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Poll

Are Packed Bees too Expensive?

I think Bees are fairly priced in a competitive market
10 (31.3%)
I think they are a bit over priced, but I understand - it's not easy work
10 (31.3%)
I think prices are out of control but service is good
3 (9.4%)
I think prices are out of control and service stinks
2 (6.3%)
There is no way that they can justify the cost of their bees
1 (3.1%)
I'd rather keep my bees indoors all Winter than pay $72 for packaged bees again!
2 (6.3%)
I've never bought packaged bees
4 (12.5%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Author Topic: HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?  (Read 25271 times)

Anonymous

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #20 on: April 30, 2004, 09:48:53 am »
John,  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  They know me very well at the local post office. I don't bother to write letters when I can talk face to face with the right people. A few years back they redid Our gravel road (widened it) the post lady felt she didn't have to bother dlivering the mail or even telling us she wasn't going to for fear of getting stuck. When I talked to the head post mistress with out results I drove to the regional boss and had a very nice chat with him. Seems I didn't have to call my congressman to get mail delivery after all, To the door if need be, which is down a 400 foot drive way. I had to handle calls for days wanting to know if every thing was working out with the mail delivery now.
 :shock:  :shock:
 :D Al

Offline beemaster

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I misread a bit
« Reply #21 on: April 30, 2004, 10:51:11 am »
I was thinking the problem was a bit FURTHER UP the mail chain than your local/regional hub - if you can talk to people, that is always the best.

Mail hubbing is a strange but necessary beast - our mail (all but "In-Town mail" is sent to our state capitol of Trenton for processing, where it is distributed and then resent to all the other towns, local, state and elsewhere to national.

Even if I wanted (let's say) to mail a letter to a friend in Toms River (a town 5 miles from here) it STILL needs to go to Trenton (45 miles away) first, then sent to the correct Toms River Post Office - there are three. So the old saying "You can't get there from here holds true in the postal delivery service.

But I never complain about their service - if you can find ANYONE ELSE to delive a letter to any place in the country for $.37c I want to know - especially in the world of EMAIL where the USPS took the biggest hit, they keep on trucking and offering competitive services at competitive prices.

My only concern (and I had a long talk with my mail lady yesterday) is delivery of live insects: she has delivered roaches, butterflies, bees, ants and other insects for many years - she doesn't mind it one bit and she said she's never had any issues as long as the SHIPPING CAGES or BOXES meet or exceed the requirements of the postal service.

Shipments from a certified bee farm using approved crates SHOULD NEVER be an issue - when it does become one, then we all have troubles. I'm not driving to Georgia (except to visit Beth  :P ) or anywhere else just to pickup bees and even that trip to NYC or Philadelphia I exampled would seem totally unnecessary and I'm sure some service out there would gladly take over the slack.

I only mention this because a few years ago, there was a VERY SERIOUSLY PROPOSAL by the USPS to end live shipping completely - leaving a void that hopefully the other shippers would restructure to handle the millions of pounds (literally) of insects shipped annually.

Glad all is okay Al - I guess retirement allows a bit mellower view of such issues (I am truly envious - especially with a full-timers motorcoach in the driveway) but I'd still be on the phone with somebody though - if only to make sure NO ONE ELSE had to drive 2 hours to pickup bees MAILED from 7 states away.
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Offline justgojumpit

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #22 on: May 02, 2004, 07:42:42 pm »
my bees cost me 72 bucks a package... whew, thats expensive!  I think I'll try to make the money back by making splits in the spring and offering them for sale through the penny saver for like 60 bucks per 5-frame nuc, with a high deposit on the frames and nuc box.
Keeper of bees and builder of custom beekeeping equipment.

beeware184

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #23 on: May 03, 2004, 05:31:12 pm »
I paid $56.00 for each 3# package this year.  I thought that was expensive, but after reading most of these replies I am much happier.

Offline tejas

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #24 on: May 03, 2004, 11:29:52 pm »
My bees cost 80 dollars thats for 3 pounds, queen and shipping included.

Offline leominsterbeeman

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Bee price....
« Reply #25 on: May 04, 2004, 03:20:14 am »
I paid $55 for a 3lb package with queen.    Most apiaries will not ship packages to New England so I went with someone that was picking up a few hundred packages.  

From what I see, he paid $39/package.  but he drove down to Hardiman in Georgia to get them.    I picked them up on 4/9/04.  

This was good, I spoke with a lot of people that had their orders delayed until next week.  There is also a shortage of queens,  there was a wet time in GA this spring and I heard that most apiaries lost a lot of queens.
Michael Keane
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Anonymous

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #26 on: May 04, 2004, 09:23:14 am »
John, I don't know about retirement making me mellower, seems like I am writing more letters, making more phone calls and yelling at the TV more these days.
  As far as the shipping of bees to me, at the time I felt It was my best choice. Think about the upheavel I was going through then. I was waiting for my new pickup, getting ready to leave for Minnesota in just a couple of days to meet my new grandson ( who is doing very well yet) and felt even lucky finding some place to get any bees at theis late date.
  The pick up got here on the afternoon of the 25th. 3 hours from home since I deal with a old friend, I was lucky in that regard as I was able to take delivery after hours that same day. The next day I was able to get the cap installed, then sat down with the phone to find some bees.
After calling 14 different places and being told they didn't have any and getting refered to another place to try I found some on the morning of the 28th. We left that afternoon for Minnesota.
 :D Al

Offline Queen Bee

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #27 on: May 05, 2004, 12:19:17 am »
I bought my bees from a local beekeeper, who is in our Beekeeping Club, and sell bees all over our state. I paid 45.00 for a 5 frame nuc, queen and all the bees that I could shake into my hive body! It was 10 times more bees that I got with a 3lb. package the first year and I got eggs, brood and capped brood!! I think I got a great deal after hear these prices.

