Importation of bees

[ericbeaumont]

calculations put the cost price of the rings, lid and label alone close to what I think a retailer would pay me before the value of the honey is factored in.

Racks occasionally turn up on eBay for about £50, but supposing I was crazy enough to buy a complete rack and 32 sections inc. foundation from Thorne at £280 delivered, plus about £1.48/section for lids and label (£47), how long would it take to break even?

£327 divided by 11 = 30 sections, but of course unless you have a boom flow they may only fill 20 saleable sections, so it would take two strong flows - two seasons - to break even on the investment.

11 is the price per section.

 

[pete darbyshire]

£1000 reward.........about the same as 5 imported nucs

 

[Nige.Coll]

Should bees become harder to get or the price increases more will be stolen.
That's just how it is.
For those with long established permanent apiaries people can see them on google earth if they have a rough idea where to look.

 

[Ian123]

So many comments could be made, so many sarky comments spring instantly to mind.

However, maybe taking the TV crews around your apiaries wasn't the best of ideas?

Latest email from Bee Equipment:

View attachment 24555

Whilst your considering the sarky comments I hope your hives are ok!

 

[Ian123]

Racks occasionally turn up on eBay for about £50, but supposing I was crazy enough to buy a complete rack and 32 sections inc. foundation from Thorne at £280 delivered, plus about £1.48/section for lids and label (£47), how long would it take to break even?

£327 divided by 11 = 30 sections, but of course unless you have a boom flow they may only fill 20 saleable sections, so it would take two strong flows - two seasons - to break even on the investment.

11 is the price per section.

Racks occasionally turn up on eBay for about £50, but supposing I was crazy enough to buy a complete rack and 32 sections inc. foundation from Thorne at £280 delivered, plus about £1.48/section for lids and label (£47), how long would it take to break even?

£327 divided by 11 = 30 sections, but of course unless you have a boom flow they may only fill 20 saleable sections, so it would take two strong flows - two seasons - to break even on the investment.

11 is the price per section.

......£280...you mean £140...disposables are about £2.20 per section and that’s standard prices I looked at bee equipment. Bulk and show prices are lower.

 

[user 6127]

Whilst your considering the sarky comments I hope your hives are ok!

Yeah, mine are fine.

I didn't bring TV crews round my apiaries to try and further my business interests.

 

[ericbeaumont]

......£280...you mean £140...disposables are about £2.20 per section and that’s standard prices I looked at bee equipment. Bulk and show prices are lower.

Oops. I'd clicked twice and bought two imaginary racks.

If so, that £280 + £94 for 64 lids & labels would lead to a £374 outlay, less 40 sections a season @ £11 = £66 profit in the first year. In the second year, new rings, lids and label at the BE prices apply at about £2.20 + a bit of wax.

Yes, bulk disposables the way to go; I reckon the racks are pretty straightforward to make: just a box. I have a couple (eBay a few years ago) with a rebate on which the cassette lugs sit, which I much prefer to the Thorne box with those strips on the bottom to hold the cassette.

 

[Ian123]

Yeah, mine are fine.

I didn't bring TV crews round my apiaries to try and further my business interests.

I doubt the news coverage covered the location. And given the attitude I doubt your capable of having any business interests.

 

[user 6127]

I doubt the news coverage covered the location. And given the attitude I doubt your capable of having any business interests.

You doubt, so you don't know? Or did you see the news reports on the TV? Did you just make that up? Having a bad night?

And as for business interests, been running my own businesses for near on 13 years. Fully own 100% my house, smallholding, cars and businesses. Can you say the same?

 

[Ian123]

You clearly have a business in laughing at others when an idiot nicks there hives. If you are a business owner I suspect you’d have a better understanding of seeing your hard work or livelihood going up the spout. As to what you own I couldn’t care, but I do quite nicely thank Thks. You probably picked the wrong person to play that peeing game with

 

[Apple]

So many comments could be made, so many sarky comments spring instantly to mind.

However, maybe taking the TV crews around your apiaries wasn't the best of ideas?

Latest email from Bee Equipment:

View attachment 24555

Some would say.... what goes around comes around.

However nobody is above the law and hive theft will possibly become more prevalent as bees "apparently" will become more difficult for hobbyist and beginners to acquire.
Registration of all beekeepers and their colonies would go a long way to put would be thieves off... as it has to a greater or lesser extent with other valuable stock in the farming sector.

Fitting all the little ear tags will be something of a pain tho!!

Chons da

 

[Ian123]

Oops. I'd clicked twice and bought two imaginary racks.

If so, that £280 + £94 for 64 lids & labels would lead to a £374 outlay, less 40 sections a season @ £11 = £66 profit in the first year. In the second year, new rings, lids and label at the BE prices apply at about £2.20 + a bit of wax.

Yes, bulk disposables the way to go; I reckon the racks are pretty straightforward to make: just a box. I have a couple (eBay a few years ago) with a rebate on which the cassette lugs sit, which I much prefer to the Thorne box with those strips on the bottom to hold the cassette.

Hi Eric not sure what your getting for comb but around me 8oz in a tub would be about £7.50-8 the rounds obviously go for a bit more. Like you suggest. There also easy to prepare and store so there’s other advantages. I use the 1s that aren’t good enough for sale for friends or myself even off cuts for chunk. Also when they quote price for complete rack that always used to be for all items/labels/rings not sure that’s still true.

