Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: sticbow on June 06, 2013, 09:48:53 pm

Title: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sticbow on June 06, 2013, 09:48:53 pm
What would you pay for an average size swarm?  No equipment.  Just the bees.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sc-bee on June 06, 2013, 09:52:03 pm
Avg size swarm? What is an avg size swarm? Do you mean a 3lb package of bees w/ a queen? Or do you mean a captured swarm. If a captured swarm for me i would pay $0.
3lb package of bees with queen around here usually goes for $68-$80. Get a nuc if you can and be way ahead of the game.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: bailey on June 06, 2013, 10:00:43 pm
I get paid to remove swarms. Otherwise I allow them to keep and enjoy their bees.
Bailey
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: millipede on June 06, 2013, 10:01:50 pm
Definitely would depend on the size. I assume you mean someone caught a swarm and is selling the bees to you? I might be tempted to buy a swarm off someone if it was huge and caught and in a box of some type. If I had to catch it myself, I would not pay for it. I would tell them to call a pest control company and see how much they charge. But I can get a 5 frame nuc for 80 bucks around here.
Of course, if it was stupidly cheap like 5 bucks I might pay it just from some more bees. lol
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: iddee on June 06, 2013, 10:44:27 pm
http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/grd/3748266916.html (http://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/grd/3748266916.html)
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: millipede on June 06, 2013, 10:51:06 pm
Heh, might be a way to motivate people to call you.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sticbow on June 07, 2013, 12:21:53 am
Yes,  a swarm that someone caught and is trying to sell.  I just threw out average size for a benchmark.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: millipede on June 07, 2013, 12:47:58 am
I might be tempted to give 25- 30 bucks for a swarm with a queen, again, if it was in a box and all I had to do was dump it in my hive. Heck just the time savings is worth that much. But if the queen is not in there you are going to have issues unless you have some brood frames to put in the hive with the swarm.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: BlueBee on June 07, 2013, 01:02:58 am
Depends if I have bees, or if I don't have bees  :-D

If I don't have bees, I would readily pay $60 for a nice swarm.

If I do have bees, I wouldn't pay more than $0 for a swarm.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sc-bee on June 07, 2013, 01:58:22 am
I guess if I was beeless or needed bees $30 might be a decent price not knowing how the queen is going to turn out. And of course alot of folks want swarm queens but I am not aware of them buying them.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: Nature Coast Beek on June 07, 2013, 07:08:13 am
I always see ads on CL with people trying to charge for a "swarm" on their property or in their wall. That's a new one; the person doing the removal getting charged, but I see it a lot. Anyways, paying for JUST the captured swarm--I wouldn't. There are lots of swarms with virgin queens. I wouldn't pay for any bees without some sort of queen confirmation. In order to get that there needs to be a hive for that which really brings us full circle back to nucs. One last thing, if you simply pay for some sort of "swarm" in a box, what are your chances of them still absconding from the home you're going to provide....uh....pretty high. In my personal experience (learned the hard way), that when it comes to paying for bees, it's best to go with credible sources or swarms self-caught.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: S.Rummings on June 07, 2013, 08:44:35 am
I would pay $0 for a swarm. If someone captures it for me and verifies there is a queen then it is not a swarm it is a package. If they are going to go that far I would prefer they just put some frames in there and verify the queen is laying. Now you have something worth paying for. If it is just a swarm then I will pass on one I have to work AND pay for and just get a "free" one tomorrow.
What qualifies this person with the swarm to be selling bees? Do you buy bees from just anyone? Do they offer any type of money back guarantee or provide some service that is worth paying for or are you just removing a pest from their property?

As said before, there is a better than average chance the swarm will abscond, be queenless, or otherwise not be viable. We should all join together and refuse to pay for swarms. Do not devalue the work you do.
If you wanted to create some good will and get someone to buy-in to the whole bee thing you could offer a jar of honey from the first harvest that swarm produces. Can you imagine the educational opportunity from that? I think someone would be glad to get a jar of honey from a swarm that was on their property. They would probably show it to all their friends.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: 10framer on June 07, 2013, 09:57:12 am
i don't pay and i don't charge.  when you charge someone you assume a lot of liability and even though most people are happy to have the bees gone there are a lot of ridiculous lawsuits in the court system every day.  i pretty much avoid cut outs all together these days. 
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: squidink on June 08, 2013, 09:42:30 am
I would pay $50 (Aussie dollars that's about ($52.50) of your American money) for a swarm if the bees are in a cardboard box minimal traveling required.

I too charge to remove swarms.

Ben
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sticbow on June 08, 2013, 10:34:24 am
This is why I asked.  The add appeared on Craigslist Thursday night.  I thought it was way too high, but like another post said, "they are worth what someone is willing to pay."

