Cost of beekeeping and poly nucs

[rolande]

( I am amazed when people clearly don't know how to search for things on the internet - it is soooo easy)

The hard bit is knowing how to weed out the rubbish that replies to the search.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You are forgetting the "outgoing bees" bit of beekeeping and only focusing on potential bee traffic coming into your apiary. I would never borrow a frame of eggs, or buy a nuc, but I am delighted I stuck with nationals, and would have been in trouble last year if I hadn't. I had to find homes for 20 or so nucs, due to starting the year with too many colonies and not wanting to have so many in my garden. I would never have found homes for 20 langstroth nucs locally, but getting rid of national nucs is easy.

I'm glad Ive started with mainly St national, my 14x12 numbers have gone up and I have a few wbc now but I will always keep the majority St national, I love using double brood in the season and for wintering, splitting and manipulations.

 

[Mint Bee]

I'm glad Ive started with mainly St national, my 14x12 numbers have gone up and I have a few wbc now but I will always keep the majority St national, I love using double brood in the season and for wintering, splitting and manipulations.
[/QUOT

As a commercial operation, unless you make the equipment yourself, there is a very limited (globally) market for purchasing national format. The only reasons I can see for maintaining a national format at scale are legacy equipment or to supply UK nuc market. everything else can equally be accomplish in a more widely available format

 

[madasafish]

The hard bit is knowing how to weed out the rubbish that replies to the search.

I have learned by bitter experience

 

[Curly green finger's]

Well I sell nucs, I will probably never get to sell equipment because I want to concentrate on honey and bee production in the uk only.
I wouldn't want to get side tracked like some do with selling equipment for the suppliers.
I am starting to concentrate on making my own equipment and using resources we have which will cut down on loads being self sustainable eventually.

 

[Mint Bee]

Well I sell nucs, I will probably never get to sell equipment because I want to concentrate on honey and bee production in the uk only.
I wouldn't want to get side tracked like some do with selling equipment for the suppliers.
I am starting to concentrate on making my own equipment and using resources we have which will cut down on loads being self sustainable eventually.

sorry Mark, I wasn't clear. I was referring to someone like you as a developing bee Farmer, having to purchase equipment for your own use, not as a potential reseller. National format will always be more expensive a its a limited market. For what others have said, boxes are also more fiddly and time consuming than the langstroth format to construct if you go down the DIY route. depends on the resources at hand. If you have time, facilities and capability available, the the worlds your oyster. I have little amounts of all three so stick to making floors, crown boards and roofs . broods and supers get bought in as seconds. There are examples of other operations using one format for honey production and a second for queen and nuc production

 

[Curly green finger's]

sorry Mark, I wasn't clear. I was referring to someone like you as a developing bee Farmer, having to purchase equipment for your own use, not as a potential reseller. National format will always be more expensive a its a limited market. For what others have said, boxes are also more fiddly and time consuming than the langstroth format to construct if you go down the DIY route. depends on the resources at hand. If you have time, facilities and capability available, the the worlds your oyster. I have little amounts of all three so stick to making floors, crown boards and roofs . broods and supers get bought in as seconds. There are examples of other operations using one format for honey production and a second for queen and nuc production

No worries

 

[pargyle]

Well I sell nucs, I will probably never get to sell equipment because I want to concentrate on honey and bee production in the uk only.
I wouldn't want to get side tracked like some do with selling equipment for the suppliers.
I am starting to concentrate on making my own equipment and using resources we have which will cut down on loads being self sustainable eventually.

How many nucs are you going to have available and how much are you looking to charge ? ...People are already taking orders down here and one or two are already sold out of overwintered ones ... there's already a high demand from newbies who have done the course and coming out of covid don't have bees ....what sort of bees are they in your nucs ? Might be able to push some business in your direction...

 

[Curly green finger's]

How many nucs are you going to have available and how much are you looking to charge ? ...People are already taking orders down here and one or two are already sold out of overwintered ones ... there's already a high demand from newbies who have done the course and coming out of covid don't have bees ....what sort of bees are they in your nucs ? Might be able to push some business in your direction...

I don't think folk are going to travel to Shropshire to get my bees from your area but I will have queen's
I've sold all of my overwintering nucs I want to and taking orders for late spring early summer now.
I will get an add out at some point on fb and here if I need to.

 

[pargyle]

I don't think folk are going to travel to Shropshire to get my bees from your area but I will have queen's

Depends how many are required . A van full could be a possibility for distribution if there is a shortage locally... how many are you likely to have available?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Depends how many are required . A van full could be a possibility for distribution if there is a shittage locally... how many are you likely to have available?

Read above. And pm if your thinking later in the season.

 

[rolande]

I've sold all of my overwintering nucs I want to and taking orders for late spring

Are you carrying enough queen's to make up spring nucs?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

if there is a shittage locally

still having problems with effluent discharge into watercourses?

 

[pargyle]

still having problems with effluent discharge into watercourses?

OOps ....

 

[Newbeeneil]

still having problems with effluent discharge into watercourses?

You beat me to it!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Are you carrying enough queen's to make up spring nucs?

No not this season but I will have plenty of early summer nucs.
Edit: looking at stock I still have 4 overwintered nucs for sale left @ £240 each in poly 6 frame nucs they were going to someone but he wants me to look after them so I would rather sell them elsewhere. Pm me if anyone wants them locally

 

[Martimart]

This is surely a mistake?

2 x wooden 14x12 Nuc assembledat £200 each
4 x supers ready assembled at £110 each
£35 on bits and bobs like queen cage.

 

[Ian123]

2 x wooden 14x12 Nuc assembledat £200 each
4 x supers ready assembled at £110 each
£35 on bits and bobs like queen cage.

Ouch…….. There’s spring sales/events shortly

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

4 x supers ready assembled at £110 each

The words 'rip' and 'off' swiftly spring to mind.

 

[rolande]

2 x wooden 14x12 Nuc assembledat £200 each
4 x supers ready assembled at £110 each
£35 on bits and bobs like queen cage.

Yes, as jbm reminded me, prices are high.

On the positive side, it's a good investment in your bees which will repay itself.