Anyone dealt with this company?

[Bugfan]

Hi

I am considering purchasing some bees and hives from a company called Easy Bee Products based in Gloucestershire

Has anyone had any dealings with this company? I am sure that they use imported queens, and this seems to be disapproved of by some people.

I am thinking about ordering the ?Working Hive? at ?185, which seems good as some are selling nukes for ?150.

Any comments greatly appreciated

 

[Poly Hive]

I have dealt with Mike the owner and found him to be honest and trustworthy.

I am buying from him this year myself as I have always quietly wanted to play with a package.

I had two nucs from him last year and they were top notch.

Yes the queens are imported.

PH

 

[VEG]

Mike the fella that runs easybee does/used to post on here but not for a while maybe he is busy with his bees.

 

[grizzly]

i bought a nuc last year too, cant complain about the bees, they were my strongest, and have exploded this spring.

Just be mindful regarding price, the hive will not be anything like those sold by Thornes or Hivemaker.

 

[Chris B]

"Working Hive" could mean anything, but it sounds like it's probably better value than a nuc, but ask for a more precise definition to be sure. Key question "how many frames of brood". At present my colonies are averaging 4 or 5 frames of brood and this will grow as time goes on.

But are you sure you can manage a full colony immediately? (Sorry I'm assuming it's your first bees). You'll be in the deep end for swarm control straight away.

 

[BKF Admin]

As others have said Mike Roberts owns Easybee.

The BBKA frown on buying bees that are headed by an imported queen but Mike provides a service in the uk that means that many can start beekeeping early in the year when uk bees are unavailable.

Its easy for me to say I agree regards not using imported queens but if I lost 100% of my bees over winter 2009 I would be beating Mikes door down for bees next spring.

Regards the full hives if its your first bees then dont do it,get a nuc or package from Mike and buy a hive off Hivemaker,in fact if possible buy a hive from Hivemaker anyway as I have never seen better and he cuts and mills the cedar trees himself.

I think Mike is busy at the moment trying to invent the 48 hour day.

 

[Bugfan]

Thanks for the response so far

Here is a quote from the website

"A new B,S.National hive taken from one of our own honey bee stocks, Consisting of new floor new brood box new crown board roof with new hoffman frames on new foundation and a new laying Carnolian Queen with a working family of bees--->Disease free ? ?185.00 each the colonys must be collected."

Makes it sound like it will be a proven hive (hopefully)

I already have 2 hives but still very much a newbee

Thanx

 

[BKF Admin]

Has anyone here purchased a full hive off Mike or seen one,is the timberwork any good ?

I am not sure how Mike will make a full hive up,my thinking is that it could be like a rather large made up nuc or a double box split.

 

[grizzly]

The bees were seperate to the hive in my case. they were in a correx nuc box.

 

[MrTrueman]

I would make a phone call and check if he is still doing these as the product page states the product was added to the site in 2004.

Also the site is known not to be kept up to date.