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Author Topic: Hey everyone, Little request  (Read 7838 times)

Offline Ocean

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Hey everyone, Little request
« on: February 25, 2006, 07:49:14 pm »
Last season was my first season beekeeping and i loved it. After i got interested many of my friends now want to start beekeeping.. 4 of my friends are interested , so we are looking for a good website where we can purchase beginner supplies for cheap... I live in Bergen County New Jersey, and i rather drive to pick up the stuff rather than  pay for expensive shipping. Please help me and my friends find a good deal with our new hobby.


After we get the equipment obviously we will need packaged bees.. can you guys recommend some websites that carry Italian and Russian bees.


Thank you very much everyone

Offline gsferg

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2006, 08:21:41 pm »
"So long, and thanks for all the fish"

Offline Ocean

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2006, 08:49:37 pm »
the site is not free we did look into it and it costs 95 but the main question that i want to find out is if we can keep the equipment but if not i need a place locally within 2 hrs to pick up suppplies

Offline amymcg

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2006, 08:38:51 am »
Betterbee is 30 miles north of Saratoga, might be more like 3 hours for you, but. . .

Offline Jack Parr

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« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2006, 10:17:26 am »
Quote from: Ocean
the site is not free we did look into it and it costs 95 but the main question that i want to find out is if we can keep the equipment but if not i need a place locally within 2 hrs to pick up suppplies


on shipping versus driving your own vehicle.

Two hours drive let's say will take you 100 miles + -. A vehicle able to handle some cargo will be at least a pick-up truck?  Pick-ups average 20 mpg? Then you have to drive back home. Total 200 miles at 20 mpg = 10 gallons of gas priced at 2.25 ? per = 22.50?  YOU can't beat commercial shipping  trying to save.

Do more math. Driving your own vehicle exposes you to: traffic violations,
cracked windshields, crashes, DRIVE-BY shootings  :P and you name it.

70 lbs shipped to me from Betterbee will cost 35 bucks? I for sure can't drive to NY for 35 bucks.

It cost less to save ???  having items shipped commercial. :wink:

Offline Kalinka

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2006, 11:06:53 am »
yes i agree that would be cheaper but in our case we are planning to buy 4 new bee hive starter kits. Im sure that shipping is going 2 be alot more than costs of a car, also if we go to a location we can bargain with the people since we are buying a large quantity.

Offline TREBOR

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2006, 11:50:12 am »
Hi,
the price breaks at betterbee are like in lots of 5,10, 25, 50 or more peiceses.  I have treid to bargain with them, they say they can't do better then that!  
in the beekeeping bizz. 4 is not a very large number, more like 4000.
 Try this place for bees and euipment prices are a little high for equip.
but when you buy bees you get to go to a class or two.....
 http://www.lagrantshoneybees.com/

Offline thegolfpsycho

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2006, 12:28:31 pm »
Several people have mentioned the costs of the starter kits, and STUFF you get.  I have to agree with them.  The starter kits are danged expensive.  You can get KD hive bodys, KD frames, make your own migratory style covers, and inner covers pretty cheaply.  Bottom boards are fairly simple to make as well.

KD boxes run around 10.00, frames about .75, and some scrap exterior plywood can probably be had for free.  The only real cost left is the foundation, smoker, veil, and the bees.  You can go the MB route and cut foundation into starter strips and make it stretch.  Then buy 4 lbs packages of bees with 2 queens and split em right off.  They'll be a littel slower to start growing, but save ya a bit more cash for things you decide you need later.  Feeders made from gallon jars, a couple cinder blocks to set them on, and away you go.

Offline Kalinka

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2006, 01:32:24 pm »
so what you guys are saying is that BetterBee.com is the best website for us to order from? they have pretty much the cheapest prices on shipping and supplies?

Offline Understudy

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« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2006, 01:56:19 pm »
It isn't close to you but I have had best hardware supply success with http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ I am in Florida and they have been very good to deal with. They do not sell bees. But I hope with materials this helps.

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Online Michael Bush

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2006, 02:44:20 pm »
I'd search this (and other) sites on "starting" or "beginner" and see what kind of advice you find.  There are a lot of decisions you could make differently than a typical starter kit.  

Here are a few posts :

http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4290
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4424
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4412
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4339
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4228
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4165
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4179
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=3976

As far as a starter kit, no, I wouldn't buy one.

They will sell you a boardman feeder, which will set off robbing. I like almost any feeder better than this.

They will sell you a small smoker. The large ones are easier to light and keep lit.

