horrible nucs

[riverbee]

several years ago i paid $135 for 5 frame nucs with a proven laying queen, discount for more than 5, so it was less than that, i purchased 7.  these were not overwintered, and did very well. i have purchased nucs from this same supplier a number of times in the past, and queens (when available).  i would pay more in the future for the quality i have received in the past. 

[Perry]

Last year I sold 4 frame nucs for $150 (too low)
This year price is $160 (can't keep up)
4 frames, all covered in bees
1 frame full of stores, 2 frames covered in brood, 1 frame with comb.
Most of my nucs have brood on part of a third frame. I also shake extra bees so that my D.Coates 5 frame nuc boxes have lots of bees. A lot of folks when they bring back the nuc boxes have substituted out the fifth frame with a new one because there was comb on the fifth frame.
I can't compete with the price of honey, and I don't want to move bees anymore, so selling nucs fits in. I make them good, and will gladly do follow up.
Words spreads, good or bad.

[Yankee11]

Perry,

How much is Honey going for around you.

I raised my price this year. 1lb squeeze bottle 7$, glass pint 8$ and Quarts were 16. Sold 38 gallons in 2 weeks. never heard a word about price.

[pistolpete]

I'm with Perry on this one.   Around here Nucs are $150, honey is $5/#

                                            Total time to make up and sell a Nuc: approximately 2 hours.  Overhead: 1 queen $25, 5 frames $10.  Profit/Nuc $115.   
                                            Total time to extract, bottle, and sell 23 Lbs of honey, approximately 3 hrs.

  So you end up making 30% more/hour selling bees.  For me the real difference is you have to make about 10 to 15 sales to sell 50 lbs of honey, but only one sale for 2 Nucs.

[apisbees]

Pete now you are going to compete against John Gates? Not that he is worried as he can sell everything he produces.

[pistolpete]

John has awesome bees.  Our club buys 30 to 35 Nucs from him every year.   I make way more money setting tiles than keeping bees, so I don't think John has to worry about my 3 hive operation.  The way I understand it, John's had offers from Alberta commercial beeks to buy everything he can produce.  I'm glad he chose to keep supplying us.   BTW, he sells 4 frame Nucs for $160, not 5 frame as you mentioned.

[apisbees]

But his 4 framers are stocked better than what most would get in a buying a 5 frame