Bee Prices

[Dunkel]

Checked around the past week on getting some bees to replace killed in the heist.  Wife kind of urged me to, first time she's had an interest.  I feel like my dad shopping for a new truck, some definite sticker shock.  I'll probably just pick up another round of queens, or grow a few out myself.

Makes it hard for me to recommend bees to people starting out.  I know if packages or nucs hadn't been 50% cheaper when I first began I don't know if I could have gotten over the hump.  One heck of a learning curve for someone, especially on their own.

I am not complaining about the price,  Especially since I have a few and may end up selling a few myself, if I can get through the next month.  But it sure would be a risky proposition for a totally new person.

What are all the factors that has lead to this sudden increase?  CCD, popularity, overhead?

[tecumseh]

Purchasing queens, feeding a bit of syrup and growing your stock back is a pretty good way to go.  This can also allow you to add some genetic diversity and at the same time compare various stock.  Over even a short time frame you can come to an opinion of what stock you like best and what seem to perform best in your area.  Statistically and practically 1 of anything doesn't provide much information.... 3 or more can tell you quite a lot.

Prices.... this time around when I again started to raise a few bees I purchased 3 package from my good neighbor to the south of me and I think I paid something like $30 a pop for those.  I never really purchased any more packages although over the years I have bought a lot of queens and raised quite a few myself.

I sell a bit of stock here... pretty much all local and all by word of mouth.  I have worked into that very slowly primarily because I KNOW FULL WELL all the things that can and will go wrong.  Go slow here, don't take too many orders and you should have no problems.   

[Perry]

I understand what you're saying Dunkel.

"New Zealand package bees
Packages consist of 1 kg of bees plus queen. Arrival is expected the first week of April. Price has not been confirmed but is expected to be between $150 and $160. Minimum order is 50 packages."

"Mite Free bees from Australia
- 1 ½ kg packages with one Queen in the package
- Early – Mid March Arrival at Halifax International Airport
- With feed, the bees should be ready for splitting in time for blueberry pollination
- Cost - $195/Package plus Air Freight Toronto-Halifax (Est $8/package)"

Nucs start around $160

After that, all you need is all the equipment!!! 
Starting out would be scary.

[Woody Roberts]

It's pretty pricy getting in without buying bees. When guys at work start talking about getting bees here's what I do. They buy their equipment and I'll bring a hive to their place. We will start a nuc from mine. I'll leave my bees there for a couple years or so and help them along.

This is not completely selfless. Bee keeping isn't for everybody and if they decide they don't like it I'll probably be able to keep a yard there. I'll keep a few hives until they decide they don't need me anymore.
Most would never say get out but if I see their growing ill get out of the way.

Plus in the event I lost all my bees I feel these people owe me one nuc of bees. I could be back pretty quick.
Once a good friend gave me a nuc. Over the course of the summer I lost all my bees but his nuc. Some were robbed, hive beetles got a couple, I had tried to split too much. Well intended but bad management practices on my part. All my bees now are descended from his nuc.
There are four of us at work that have a few bees. We've all agreed that as long as one of us has bees then we all have bees if we want them.

[pistolpete]

I started just a couple of years ago, so I don't know what prices have been historically.  Around here a 4 frame Nuc goes for $150 to 160.   When you consider that pretty much every supplier in the province is sold out of bees by the end of february and has people on wait lists, I'd say they should be charging more.     Supply and demand economics, plain and simple.   The reason behind demand outrunning supply goes back to mites.  Keeping bees is a lot harder than it used to be by all accounts.

[Jen]

I've been thinking that if I only want two hives of which I'll prob do a split this season and get my two. What will I do if I have extra bees in the next year or two. Been contemplating selling nucs. What will be the initial cost of building the nuc? Resulting in what percentage of profit?

[tecumseh]

I like you plan Woody.  We could all do better if we assisted one another... this does not mean (as you suggest?) that this assistance need be totally selfless.

[Bakersdozen]

I like your style Woody.  You are fortunate to work with 3 others that share your interests.

[kebee]

The price for package bees have gone up, our club had them at 95$ last year and this year they are 115$ a package, ask about this and said best price they could get on them this year. I quest it is the supply and demand  thing.