They will sell you just a veil. I think a beginner is better off with a jacket with a zip on veil. After you have more confidence, on a hot day, you might like just a veil. Frankly I never use just a veil. I have a Bug Baffer jacket I wear in those kinds of situations where I don't need "sting proof" but I want some protection.

They will sell you a standard hive tool. I only use the Italian one from Brushy Mt.

They will sell you (depending on the kit) one or two deeps and one or two shallows. I would never buy either. If I want cut comb I'd use mediums because I can manuever around any mistakes the bees make and get more good cut comb. If I was extracting I'd use mediums because I can fit more in the extractor. If I want brood chambers I use mediums because I can't lift a deep full of honey (90 pounds) anymore without hurting myself.

They almost always sell you a solid bottom board and I'd buy a Screened Bottom Board.

They will probably sell you an excluder, and while they are handy to have around, you really don't need one.

They will sell you a telecspic top and an inner cover. I prefer a migratory cover with shims to make a top entrnace and close the bottom one off.

So, basically, there is NOTHING in a beginners kit that I would buy. Nada. Not one item
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Offline TREBOR

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2006, 03:01:03 pm »
in my opinion betterbee has better boxes. there's are 7/8 in. thk
where as mann lake's are 3/4 in. thk.
 the betterbee box handle also has thicker wood at the thinnest point.
There is another place in Va., I beleive its Dadant I have not done bizz. with them before....if you allready have one collony,... let them build up
 this spring ,   then buy three queens..... then every one makes there own nuc
and you all get a great lesson in beekeeping :lol:

Offline bassman1977

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2006, 03:13:36 pm »
Ocean, I'm not sure your location in NJ, but if you give Hackenberg's a call, they might be able to help you.  They are in Lewisberg, PA.

Hackenberg Apiaries
1466 Crossroads Dr
Lewisburg, PA 17837
(570) 568-2337

From what I understand, they are the largest apiary on the East Coast.  That's what some other customers have told me.  I don't know for sure.  The owner said he has over 3500 hives.  Anyway, he's a Dadant/Mann Lake distributor.  Call them up before you go there.  They may have to do some ordering so you can get everything at one shot.
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Offline Ruben

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2006, 11:05:38 pm »
Ordering from another state you may save state sales tax that would offset the shipping charges. Just a thought.

Offline Jack Parr

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2006, 08:27:05 am »
Quote from: Kalinka
yes i agree that would be cheaper but in our case we are planning to buy 4 new bee hive starter kits. Im sure that shipping is going 2 be alot more than costs of a car, also if we go to a location we can bargain with the people since we are buying a large quantity.


Forgot to mention that when YOU go to the store you will be charged sales taxes as a walk-in money bags.
 :wink:

If you post your Zipper number someone can give you an exact figure for shipping.

Almost forgot,  TOLLS  :?:

A truckdriver I know told me he paid $ 65.00 in tolls going into and out of New York city. That was a semi of course.

Have it your way.

Offline Ocean

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2006, 01:56:26 pm »
should we be ordering bees now? because i called couple of places and they said that they are out of bees till may....
if yes, where should i buy the italian breed?

Can you guys recommend some cheap sites or apiaries?

Thank you

Offline Robo

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #16 on: February 27, 2006, 02:10:42 pm »
Quote from: Ocean
should we be ordering bees now?
Can you guys recommend some cheap sites or apiaries?


You should have been ordering your bees 2 months ago.  At this point it might be worth paying a little higher price to get the bees early than getting them cheaper and later.    Get busy calling around and see if anyone still has early bees available.

There is a good list of suppliers at beesource
http://www.beesource.com/suppliers/usbees.htm
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Offline Ocean

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #17 on: February 27, 2006, 02:13:30 pm »
Robo, i found one guy its called Buck Eye Bees, did you hear about them? are they ok?

He said its $80 shipped for 3 pounds of bees + queen.

But the thing is the queen is not marked or clipped... they don't do that


If you had experiance with them please let me know if they are good or not

and This place has  these types of bees

 * CORDOVAN
*CARNIOLAN
*ITALIAN

which one u think me and my friends should start with?

Offline Robo

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #18 on: February 27, 2006, 02:27:41 pm »
I have not personally dealt with them,  but I rember hear some not so good tales (dead nucs/drone laying queens)about them last year.  Do a search at beesource and decide for yourself.

Here are a couple of links to start with.

http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004147#000000
http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003364#000000
http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=13;t=000206#000002


Sorry I can't recommend any suppliers as it has been many years since I purchased packages.
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Offline Ocean

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Hey everyone, Little request
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2006, 02:51:07 pm »
what about Rossman Apiaries seems like they still have some bees, but for May Only

here is the site: http://www.gabees.com/catalog/