Buying bees

[Phill M]

Hi guys
I'm new here. Just a heads up on buying in bees.
I'm a newish Beekeeper, this is my 3rd season. I bought a
a 14 x 12 colony last weekend. I didn't inspect just looked with the crown board off, just before sunset. Bees in the box very calm????.
Did my 1st inspection today.
I have been sold 10 drawn empty black frames and 2 with a bit of brood, both uncapped and a floor full of dead bees and larve.
And a few shakes of bees. No store's at all.
Gutted. A lesson has been learned.
Phill. M.

 

[Curly green finger's]

That’s terrible have you been back to the supplier ?
He/she shouldn’t be beekeeping!

 

[Phill M]

I have sent a message. No reply.
The guy seemed very sincere.
The bees were kept in his back garden. All felt good.
Untill I looked in the box today.
Phill. M .

 

[Do224]

lesson has been learned.

If it looks too good to be true it probably is? £200 for a cedar hive with bees (I think that’s right, from your other post?) is very very cheap…

Sounds like the sellers description ‘queens building up nicely. Brood in all stages’ is well off the mark from what you say

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi guys
I'm new here. Just a heads up on buying in bees.
I'm a newish Beekeeper, this is my 3rd season. I bought a
a 14 x 12 colony last weekend. I didn't inspect just looked with the crown board off, just before sunset. Bees in the box very calm????.
Did my 1st inspection today.
I have been sold 10 drawn empty black frames and 2 with a bit of brood, both uncapped and a floor full of dead bees and larve.
And a few shakes of bees. No store's at all.
Gutted. A lesson has been learned.
Phill. M.

Phil.
I’ve moved this chap’s advert away for now while I think of what to do next.
It’s rubbish what’s happened to you.
You could have one of my spare colonies on 14x12 for nothing if you were nearer.

 

[Phill M]

If it looks too good to be true it probably is? £200 for a cedar hive with bees (I think that’s right, from your other post?) is very very cheap…

Sounds like the sellers description ‘queens building up nicely. Brood in all stages’ is well off the mark from what you say

A lesson learned.

 

[Phill M]

Phil.
I’ve moved this chap’s advert away for now while I think of what to do next.
It’s rubbish what’s happened to you.
You could have one of my spare colonies on 14x12 for nothing if you were nearer.

Thankyou.
Thats a great offer.
I am gona put this down as a lesson.
The chap has contacted me and offered to refund and take the hive away.
Part my fault for not looking. The bees have starved.
On a plus note. All of my colonies are boiling over and have plenty of stores.
Phill. M .

 

[Do224]

A lesson learned.

Maybe just bad luck. If the weather had been good lately you might have ended up thinking you’d got a bargain…

 

[Sutty]

Thankyou.
Thats a great offer.
I am gona put this down as a lesson.
The chap has contacted me and offered to refund and take the hive away.
Part my fault for not looking. The bees have starved.
On a plus note. All of my colonies are boiling over and have plenty of stores.
Phill. M .

Good outcome. I don't think it's your fault at all, it's a result of either making up a hive with inadequate stores or not checking it before putting it up for sale.
It might have been better to go back to the vendor first though.

 

[Swarm]

Seller has made good, fair play to him. I would imagine he feels sick about it, this year has been very challenging so far and we can only hope things improve and very soon (pretty please)
A lesson has been learned, it;s essential to inspect your colonies before they are sold making sure they have enough resources to last at least a week.

 

[Phill M]

Seller has made good, fair play to him. I would imagine he feels sick about it, this year has been very challenging so far and we can only hope things improve and very soon (pretty please)
A lesson has been learned, it;s essential to inspect your colonies before they are sold making sure they have enough resources to last at least a week.

Just had the email from the nbu. I must be in a good apiary site. (
Apple orchard in the vale of Evesham).
All of my own hives are rammed full of bees, capped stores and necar coming in.
I did expect the new hive to be similar.
Phill .M .

 

[ericbeaumont]

The guy seemed very sincere

Sincerity is no substitute for supplying a colony short in all aspects. The seller is way out of his depth, as are many hobby buyers & sellers.

Basic giuide is that there should be enough stores to supply a colony for one week, given no flying weather to refill.

A 14x12 frame holds just over 3kg or 7lbs, so there wasn't even that in the box.
The good news is that the seller will take them back and you can now make splits from a few of your current strong stock.

don't think it's your fault at all

No, not Phil's fault, but it was his responsibility to check, which he has acknowledged.

Never buy bees unseen and always ask questions about temper, disease and so on. This transaction could have resulted in the spread of a notifiable disease, and at a guess, neither party would have known.

 

[ericbeaumont]

of my own hives are rammed full of bees, capped stores and necar coming in.

Make increase!
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/increasesummary.html

 

[Newbeeneil]

Basic giuide is that there should be enough stores to supply a colony for one week, given no flying weather to refill.

Almost all the nucs sold at the WSBKA auction were short of stores as pointed out by RP during his inspections.
My 5 had no stores at all so I placed a slab of fondant in the bottom of the boxes.

 

[Phill M]

Thanks for all the advice.
I was just looking to add new blood to my stock.
I already have local stock aswell as scottish and Irish queen's. AMM.
I Have long hives. Which will get a demerae and left to make a new queen in the split end And run as 2 queen colonies. Untill the end of the summer.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

if I remember the original advert, the seller held a belief that his bees were varroa tolerant (whatever that means) so goodness knows when they were last treated or what the mite load was, another tip the OP has now picked up, unless you are 100% certain, make sure the bees get a stores topup if necessary, and As soon as you can.

 

[Phill M]

I have moved what is left into one of my long hives.
I have left them with the 2 frames of what's left of the brood and put new frames in with them.
They have had 2kgs of 2 to 1 with hive alive added.
Phill. M .

 

[E&MBees]

I have moved what is left into one of my long hives.
I have left them with the 2 frames of what's left of the brood and put new frames in with them.
They have had 2kgs of 2 to 1 with hive alive added.
Phill. M .

Did you check for disease, just in case?

 

[ericbeaumont]

what is left

Did you get any of the £200 back?

 

[Phill M]

No. I won't be getting involved with the seller anymore.
I have given them syrup a frame of store's and brood from another box
This is lesson learned or me.