 

[user 6127]

You clearly have a business in laughing at others when an idiot nicks there hives. If you are a business owner I suspect you’d have a better understanding of seeing your hard work or livelihood going up the spout. As to what you own I couldn’t care, but I do quite nicely thank Thks. You probably picked the wrong person to play that peeing game with

Still not answered if you saw the TV report or not. I doubt you did. But hey, why not just comment on it anyway.

Please point to where I am laughing at others. I'd really like to know. I can't see where I have.

You also seem to be judging me, from a few forum posts. This is a bit like you doubting what was in the TV report, without knowing the truth. Maybe stop making things up

PS It would also be 'their hives'.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And given the attitude

You doubt, so you don't know?

You probably picked the wrong person to play that peeing game with

And unless you want me p!ssing on both your cornflakes let's cool down a bit and stop being so touchy (I've had a bad day and I wouldn't say no to chewing someone's head off )

 

[Ian123]

And unless you want me p!ssing on both your cornflakes let's cool down a bit and stop being so touchy (I've had a bad day and I wouldn't say no to chewing someone's head off )

Fair enough I’ll leave it safe in the knowledge that some day for the so called business owner the boot will be on the other foot!

 

[Into the lions den]

View attachment 24555

A few years ago the Co-op took over the running of Highland Court. They had a far too complex and inoperable plan for pollination with a patchwork of local small beekeepers....some hefty number...with bees on the farm. Keeping in touch with so many was a really difficult issue and at key times was almost a job for someone...very burdensome on the farm and some of the beekeepers were really difficult.

The change of ownership brought a change of plan. It was SO far away for us that we were reluctant to get involved...yes we did there Hereford fruit and was getting my arm twisted to go there too. Simplicity was more important to them than the constant stroppy calls about spraying, mowing, hedge trimming etc that they were getting. So the management had decided to work with a single operator...and the team in Manchester picked on us.
Plainly this was not a cheap option because our travelling/storage/accommodation logistics all cost a lot..however appropriate recompense was agreed after running through all the costs and thus, under some duress, we made all the plans to undertake the work. The local farm team were about to be told of the change. Then it was abruptly cancelled. Someone else had offered to do the whole thing for nothing.

Looks as if we know who it was now.......could have been mines that were stolen. Would have been a little earner for us but one that was pretty inconvenient too and would have impinged on our other operations. Glad we did not end up doing it now....

 

[ericbeaumont]

around me 8oz in a tub would be about £7.50-8 the rounds obviously go for a bit more... I use the 1s that aren’t good enough for sale for friends or myself even off cuts for chunk.

Last winter I sold RRs at £11 and could have sold them twice; been £9 for four years. Although the packaging disposables cost a little more I lose the sticky labour of chopping up combs.

There's a big box of part-filled combs under the bed in my Mum's spare room down in Surrey. She said Can't you put them in the shed? but I gave her some flannel and she gave in. Going to put them back on the hives in spring.

 

[Into the lions den]

Your locality is blessed if you are able to do Ross Rounds commercially. My back of the envelope calculations put the cost price of the rings, lid and label alone close to what I think a retailer would pay me before the value of the honey is factored in.

Was back in the 1980's we did a significant scale experiment about the returns to be had from various ways of production. I have given these figures out before. the very worst return was from sections. If you took the best production option..deeps of drawn comb...as 100% of potential, then the bottom option..sections...was at only 20%..and the swarming issues were also far worse. So..if you take the current price of bulk honey as £4/lb (for heather in our case) then you are looking at £20 for a section wholesale.
The heirachy was
Drawn deeps 100
Drawn shallows 85
Foundation deeps 75
Foundation shallows 70
Starter strips 40
Sections 20

Figures not exact....nearest 5% figure.

 

[Newbeeneil]

A few years ago the Co-op took over the running of Highland Court. They had a far too complex and inoperable plan for pollination with a patchwork of local small beekeepers....some hefty number...with bees on the farm. Keeping in touch with so many was a really difficult issue and at key times was almost a job for someone...very burdensome on the farm and some of the beekeepers were really difficult.

The change of ownership brought a change of plan. It was SO far away for us that we were reluctant to get involved...yes we did there Hereford fruit and was getting my arm twisted to go there too. Simplicity was more important to them than the constant stroppy calls about spraying, mowing, hedge trimming etc that they were getting. So the management had decided to work with a single operator...and the team in Manchester picked on us.
Plainly this was not a cheap option because our travelling/storage/accommodation logistics all cost a lot..however appropriate recompense was agreed after running through all the costs and thus, under some duress, we made all the plans to undertake the work. The local farm team were about to be told of the change. Then it was abruptly cancelled. Someone else had offered to do the whole thing for nothing.

Looks as if we know who it was now.......could have been mines that were stolen. Would have been a little earner for us but one that was pretty inconvenient too and would have impinged on our other operations. Glad we did not end up doing it now....

The hives I can see from Google earth are about 250yrds from a very quiet road with a big hedge in the way. Unless they took a vehicle right through the main farm they had one hell of a carry.

Edit,
Just noticed the google imagery is May 2019 so things could have changed.

 

[ericbeaumont]

so many sarky comments spring instantly to mind.

None from me, but having had only one colony stolen was enough to lead me to sympathise with anyone who's had anything nicked.

There were 30 or so nucs taken from a field in deepest rural Essex two years ago; they worked out that the thieves recognised the distant boxes while driving down the M11. Another 25 - different beefarmer - went the same year in the same area.