Terms & Conditions, Live Bee Guarantee, Shipping, Pick Up, and Cancellation Policies

Terms & Conditions

By placing an order with R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc online, by phone, by mail, or in person you agree to all of the following policies, contract terms, conditions, limitations, and exceptions.

Pick Up & Shipping Scheduling

R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc makes every attempt to ship or have your bees ready for pick up on your chosen pick up date or shipping window. However, many factors affect the production of live bee products (queens, package bees, nucs, and established colonies) which are beyond human control - such as inclement weather - which sometimes results in production delays, which may require a schedule rearrangement. In the event that postponement is required, R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc will contact you via email, SMS, or phone call to alert you of any rescheduling needs.

    Rescheduling & Cancellation Policies

    • Should you need to reschedule shipping we require a two week notice prior to the ship date you have chosen.
    • Should you need to reschedule pickup we require a 72 hour notice prior to your chosen pick up date.
    • Cancellations made within 48 hours of reservation are eligible for a full refund.
    • Cancellations made after 48 hours of reservation, but two weeks prior to scheduled pick up or shipping, will be eligible for a store credit in the full amount of purchase.
    • Cancellations made in less than two weeks of scheduled pick up or ship date will be eligible for a store credit for 50% of the amount of purchase.

    Live & Healthy Bee Guarantee for Bees to be Picked Up

    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc guarantees that your bees will be alive and healthy when picked up from our store.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for deaths due to mishandling, improper transportation methods, untimely hiving, etc once the bees leave our premises.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc does not guarantee successful queen introduction for package bees, introduction to swarms, re-queening, making splits, etc.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc does not guarantee establishment of a full colony from any package bee or nuc installation.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for bees who may abscond from their hive after installation.

    Transportation Recommendations for Bees Picked Up

    • We recommend that queens be transported inside your air conditioned vehicle and not left in a hot vehicle, placed on the dash, in a windoe where they may receive direct sun, in the trunk of a vehicle, or bed of a truck.
    • We recommend that package bees, nucs, and established colonies transported in the bed of a truck have free flowing air and are not enclosed or covered. We also strongly advise against making any unnecessary or lengthy stops - especially any that would require your bees sit in a still vehicle in direct sun for any length of time lest they overheat and die. Package bees and nucs can be transported within the cab of an air conditioned vehicle as long as they aren't overcrowded, left in a hot parked vehicle, or sitting in direct sun. If you choose to transport package bees or nucs inside your vehicle, we suggest the use of a nuc net and wearing protective clothing. We do not recommend transporting package bees, nucs, or established colonies in a trunk. We do not recommend transporting established colonies inside your vehicle for any reason, but rather in the bed of a truck - but please refrain from lengthy stops that might leave your bees without airflow for very long and sitting in direct sunlight.

    Live Delivery Guarantee & Policies for Queens to be Shipped

    • Queens shipped OUT of Texas: Queens shipped out of Texas will be shipped on Mondays via USPS Priority Mail and most arrive withing 2-3 days, however shipments to some of the upper 48 states may take a little longer. Queens for UPS Next Day Air out of Texas are shipped on Tuesdays.
    • Queens shipped IN Texas: queens for standard shipping are shipped via UPS on Tuesdays and arrive in 2-3 days. Queens shipped UPS Next Day Air are also shipped on Tuesdays.
    • Live Delivery Guarantee: All queens shipped feature a live delivery guarantee with the following exceptions: queens not received on time due to shipping delays once they leave our premises, shipments mishandled/damaged/destroyed in transit, and deliveries left in unattended or unsuitable places such as, but not limited to the following: mailboxes, in full sun, somewhere they might be exposed to extreme elements, anywhere they might be at risk to predators such as, but not limited to: ants, wasps, bees, wildlife, or domestic animals.
    • If you know that you may not be at home to accept your bees upon delivery, we suggest you contact your local post office or UPS hub and request your shipment be held for you to pick up in person.
    • Please report any shipment that arrives dead within 24 HOURS of receiving to rweaver@rweaver.com and include clear photos and/or video of the dead bees still within their cages, as well as any photos of damaged packaging. Failure to report dead shipments, with photos included, within 24 hours of arrival will result in denial of claim. 
    • All replacements will be sent on the next available ship date via USPS Priority Mail. If you would like to upgrade to UPS Next Day Air for your replacement fee, please let us know.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc does not guarantee successful queen introduction.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for queens who might abscond from the hive.
    • If you have any questions regarding best introduction practices, feel free to contact us via email or phone - we are happy to help.

