Bald Mountain Apiary

05/15/2026

The Western Apicultural Society is a great organization that provides tremendous resources through its monthly mini-conferences and through their soon to be launched website. I have been serving as the President of WAS and have come to appreciate the shared vision of the University of Montana and WAS. Dr. Debnam and Tamila have been tremendous to work with. PLEASE support us through learning and becoming a member of WAS Today!

The UM Beekeeping program is honored to be endorsed by the Western Apicultural Society — a non-profit, educational beekeeping organization founded in 1978 for the benefit of beekeepers in western North America. WAS frequently offers mini-conferences presented by beekeeping experts from across the region, including our very own Dr. Scott Debnam and Tamila Morgan. We support their mission and appreciate theirs as well.

“The Master Beekeeping Program provides an exceptional opportunity for individuals to learn from renowned experts in the field. With a structured progression from Apprentice to Master and instructors of the highest caliber, this program provides top-notch instruction in beekeeping.” – Western Apicultural Society of North America

To learn more and get involved with the Western Apicultural Society, visit www.westernapiculturalsociety.org

05/14/2026

Adam Hickman will be the guest speaker at tonight's mini-conference. Longway sharing is business operations at Foxhound Adam we'll be showing his experiences making a film with Matthew McConaughey, who stars as a Oklahoma beekeeper and bluegrass musician in the 2026 crime thriller "The Rivals of Amziah King". It is set to release in August of this year. Join us tonight!

Join us for a conversation that blends craft, curiosity, and real-world experience in beekeeping on May 14.

Adam Hickman, owner of Foxhound Bee Co , didn’t start with much, just $200, a side hustle, and a willingness to learn. What began in 2014 selling supplies out of the back of a truck has grown into a trusted resource for beekeepers across the country.

Today, Adam is an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper who leads with education first. His approach is grounded in a simple idea: better teaching leads to better beekeeping.

In this Mini Conference, we’ll explore:
- The journey from side hustle to full-time beekeeping business
- What it really means to “learn the art” of beekeeping
- Practical insights from years of teaching and supporting beekeepers nationwide
- How thoughtful equipment and approach impact hive health

Whether you’re just getting started or have years of experience, this session offers a grounded, honest look at what it takes to care for bees well.

If you have previously registered for one of WAS's mini-conferences hosted on VFairs, there is no need to register again. You are automatically registered for all free WAS mini-conferences. If you do attempt to re-register you will receive an error message stating that your email address is already registered. Simply proceed to VFairs and log-in up to one hour prior to the scheduled event. Register (and LogIn) here: https://wasevents.vfairs.com/en/

05/07/2026

Thank you for your business! Saturday, May 16th, 8 AM – 1 PM has been set as our pickup date and time. We will include links to directions to our Bee yard. The directions will lead you directly to our pickup location. If you use GPS or Google Maps, you are likely to miss our Bee yard.
We anticipate a fair amount of traffic on that day! When you arrive at the driveway, you will see signs directing you to check in. Please stop at the check-in and give us your name. We will write down your name and the nucleus colony number you are picking up. We will then send you to the bee yard to collect the colonies and direct you back to the road.
We absolutely love to talk about bees! Please text Scott at 808-269-0417 with any questions before or after the pickup date. This will help reduce congestion and allow the bee colonies to reach their new location without excessive heat from being in cars or in the bed of a pickup.
This is your invoice for the final payment. Please pay this invoice or bring cash or a check. If you bring cash, please bring the exact amount. We won’t be able to make change.
Here are the links:
Directions from Butte:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ba5f8665773562b66e519c/t/623356d924d4692826092f6c/1647531737239/Directions+to+Steinfeldts+from+Butte.pdf
Directions from Whitehall:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ba5f8665773562b66e519c/t/623356aaa3ecbb52ea91b550/1647531690765/Directions+From+Whitehall.pdf

05/01/2026

Hello everyone! We have set May 16th as our pickup date for Nucs. This is a saturday! We will be sending out pick up times and directions to the pickup location. To keep the pickup congestion down, we will be setting time ranges based on an alphabetical order of your last name. If those times don't work, feel free to come at a time that works best for your schedule. If that weekend is a challenge, just contact us and we will accommodate a different schedule.