Ken

[iddee]

Jen, buy frames and foundation only. Tell the customer to bring their hive over with all but 4 frames in it. Pull your queen out along with the frame she is on. Add a frame of open brood, one with capped brood, one with pollen and honey. Put 4 empties in their place. Tell the customer the queen is a tried and true queen that overwintered successfully.

That gives you new comb every 5 years in a double deep hive, and a new queen yearly, with a brood break while they raise a new queen to help with mites.

[GLOCK]

One of my goals when I was starting out {2009} was to have sustainable apiary  meaning never having to buy bees .
As of 2014 I have not bought bees in to years. I think as a beekeeper I should learn how to winter my bees it part of the keeping. I may sell a couple nucs come spring and if I do I want 150.00 five frame.
Still freezing in these parts 12 degrees this morning.

[litefoot]

Jen, buy frames and foundation only. Tell the customer to bring their hive over with all but 4 frames in it. Pull your queen out along with the frame she is on. Add a frame of open brood, one with capped brood, one with pollen and honey. Put 4 empties in their place. Tell the customer the queen is a tried and true queen that overwintered successfully.

That gives you new comb every 5 years in a double deep hive, and a new queen yearly, with a brood break while they raise a new queen to help with mites.

Iddee,
I must say that your post has intrigued me. Is this a regular method that you employ each year? It seems that you're getting old foundation rotated out, your colony re-queened, naturally treating for mites, doing a little swarm prevention and making a few dollars in the process. Sounds like a good plan. Also means you don't have to pinch queens. Another bonus. I need to find buyers, though.

[iddee]

That is exactly what I am doing. I don't get much honey, but it's less work to sell a 150.00 nuc than to process 150.00 worth of honey and sell it, plus you don't have to buy jars.

Craig's list and your local bee club are full of buyers.

[DonMcJr]

$89 for a 3 lb Package and nucs in a cardboard box you keep frames $120. Another Guy around here has Nucs for $140 and Strong Single Hives (Deep and 10 Frames) for $180.

I bought 2 packages and a Nuc cause I think I lost 2 out of 4 and I am adding 2 new hives. Gonna have to at least do one Split maybe more if I lost more than 2.

Also 3 of us Beeks from My Bee Club are going to try our hands at Grafting Queens this year!

My Goal and Our Club Goal is to try and make it so none of us have to buy Packages or Nucs.... We'll see how that goes!

[Perry]

My Goal and Our Club Goal is to try and make it so none of us have to buy Packages or Nucs.... We'll see how that goes!

Admirable goal. 

[litefoot]

That is exactly what I am doing. I don't get much honey, but it's less work to sell a 150.00 nuc than to process 150.00 worth of honey and sell it, plus you don't have to buy jars.

Craig's list and your local bee club are full of buyers.

iddee,
I feel like I'm hijacking this thread a bit. Would you mind starting another thread and tell us about your method. I just want to know more about the timing of pulling your nucs and how you determine if a colony can sustain having a nuc pulled. Thanks!

[Jen]

Good Idea, litefoot

[LazyBkpr]

  I have ten Nuc's coming this spring, they are $80.00 each, I provide the nuc boxes. The VSH Gold queens are $25.00 each. Nucs are local, queens are not.
   Once these nuc's are hived and growing, I will refill the nuc's with small splits from my current hives. I will pull brood from these nucs to strengthen the new colonies, and also maintain the nucs to keep them from being overcrowded.
   In maintaining Nuc's you can make more nucs with the extra brood, strengthen your production hives. Sell the new nucs, or put them in hives and sell the started hives. Another advantage is that you can feed those nuc's and produce a lot of extra drawn comb. A lot you can do if you maintain Nuc's.... provided you can get them through the winters!

[Jen]

Good Info Lazy. You and I have talked about how I only want two hives, three max. So this would be a solution to keep my apiary managable for myself 

[Perry]

Good Info Lazy. You and I have talked about how I only want two hives, three max. So this would be a solution to keep my apiary managable for myself 

Boy, if I only had a dollar for every time I heard that. In your dreams Jen. I'm betting before the summer is out you will be closer to 5 than 2.