    Live Delivery Guarantee & Policies for 3# Package Bees to be Shipped

    • We offer package bees to be shipped to 48 contiguous states. However, transit times, policies, and guarantees will vary depending on destination. Please read the following information carefully to determine whether or not we extend the live delivery guarantee to your state.
    • Package bees shipped IN Texas: Packages shipped within Texas will be shipped on Tuesdays via UPS Ground. This is usually a 1-2 day transit time and features our live delivery guarantee. Please read more about our live delivery guarantee below.
    • Packages shipped to the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, & Tennessee will be shipped via USPS Ground on Mondays and usually arrive within 2-5 days. These shipments will include our live delivery guarantee. Please read more about live delivery guarantee below.
    • Packages shipped to any of the states NOT listed above will be shipped USPS Ground and usually have a 4-8 day transit time. Due to extended shipping times and possible delays, package bees shipped to any state NOT listed above will NOT feature our live delivery guarantee.
    • Live Delivery Guarantee: R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc guarantees that packages featuring our live delivery guarantee will be alive upon delivery with the following exclusions: deaths that occur due to mishandling once they leave our premises, untimely delivery, deliveries left in unattended or unsuitable places such as, but not limited to: mailboxes full sun, somewhere they might be exposed to extreme elements, anywhere they might be at risk to predators such as, but not limited to: ants, wasps, wildlife, or domestic animals.
    • If you cannot be present at the time of delivery we suggest contacting your local Post Office or UPS hub and to request your bees be held at their facility for you to pick up.
    • Please note that it is completely normal for some bees to parish in transit and that up to a 1.5 inch layer of dead bees in the bottom of the package is not unusual and does not indicate your package is defective.
    • Replacement Policy: R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc will make a one time reshipment of any eligible package. Dead packages must be reported within 24 hours of delivery to rweaver@rweaver.com and must contain clear photographic evidence of the dead bees inside their package as well as an damage that the packaging itself may have sustained in shipment. Shipping and handling costs for package bees are NOT included in the replacement and are the responsibility of the customer.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for packages that perish due to untimely hive installation by the recipient.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for losses due to incorrect hiving practices or methods. If you have any questions at all regarding proper hiving practice, please do feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to provide you with some resources.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc does not guarantee successful queen introduction or the establishment of a full colony resulting from package bee installation.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for bees who might abscond during or after the installation process.

    Nucs & Established Colonies/Hives

    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc guarantees your bees will be health and alive at the time of pick up
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for death or loss that may occur once the bees leave our premises as we have no control over how they are transported, installed, or handled.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc does not guarantee that nucs installed will result in a full colony 100% of the time.
    • R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc is not responsible for bees who may abscond from nucs or established colonies.

    LIABILITY WAIVER

    When ordering bees from R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc online, by phone, or in person you knowingly and freely assume all such risks, both known and unknown, of handling live bees and beekeeping activities, even if arising from negligence of releasees or others, and assume full responsibility for your participation and hereby release R.Weaver Apiaries, Inc, its officers, owners, employees, representatives, and participants from responsibility or liability for any risks that may come from beekeeping including, but not limited to, the following:

    • damage to personal or commercial property that may be caused by beekeeping activities
    • damage to neighboring property that may be caused by beekeeping
    • injury or death to humans, livestock, pets, or wildlife
    • litigation, complaints, or citations from neighbors, HOAs, city governments, etc.

    If you have any questions at all regarding the information above - please feel free to contact us.