Just starting . Help

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

snoop

House Bee
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
328
Reaction score
2
Location
Cork Ireland
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
poly hives
I have joined the local bee keepers , bee keeping for beginners. I put an advert in a local free paper looking for secondhand equipment. I was thinking that if somebody was getting out of bees that I might pick some up. I have not got a hive yet , but am anxious to get going.

Today I was offered a nucelus ( strong) , from the advert. Roughly how much should I pay?
And more to the point what do I do next.
I know it is late in the year , but he said they were strong & have enough stores. Any suggestions / advise would be appreciated.
 
I'm waiting till next spring, would be a major disapointment to have them die over winter, would he not let you reserve a nuc for spring.£100 to £150 for a nuc. about £110 for a package b%&&$@ for a swarm
 
Snoop, I can understand your eagerness but Plumber is giving good advice, at this time of year you are completely out of options to build up, feed up, treat or even inspect that Nuc. The prospect of even a claimed 'strong' Nuc having the stores available to it to get through winter even with you fondant feeding is low. Read-up and give yourself the best chance of sustainable success come Spring (sorry probably not what you wanted to hear).
 
Hi Snoop. I'm a new member here, and not a beekeeper, though I read anything bee-related. I'd never consider starting up at this time of year, best to wait until Spring I think. Anyway, good luck, and I'd be interested to know how you get on.
 
Same advise as I gave on the other forum.

It is very late in the year to buy a nuc. I am suprised any beekeeper would sell one this late. If you buy it you will be taking a big risk, as you could lose it over winter. Why not wait till the spring to buy a nuc. That way you will have the best start possible. In my opinion it is too late in the year to buy bees for a beginner.
You could always ask him if you could buy it in the spring. It is so tempting to get bees as quick as possible but you could end up paying £120+ then end up with no bees in the spring if they dont make it.
 
:iagree:
First of all, welcome to the forum.

I am also a beginer, got a couple of hives, no bee's untill spring though.
I have been activly using this forum for a few months (great source of info! and hives!!!!) read loads of books and am part way through a beginers course. and with what i have found out so far, i would not even consider getting bee's yet.
start in the spring and let your experience grow with your colony.
 
Snoop
have you tried offering a deposit to hold the nuc, you could pay the balance in the spring if they come through, that way the risk is still with the seller who would care for them to guarantee his sale next year. I would not sell a nuc to anyone this time of year experienced or not
 
snoop same as a few other comments on this site, I have only 1 hive and another that i look after for someone. WAIT until spring. I am holding my breath (especially as I though i had killed my queen last week) that my nuce that I bought in july will survive the winter. would be heart breaking to lose it over the winter. look at getting a hive sorted now, see if the person who offered the nuce will let you go an help/ view their hives, will give you a good feel for things. There should be no reason that this person will not keep nuce until spring, I was fortunate I think looking at these posts and only paid £70 for my first Nuce, this was with frame swap.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top