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #28 on: May 05, 2004, 07:26:29 am »
Queen Bee:

You INDEED get a great deal!!!! Just curious if you get to keep the nuc or not - that really makes it an awesome deal, those nucs come in handy!!!
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Please enjoy the forum, and if it has helped you in any way, we hope that a small donation can be made to support our FULLY member supported forum. You will never see advertisements here, and that is because of the generous members who have made our forum possible. We are in our second decade as a beekeeping forum and all thanks to member support. At the top right of every page is a donations link. Please help if you can.

Offline NewBee Bee Products

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Our Prices For bees
« Reply #29 on: May 14, 2004, 01:18:39 am »
Hello Every one
Here In Oregon We pick up 5 frame Nuks with Brood and honey for $38 and a single Story 9 frames with brood and 6 frames of bees for $48 no deposit for wood ware thats included.

Offline Lechwe

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I paid
« Reply #30 on: May 14, 2004, 09:38:33 am »
Hey folks, great site. I just got back into the bees this year after several years of being without. I got my package from Groebs as well in Onstead MI and payed $46.95. I live a little closer than tail twister so it wasn't so bad.

Offline Rogerm

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #31 on: May 14, 2004, 09:59:51 pm »
I paid $60 dollars for a 3 lb package (bought 5) and picked them up at Dadant. They are close by and looking at shipping costs from other bee farms I felt this was the easier and quicker way to go.

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Great Pricing Insight ALL
« Reply #32 on: May 14, 2004, 10:11:15 pm »
Glad to have everyone respond to this poll and put input that was detailed and informative too. It's funny, but (as I have written about the last few days) a sizable swarm found my old supers and old frames in my tool shed - I fixed up a hive for them and now have them along side of C1&C2 hives (photos soon) but as Robo said, I just cut the cost of my packed bees by a 1/3rd - lol.

The best part, these are very active bees and extremely mild in nature - I assume they are from my absconded C1&C2 from 2 years ago - I really have a feeling they are my bees just coming home  :lol:  

But I looked them over good for varroa, saw nothing, the frames I set up for them are in fine shape with lots of drawn cells - they will do fine. And of course, I am feeding them and will be for many weeks.

So I'm in full swing here, nice weather, TONS of locus and pine pollen around everywhere now - so the Late Spring food is here and timing is good. all hives are happy, restful and energetic, a beekeeper couldn't ask for anything more!
NJBeemaster my YOUTUBE Video Collection

Please enjoy the forum, and if it has helped you in any way, we hope that a small donation can be made to support our FULLY member supported forum. You will never see advertisements here, and that is because of the generous members who have made our forum possible. We are in our second decade as a beekeeping forum and all thanks to member support. At the top right of every page is a donations link. Please help if you can.

Offline NewBee Bee Products

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Get Free Bees
« Reply #33 on: May 15, 2004, 07:40:46 pm »
If you all would Call your local Bee Supplyer , Police Dept , Fire Dept ,Or exstermator and let them know your a bee keeper and asked them to put you on there Swarm call list.

And start building Boxes cause your need them.

I get the most reffurals from the Exstermator since thay dont like spraying swarms it turns out real nasty, it can turn a naborhood into some thing out of a horror movie.

This year alone I have got 27 swarm calls I just Give them to my BeeKeeper friend thay bring over nuke boxes and Ill fill them in return thay give me a a new or a good used Deep or western Box.

Just some ideals on getting more bees

Offline Queen Bee

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HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR BEES?
« Reply #34 on: May 15, 2004, 10:48:55 pm »
No, I do not get keep the nuc! I take a hive body with new foundation down to him in the late afternoon. He lets me go thru the nucs, to check for the queen, eggs, brood and I decide if it's what I want. Then I take out 5 frames and replace them with the five I want and then I shake the bees out and we wait for an hour or so untill the field bees return and I close up the front entrance, load them into my truck and away I go!! I have purchased two nucs and have ordered another for 'keeping' a queen for winter or early spring. This spring, I ended up without a queen, it was too early for buying/ordering queens so I had to combine hives... It will not happen again. Next spring,  I'll be ready.

Offline beefree

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$55/3# w/queen, not marked or clipped, no shipping fees
« Reply #35 on: May 17, 2004, 10:04:30 pm »
i got mine from a local commercial beekeeper who drives his truck to Georgia the end of April every year to get his bees, and also supplies at least one other commercial operation, and a swarm of local hobbyists.  I am surprised at how wide the price range is for pkg bees... and more motivated to try swarm capture and splitting if i ever want more hives...
beefree
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Offline SilverFox

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PRICE OF BEES
« Reply #36 on: May 26, 2004, 04:17:20 pm »
:oops: i PAID $48.00 FOR 3#PACKAGES, BOUGHT 5, AND HAVE COUGHT 7 FERAL COLINES AND GOT PAID TO REMOVE THEM.  I'M NOW UP TO 12 HIVES WHERE I WANTED TO BE, AND NEXT YEAR IF I HAPPEN TO LOOSE MY HIVES, I THINK I'LL JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET BEE REMOVEAL CALLS.  IT'S BEEN COST EFFECTIVE, GETTING PAID TO CATCH 'EM INSTEAD OF BUYING THEM. :lol:
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