Bee nuc prices.

[idg]

Hi, can anyone tell me what the typical price is for a nucleus of bees(5 frame national)?
I am looking for one in the Walsall area if anyone has them available.

 

[Pete D]

Hi,
There are plenty of adverts about for nucs right now in the beekeeping press.
Most of them are guys who produce a lot.
starting prices vary but seem to go up to £190.
It depends if you want them now as they will be over wintered and will cost more than one made up in a few weeks time. I have seen full, colonies for sale at £180 (gumtree) up to £250 locally.
I sold some over wintered std national 6 frame nucs @ £140 and 14x12 for a tenner more.
You really need to look about locally, speak with your local association as someone local will have some or be doing some in a few weeks.
Buy from someone with a good name for producing them and local so you can inspect them easily and go back and see them if you have need to. Be aware that there will be plenty of swarms available soon and you may pay nuc price for one of them.
As a guide
Over wintered available now £140 +
This year available say June £120 +

 

[TOBY-3652]

full colonies at lincoln went for £120-00 hive super // all the lot

 

[Rollerbe]

full colonies at lincoln went for £120-00 hive super // all the lot

There are a lot of colonies about. See beekeeping press.
No mass die out this winter, so the auction helps demonstrate the real price out there

Not stupid prices of several hundred £'s

Reality will dawn - supply and demand will correct the market
Try an auction yourself - Gloucestershire Bee Auction @ Cheltenham 10th May

http://www.gbka.org.uk/auction/

 

[Arfermo]

Hi, can anyone tell me what the typical price is for a nucleus of bees(5 frame national)?
I am looking for one in the Walsall area if anyone has them available.

Beware. You will normally only get the frames in cardboard box if ordered from a commercial supplier; locally you will probably only get the frames and have to collect them yourself with a nuc box to put them in. Round my way the latter still costs £150, though less greedy personone in my BKA sells 5 frames for £100. Still a huge profit nonetheless for something that costs virtually nowt.

 

[mbc]

still costs £150, though less greedy personone in my BKA sells 5 frames for £100. Still a huge profit nonetheless for something that costs virtually nowt.

IMHO £150 for a nuc of home reared good bees is reasonable, the idea that breeding and selection is worth virtually nowt is why so many rubbish bees are kept unnecessarily by so many.

 

[rogerb]

I think £20 to £30 a frame represents a fair return for the bee breeders time, equipment and loss of honey crop. So nucs from £100 to £120 if five or six frames and a full colony more (maybe not quite pro-rata). The concept of it costing nowt and bees should be given away for free is one of the reasons why new beekeepers struggle to get bees, a fair return for a fair days work would help us all I think. This applies to national brood size and bees sold in the same season they were bred, Pete’s discourse above summed up many of the other variations very well.

 

[sipa]

too cheap, £165 for 5 frames, £200 for 6

 

[REDWOOD]

£150 seems to be the price around here with excellent breeding, probably the nicest bees I have worked with

 

[Chris B]

IMHO £150 for a nuc of home reared good bees is reasonable, the idea that breeding and selection is worth virtually nowt is why so many rubbish bees are kept unnecessarily by so many.

unnecessarily and unproductively