuary at Andrew Mountain located in Naugatuck Connecticut. Peter Ferreira makes numerous presentations throughout the year on various aspects of beekeeping, honey bees, pollinators and more to groups, schools and beekeeping organizations both abroad and locally.
We also aim to support honey bees, wild bees and pollinators as well as improve their environment. The long term goal of our apiary is to develop a strain of bees that have increased genetic diversity and resistance to diseases, parasites and the New England weather. To this end, we collect swarms to diversify our gene pool, and use limited mite and disease treatments to allow the bees the time to develop their own resistance. We, also, have expanded the number and range of our bee yards to various locations, emphasizing adequate nutrition and variety of bee pasture in their selection. Our queen rearing and research apiary is located in Waterbury, Connecticut between the Naugatuck Valley mountain range and the beautiful Litchfield Hills. Our production hives are located at other locations throughout Connecticut including Naugatuck, Terryville, Morris and Danbury. This highly productive and fertile region offers a dynamic interplay between beekeeping and agriculture. Our colonies consist mainly of Buckfast and local Connecticut raised northern Honey Bees.
Become a Patron!
At Ferreira Apiary, we are dedicated to providing you with quality NUCs from our overwintered stock and local hardy queens from our queen-rearing program.
2020 NUCS SOLD OUT
We are sold-out for 2020 but if you are looking for packages or NUCs we recommend you contact our friend James O'Neil at Honey Bound Apiary for great bee packages. Tell him we sent you!
CLASSES
Beekeeping Classes & Mentoring
CLASSES & MENTORING
Ask one question to 10 beekeepers and you get 10 answers, right? Not all of those answers are wrong, but this worsens when a new beekeeper begins doing what experienced or commercial beekeepers recommend without the knowledge of how to do it. Let’s face it, you are confused!! Oxalic or formic? Crystals or dribble? Oxalic and glycerin on shop towels? Langstroth hive? Flow hive? Warre? Top bar? Plastic frames or real beeswax frames? Treat once in the spring and once in the fall?
Most colonies are lost from mistakes beekeepers are making by following the old paradigm of beekeeping!
Information is being circulated on how to keep bees that’s based on beekeeping prior to varroa, viruses and reduced foraging opportunities! It’s time to shift this paradigm and stop listening to wrong information. Let me introduce your to the new paradigm of beekeeping based on proven science, not club chatter folklore. Taking beekeeping classes is essential for today’s beekeeper. Be well informed before you start keeping bees by enrolling in one of our beekeeping classes or hiring us to mentor you in every step of the way.
HONEY BEE REMOVAL
Honey bee removal is not something for the unequipped to try themselves, but that does not mean you have to call in the pest control company or the bee exterminator!
It’s possible to have honey bees removed humanely and sometimes even free of charge – as beekeepers we normally do not charge for swarm removals! A bee swarm is a fascinating sight, although it may unnerve some people! A dense cloud of bees whirling into the air – even on a warm sunny day, can cause panic. However, the first point to note is that a bee swarm is NOT looking to attack you. The bees are merely looking for a new place to make a home. In doing so, a honey bee swarm may rest in a particular place whilst scout bees go off to find a suitable place to make a permanent nest.
Please respect the bees!
Keep children and pets away. Don’t spray or throw things at them!Give us a call at (203) 721-2277 and we will help you the best we can to remove them from your property!
HIVE SETUP & MAINTENANCE
Our hive set-up and maintenance services usually start in the spring when we install a colony of honey bees in a wooden hive at your site. Then, during the summer months, we check on the colony every two weeks to make sure it is healthy and functioning well. Around the first of August, we harvest any excess honey the bees have produced and begin preparing the bees for the winter. After the killing frost in the fall we winterize the hives to help keep them alive during the cold winter months. If you are interested in having a colony on your site, contact us to schedule and perform an initial site assessment and introductory visit. During this visit we will check to make sure your site is conducive to supporting honey bees. Don’t assume your site is not good for bees without checking with us!
A big part of our mission is to support those interested in learning beekeeping and our service provides an opportunity for you to see what is involved in caring for honey bees. It is our goal to “give back” to the honey bee and we are using this service as a means of helping us accomplish this goal. We would be honored if you choose to join us in our efforts.
