Is it normal practise

[wightbees]

Do all local association charge for made up swarms frames only?
Just found out that the IOW has now,rather than give free to new Beeks
they are up for sale @ about £150.00
Is this normal ? I thought the whole point was to help at low cost not make a packet!

Maybe im just in a bad mood as my van was writen off
No not maybe i am!!

 

[user 6228]

no...
i cant remember the details but its a nominal fee for the swarm only like £20.
The idea is that no one is out of pocket

 

[wightbees]

no...
i cant remember the details but its a nominal fee for the swarm only like £20.
The idea is that no one is out of pocket

This was what the IOW was charging up to this yr. Looks like they are in it for profit now.

 

[flemage]

my swarm from association cost me a bottle of whiskey, and replacment frames with foundation.

I made it a good single but that was just me, not asked for.

 

[Bates]

Are you saying assos are charging £150 for a swarm or have I misread? You can get nucs with new queens for that price :/

 

[wightbees]

Yes Bates
They are putting them in a box to draw out frames then there up for sale .
Swarm on frames £150 ish

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That sounds a bit off - our assoc are planning a queen rearing programme (when the weather lets us!) the plan is to rear dark queens, get them mated, overwintered in a 5 frame nuc and sell them to our new beeks for a nominal fee just to ensure we're not out of pocket (a lot of man hours being promised for the good of our beginners and the bee population).

 

[sherwood]

If you are a member of the local association you could query the price and ask what resolution was passed to agree this price. If no resolution has been passed you begin to wonder what power the committee has to set this price

 

[Bates]

Yes Bates
They are putting them in a box to draw out frames then there up for sale .
Swarm on frames £150 ish

Sounds a bit silly to me! Packages & Nucs more value for money with a new queen that will be less likely to swarm again.

 

[mark s]

Ive also heard from a very good source that they are all going down to quarr abbey apiary and that some swarms are being united and being sold on as full colonies ??
but i do not know if that is the case.
But i would not be the least suprised if thats what they are doing.

 

[Shabro]

someones making a bob or two I guess

 

[wightbees]

Yes Mark ,they are all going to Quarr Abbey .Heard from the Donkeys Mouth

 

[nelletap]

Sounds to me as though the associations charging £150 for a swarm are probably run by (?ex?) bankers. One of the lovely things about most associations is that they are a community who help each other so I would hate to see them being taken over in such a way those priciples were pushed to the back. I thought most were cash rich at the moment from the number of people attending beginners courses.

The swarm I got from one of the BKA's to which I belong last year came with no charge at all. In some ways it would have seemed right to have given something - but perhaps it would be good if members needed to fulfill a pledge to help the organisation? ie take two weeks turn at the swarm phone, or make cakes for a meeting or assemble 20 frames. I'm all for fostering participation rather than commercialisation.

A swarm is an unknown quantity. I can understand that if a BKA were to 'add some value' - perhaps get it checked out healthwise, perhaps include a nuc box and frames then the value would be slightly higher - but it needs a lot to get it to £150 given that lack of provenance could hide problems. Surely helping new bees especially to get bees gives additional benefits to a BKA by increasing the number of active members?
Tricia

 

[Queens59]

I had a nuc from Exeter BKA assoc, 3 years ago and it was £80 - but was a split from a members bees, not a swarm the price had gone up that year as prices had risen from other suppliers. They were lovely bees, and great for a beginner...and compared to £150+ I was pleased. A Swarm for £150 is steep

 

[flemage]

So basically No it’s not normal practice unless they are doing some thing which adds a lot of value.

But even then I think this is an issue as there needs to be access to the craft at a reasonable price

 

[wightbees]

Looks a bit of a naff association doent it.
I wont go into some of the course prices then

 

[susbees]

Quite simply making a profit out of a recently hived swarm invalidates the BBKA public liability insurance that was in place when that swarm was collected.

If a BKA are openly doing this then they need to have their own insurance in place. Something tells me this is likely not the case and if it were an association I was involved with I'd be doing something about it.

 

[wightbees]

Can you expand on this please susbees > invalidates the BBKA public liability insurance that was in place when that swarm was collected.

Thanks

 

[user 6228]

£150 did they think you came over on the last ferry.?..


(originally, at least to me, a Liverpool expression, though quite apropos for IOW)

 

[jackbee]

Doesn't sound like the behaviour of a very association-minded asscoiation. Surely the aim of an association is to encourage and assist it's members.

Swarm from my assoc - they ask for a donation later in season if swarm is successfuly hived and survived - £ 20 has been figure suggested.

Are they trying to raise money for something??