Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: ZuniBee on April 09, 2009, 08:14:22 pm
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I would like to start an apiary supply store and wonder if anyone has any idea where these local beekeeping supply stores get their goods? I'm sure there is a wholesaler but can't seem to find one.
Regards - Jay
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http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=wholesale+beekeeping+supplies&aq=f&oq=
see if you find something here.
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Lots of them make their own.
Steve
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alot of the wooden ware comes from western bee. Dadant makes smokers and some other things. I would contact them to see if they would help you get started. Maybe you could become a local outlet for them.
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I would not be surprised if they could be purchased far "cheaper" from CHINA. You can buy RTA (ready to assemble) solid wood and beautifully finished kitchen cabinets from China. How can they do that? Shipping should far outweigh the labor savings. But......what do I know?
Steve
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On google I just get a lot of yellow page ads. I sent a message to dadant and will send one to Western Bee as well. Thanks for the info.
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Brushy Mountain has dealers that they sell to at wholesale prices.
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Humble Abodes Inc., RR#1 - Box 570, Coopers Mills Rd.
Windsor, ME 04363, Phone (877) 423-3269, Fax (207) 549-5512. ...
Not website but
EXCELLENT QUALITY on Frames and boxes.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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Mann Lake may help you ?
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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Check on E-Bay, I saw some buy out.
search under 'beekeeping'
cundald
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For honey processing equipment I would go to Maxant PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA
http://www.maxantindustries.com/
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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For woodwork, local sources are probably best. I bought 5 mediums, a bottom board, a top cover, and 60 frames recently and the shipping from Montana to Washington was over $60, which was WAY over the top, in my book. I shipped more weight from here to Texas last fall for that. A three pound shipment of unrelated items totaling 3# was $10.38 from Oregon to Washington. That's insane.
I've seriously considered making hive bodies/tops/bottoms as a side business - I have a portable bandsaw mill, a woodshop, and an almost endless supply of douglas fir (I live on 30 acres of the stuff, plus alder, maple, cedar, etc. I wonder if you can make hives out of cottonwood? AKA Black Poplar?). I'm certainly not buying any more hive bodies for my own use! If I can figure out the jigs to make frames in large quantities, I'll probably do that as well.
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Humble Abodes Inc., RR#1 - Box 570, Coopers Mills Rd.
Windsor, ME 04363, Phone (877) 423-3269, Fax (207) 549-5512. ...
Not website but
EXCELLENT QUALITY on Frames and boxes.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
update ............
Humble Abodes Inc got in new website
http://www.humbleabodesinc.com/home.htm
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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I would not be surprised if they could be purchased far "cheaper" from CHINA. You can buy RTA (ready to assemble) solid wood and beautifully finished kitchen cabinets from China. How can they do that? Shipping should far outweigh the labor savings. But......what do I know?
Steve
My father worked for bot Weyerhauser and Georgia Pacific at different times and was amazed that it was actually economical for them to: Start pine seedlings in Georgia, package them up and ship them to Peru to grow out. Ship the harvested logs back to South Carolina to be milled or peeled for veneer, sent to China to be made into furniture and shipped back to the US. I came out cheaper than growing, harvesting, milling, and building all locally!
J-
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There had to be some Govt. subsidies or tax breaks some where along the way.
Steve
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as alredy mentioned most of the smaller bee supply co's seem to sell either brushy mountain or mann lake.
As a purchaser I can generally get it cheaper from mann lake directly even with shipping, although they seem to stay in business somehow, so convenience wise it must make sense to be able to pick all the supplies up while you are picking up your package bees, etc.
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Buying bee supplies are a matter of timing. Get on the mail and email lists for all the suppliers. Compare and note when they offer their best buys on given items. Buying an extractor in late August is buying it at the heighth of the season and when it is going to cost the most.
I try to buy all my equipment (that I don't build) in the off seasons and when they are clearing house. Sales like 5 supers and 50 frames for $XX dollars can make it worth while if you double or triple the special.
Bear in mind to that shipping is also a seasonal thing (with the exception of the USPS) as shipping through UPS or FedEx can fluxuate within a 30-40 Dollar range depending on the time of shipment. Jan-March is best as Christmas is over and Spring and Summer sales haven't started yet. Oh, and don't forget the weight thing. some items, due to size, have to be shipped at a high rate due to hieght, length, or weight. When that happens occurs often a lot of other items can be added to the order without a marked increase in shipping. Large items like extractors can have an oversize surcharge added also.
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Is there anyone here that distributes wholesale package bees in the spring? I'm thinking about getting into it next year and was wondering if someone could recommend southern apiaries that are reasonable. My wife thinks I should be growing my apiary as a business more... :roll:
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There had to be some Govt. subsidies or tax breaks some where along the way.
Steve
Not necessarily. The cost of land is no doubt a big issue with timber production.
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I build all my wood equipment out of rough yellow pine, a deep cost me $2.00, a medium 1.50, cloake board 10.00
top cover $3.00. inner cover 1.50. I buy my frames from brushey MT at .65 apiece. Screened bottom board 2.00 with #8 wire. Bottom board 3.50 That is about $23 for a complete hive minus foundation. That price is about the shipping for that much equipment from the big boys. All new equipment bought from low for 200.00. I have built 29 deeps and 22 mediums 10 bottom boards and 10 top covers out of 86.66 worth of lumber.
I like Kelly's equipment, last year I ordered 5 deeps w frame and foundation assembly required. Each box was 35.00 including shipping. Compare that to the 2.00 for the box and 6.50 for the frames I payed this year. I'm sold I can put 20.5 boxes in the field for the 175.00 I payed Kelly. My boxes are made out of yellow pine it will still be in the field when the white pine boxes are burning in a fireplace. Just my two cents
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Humble Abodes Inc., RR#1 - Box 570, Coopers Mills Rd.
Windsor, ME 04363, Phone (877) 423-3269, Fax (207) 549-5512. ...
Not website but
EXCELLENT QUALITY on Frames and boxes.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
update ............
Humble Abodes Inc got in new website
http://www.humbleabodesinc.com/home.htm (http://www.humbleabodesinc.com/home.htm)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
02June2010 new update........
http://humbleabodesinc.com/ (http://humbleabodesinc.com/)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
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There is a local place that provides wooden goods to beeks. The name is Browning Cut Stock and the phone # is 208-276-3494. You may want to contact him and see if you can work out a deal.
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Browning is where I have been buying all my boxes for the last seven years, I won't buy anywhere else.
If you want to save on shipping pick up your pallet at the truck terminal. It makes a major difference.