Always buy a stingless bee colony from a reputable seller AND more importantly check there is a guarantee. Either refund, replacement or remedy the situation by allowing the seller to restock the box.
I’d recommend a minimum of 6 months guarantee.
Newcomers to native bees might be so enthusiastic to buy a stingless bee colony they wont do any research or be aware of the pitfalls of buying a recent water meter rescue / recent split / recent transfer / recent disconnected eduction. These can be weak colonies and take months to build or decline and die out completely.
Most sellers want to provide a good product and service, and want the customer to have a good experience.
*There is no legal requirement to offer a guarantee on live colonies. If the seller says there’s no guarantee or only offers a few months then they may not be too confident it will last and you’d expect it to be very cheap.
Photos show a very small stingless bee colony in a water meter pit. Quite a few people transfer these in to boxes with a low survival rate.
