Price of honey bees :(

[REDWOOD]

I borrowed scrounged an begged to get money for my first nuc, times were hard then financing a siblings education. Perhaps a better system should in place for those who are generally unable to finance their first hive.


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[kevrhcfag]

Baiting starting early this year I see

 

[For want of a better word]

Baiting starting early this year I see

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

I borrowed scrounged an begged to get money for my first nuc, times were hard then financing a siblings education. Perhaps a better system should in place for those who are generally unable to finance their first hive.


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To start beekeeping takes quite much money even if the swarm is tree.

 

[SWEET]

Anyone know why bees cost stupid ammounts to

I reckon the reason i've had such a good and issue free first year was the fact i purchased nice placid strong bees from a top supplier , this helped remove the unknowns so i could concentrate on other areas , the cost was the last thing i was concerned about tbh .

 

[Poly Hive]

If people are keen enough they will find a way. Giving out bees to them what SAY they canna afford them is in my honest view a seriously bad move.

When stuff is free it is often devalued I find, and when earned then the other side of that coin becomes apparent.

PH

 

[cinnamon]

Paid £135 for my nuc without the box from my local BKA (I'm a member). I wasn't expecting to get a free nuc but I did think it was a bit steep.

But at the same time, the beginners course from the local BKA was only £35, which included membership and they provided tuition pretty much all summer, which was worth way more than £35 imo so I guess it all balances out for me.

 

[user 6228]

If people are keen enough they will find a way. Giving out bees to them what SAY they canna afford them is in my honest view a seriously bad move.

When stuff is free it is often devalued I find, and when earned then the other side of that coin becomes apparent.

PH

I have heard that some pesties are finding it difficult to find beekeepers that will take the cut outs they do.

 

[Poly Hive]

Cinnamon?

I sent you a pm but you may have missed it or the site has malfunctioned.

My sister lives close to an Elsrickle by Biggar.

Are you at the same Elsrickle?

PH

 

[thenovice]

I agree that bees are too expensive. never had to buy as I get more swarms than I can deal with even if I am not part of a swarm collectors team. As a beginner, you should become a member of a local association and if you join a club you get support and the bees for free. If you really want to have a pedigree after you faffed with local mongrels, you can still buy a queen in for a fraction of the price.

 

[Poly Hive]

"if you join a club you get support and the bees for free"

That may be true regarding the bees in some isolated generous instances but it is certainly not the case in general.

PH

 

[Into the lions den]

I agree that bees are too expensive. never had to buy as I get more swarms than I can deal with even if I am not part of a swarm collectors team. As a beginner, you should become a member of a local association and if you join a club you get support and the bees for free. If you really want to have a pedigree after you faffed with local mongrels, you can still buy a queen in for a fraction of the price.

That's really just encouraging people to be spongers. expecting stuff free is really the same as getting someone else to pay for it. A nucleus of bees did not cost nothing to the person or persons you get it from.

I detailed the costs involved in the earlier post. Don't worry, you are not alone...have had folk (quite a lot of them) phone or call in rather expecting to get bees, queens, wax etc free from me. After all they did not cost me anything did they?

I think 200 pounds is fair if a tad steep....but some charge a lot more than that...........and at 150 they are a great buy...if good.

If not.....

I have seen some of these 'lovely locally adapted bees' in various parts of the country and to be honest I would gas at least half of them! They would need to pay me to take them.

 

[kevrhcfag]

...........

I have seen some of these 'lovely locally adapted bees' in various parts of the country and to be honest I would gas at least half of them! They would need to pay me to take them.

Now now behave local mongrels are the preferred and ideal option. Its easy just split the hive let them get on with it, 4 weeks later there you go another nuc done and dusted.

 

[madasafish]

Now now behave local mongrels are the preferred and ideal option. Its easy just split the hive let them get on with it, 4 weeks later there you go another nuc done and dusted.

Yes.. another hive of swarmy,aggressive and not very productive bees.

Totally unsuited to any beekeeping round here, local mongrels are rubbish...

 

[sipa]

Nobody is forced to buy bees, but if you want them you pay what is asked.

Livestock farmers don't give stock away or sell below cost of production for very long without going out of business.
If suppliers go to the wall through lack of a decent profit margin your pool of potential suppliers diminishes so does supply = increased prices.

Seen it many, many times.

 

[sipa]

local mongrels are the preferred and ideal option.

You know better than that kev.

 

[Finman]

.
When I have put local adapted, non selected mongrels into hive, and then a good queen into such hive, good queen is now double size compared to local mongrels.

Most of beekeepers do not mind to buy good queens. And without buying you do not get good queens.

The price of good queen is 4 kg honey.
And the queen brings ten fold of its price.
.

It is same in all domestic animals.

 

[B+.]

You know better than that kev.

I think he was being sarcastic ;-)

 

[kevrhcfag]

I think he was being sarcastic ;-)

I was although it doesn't always come across as intended online sometimes.

 

[drex]

As I have stated in a previous post, I am not in this for the money, unlike those who make a living from it. I give starter nucs to beginners who have shown a good commitment. I agree that a lot of work goes into the production of a good starter colony, so should command a fair price, if I am working on a commercial basis.

My bees are local mongrels and I am happy with them. Over the last few years I have practiced some selection, queens whose colonies show rubbish traits go for the chop, those that show desirable characteristics I breed from . Am I wasting my time then, having no control over the mating? Over the years my bees have gradually become more docile and productive. I am quite ruthless in my culling. I am happy with my honey crop and the temperament of my bees. When I started and knew no better, in hindsight my bees were quite vicious.