Honey Bees - Start BeeKeeping TODAY! - Sold Out - $75 (Milton)
These bees went quickly. If you want to be notified when we have more available please send a text-only message to the number below. Anyone thinking about getting into beekeeping? Today is your day, we captured 4 swarms off our hive today (06-06-13), each one needs a new home. They're swarmed off our BeeWeaver bred honeybees, which are disease resistant, mite tolerant and heavy honey producers. They need to be picked up today or early tomorrow at the latest and you have to have an empty hive ready to go.
 
$75/swarm
 
I'll vouch for how amazing the honey is from these bees, we collected over 35lbs the first year from our new bees, split the hive once and they are really easy bees to work with. None of our bees have been treated with antibiotics or chemicals of any kind. They are free of mites and foul-brood
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: JP on June 08, 2013, 11:17:55 am
They are worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for them but personally I just wouldn't feel right about selling a swarm for $75.00


...JP
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: sticbow on June 08, 2013, 11:39:23 am
Happy to hear from "The Swarm King"!!!!  Hadn't noticed you online for a while JP.   Hope all is well.  Your response solidifys my persona of you on your videos.  Your a good man!!!
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: gardeningfireman on June 08, 2013, 12:01:39 pm
I charge to do colony removals, but not to retrieve a swarm. If a customer wants to buy a swarm from me, I charge $35 for catching the swarm for him/her, and if I install it in their hive, verifying there is a queen, that is another $10. To sell the bees in OH, they need an inspection slip. I just charge for the service of catching and hiving the "customer's swarm"! :-D When I have 5-frame nucs, I sell those (with inspection certificate) for $95, not including the box.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: rober on June 08, 2013, 12:05:55 pm
i do not charge for swarm removals but tell folks i'll gladly accept cash donations for fuel. i've been averaging $20.00 donations. with the price of diesel fuel i'm pretty much breaking even. there is someone in the area who periodically offers single story hived swarms for sale for $100.00. this includes the woodenware & frames & are queen-right. that i think is a fair price. as far as a box of bees without knowing if there is a queen, i'd pass unless it was free. i've captured 8 swarms this year, have removed 2 hives from buildings, & have 2 trapouts in progress. some of the swarms were quite small & were combined. i've ended up with 5 hives to date. i have no reason to buy a swarm.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: D Semple on June 09, 2013, 12:12:05 am
Early primary swarms are worth 60 lbs. of honey here by the end of July.


Don
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: Jackam on June 10, 2013, 01:00:36 am
I just saw a Craigslist ad today from someone that had bees in their siding and wanted the highest bidder to get the job...... sheese!
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: S.Rummings on June 10, 2013, 11:02:29 am
This is why I asked.  The add appeared on Craigslist Thursday night.  I thought it was way too high, but like another post said, "they are worth what someone is willing to pay."

Honey Bees - Start BeeKeeping TODAY! - Sold Out - $75 (Milton)
These bees went quickly. If you want to be notified when we have more available please send a text-only message to the number below. Anyone thinking about getting into beekeeping? Today is your day, we captured 4 swarms off our hive today (06-06-13), each one needs a new home. They're swarmed off our BeeWeaver bred honeybees, which are disease resistant, mite tolerant and heavy honey producers. They need to be picked up today or early tomorrow at the latest and you have to have an empty hive ready to go.
 
$75/swarm

OK, This is a totally different product than some non-beekeper selling you a swarm that happens to be in their tree. This is essentially a package from a known source. I would say this is probably not worth $75 to me but I would pay for this if I had an empty hive to put them in. The real question is why is this beek leaving money on the table and selling "swarms" instead of splitting off nucs? For a $10 investment in frames he could charge $100.

Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: gefdef on June 11, 2013, 10:18:48 pm
I charge $130-170 to remove a swarm.  If real easy and close by, may discount to $110 and the person I am getting the swarm from.  I always keep the bees.  I say it costs me $100 to house the bees, so no real profit.
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: Tightwad on June 16, 2013, 09:36:33 am
I pad $70
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: tryintolearn on June 16, 2013, 11:36:20 am
in a box or not!!!  surely he jests
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: duck on June 16, 2013, 12:31:56 pm
If theres a mated laying queen, probly $20.00.  Now the thing about the homeowner charging someone to remove their bees thats a new one!  Good luck with that business model!
Title: Re: $ for a swarm????????
Post by: jaseemtp on June 16, 2013, 08:02:32 pm
I am at a point where I have more than enough bees that paying for a swarm is out of the question.  I charge folks gas money to go and pick them up.  If it is with in 15-20 minute drive then I will do it for free.