We will be sending out invoices to those of you that have a balance do. If you could, please pay that balance by the due date listed on the invoice.

It will be fun to see everybody! Thank you for trusting us! Scott and Mary Steinfeldt

04/20/2026

We wanted to thank everyone who has purchased Nucs from us this year! It has been so much fun to get reacquainted with old friends. Also very rewarding to hear so many of our nucs have survived the winter and are doing great this spring! We are beginning to wind up our nuc sales for the year and we have only 15 left. We are going to leave the purchase option on our website open until May 1st or we have sold out. We are planning pickup around mid May. We will be sending out final invoices to everyone in the next few days. If you would, please check your email inbox for them. Again, thank you for the business.And we look forward to seeing you at the pickup!

03/29/2026

We wanted to thank all of our nucleus colony customers! You have been awesome! We are down to 50 nucleus colonies and will only sell these 50, and then we will be done for the season. These are good Montana stock that come with a new queen and five-frame colony. The Queen has been accepted, is broody, treatments have been completed, and the colony is in build-up mode. We anticipate that pickup will be in mid-May. As we get closer to the date, we will announce our pickup times and place. Remember, these are good, solid Mountain stock! Contact us at 406-494-4683 with any questions.

02/26/2026

We're excited to be heading into the 2026 beekeeping season! I have 5 frame nucs for sale again this year. They are $200...these colonies are NOT California bees but are good solid colonies raised in the mountains between Butte and Whitehall... all from survivor stock, breed for great temperament, hygienic behavior, good honey production, rapid spring buildup, etc..they will be available mid-May. I also sell mated queens from our own genetics for $50 each. These queens will begin to be available mid-May. We will be pre-selling queens this year. We've taken several orders already and wanted to get the word out early this year. Please go to baldmountainpiary.com to make a nuc deposit or purchase Queens. Any questions please call us at 406 494 4683.

02/09/2026

This will be the first of several " product focus" mini conferences this year. REMEMBER: if you have already registered for a WAS conference this year, all you need to do is "login" .. please DO NOT register again! If you do, it skews our data! Thank you!

Join us for a WAS mini-conference featuring John Hill, founder and president of HillCo, LLC , the largest manufacturer and distributor of honey processing equipment in the U.S.

John began beekeeping at age 16 and turned his passion into a nationally recognized beekeeping supply company. In this session, he’ll share an overview of HillCo’s evolution, core product offerings, and insights gained from building a beekeeper-focused business rooted in quality, affordability, and customer service.

Whether you’re a hobbyist or managing a growing operation, this session offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tools and thinking shaping modern beekeeping.

If you have previously registered for one of VFairs conferences, there is no need for you to reregister for other VFairs conferences. You are automatically registered for subsequent Vfairs conferences that WAS hosted.
Register Here: https://wasevents.vfairs.com/en/

01/28/2026

These are 2 of my favorite people and we are fortunate to have them as our teachers! The Beekeeping Academy is one of the finest resources for one-on-one beekeeping learning there is! Thanks to both of you for all, you do..

Community Spotlight 🐝 The Beekeepers Academy, led by Dr. Scott Debnam and Tamila Morgan, offers expert-led beekeeping education and mentorship for beekeepers at every stage, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based learning, community, and stewardship.

Thank you for helping strengthen and grow the beekeeping community through education and mentorship.

Learn more about them at www.thebeekeepersacademy.com

01/26/2026

We're excited to be heading into the 2026 beekeeping season! I have 5 frame nucs for sale again this year. They are $200...these colonies are NOT California bees but are good solid colonies raised in the mountains between Butte and Whitehall... all from survivor stock, breed for great temperament, hygienic behavior, good honey production, rapid spring buildup, etc..they will be available mid-May. I also sell mated queens from our own genetics for $40 each. These queens will begin to be available mid-May. We will be pre-selling queens this year. We've taken several orders already and wanted to get the word out early this year. Please go to baldmountainpiary.com to make a nuc deposit or purchase Queens. Any questions please call us at 406 494 4683.