Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: How much do your hives, nuc boxes, and swarm traps cost?  (Read 1477 times)

Offline BumbbleBee

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 36
  • Gender: Male
How much do your hives, nuc boxes, and swarm traps cost?
« on: February 26, 2014, 01:28:00 pm »
Hive: Normal price of a Langstroth beehive in India is around Rs. 1600 - Rs. 1800. Material is some wood, sounds solid enough to withstand weather conditions. But finishing doesn't seem to be as good as I see online.
After subsidy,  government distributes each for Rs. 300.

Nuc box: Haven't got one yet.

Swarm tap: Haven't got one yet.

ForEx: $1 ~= Rs. 62

I'm very curious about your costs and materials. Please share.

Offline Vance G

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1170
Re: How much do your hives, nuc boxes, and swarm traps cost?
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2014, 02:32:52 pm »
Including shipping and assembly a 9 5/8" langstroth box with ten frames costs me under $25. Cover and bottom board about $5.00 for the pair.   Looks like your equipment is less expensive than mine. 

Offline gov1623

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 135
  • Gender: Male
Re: How much do your hives, nuc boxes, and swarm traps cost?
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2014, 09:11:49 pm »
I make all my equipment. I make medium supers for $4, deeps for $6, bottoms and tops for $3 all out of pine. I use Plywood for nucs and swarm traps for about $3 a piece.
Who Dat!!!

Offline BumbbleBee

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 36
  • Gender: Male
Re: How much do your hives, nuc boxes, and swarm traps cost?
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2014, 10:16:33 pm »
Including shipping and assembly a 9 5/8" langstroth box with ten frames costs me under $25. Cover and bottom board about $5.00 for the pair.   Looks like your equipment is less expensive than mine. 
Sounds so. Mine has just 8 frames and I don't know whether these are medium or smaller ones. Quality doesn't seem to be very great, but I can't complain about it for $5, right? Hiring a carpenter to build one will cost at least $40-$50 per hive. Problem is finding timber for the material, and a carpenter to do it. I don't know the price at any beekeeper's clubs though.

I make all my equipment. I make medium supers for $4, deeps for $6, bottoms and tops for $3 all out of pine. I use Plywood for nucs and swarm traps for about $3 a piece.
Great! You should be good at carpentry skills. The beauty is you can choose the wood yourself and have a detailed customization.