Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Kathyp on December 12, 2006, 01:40:19 pm
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i just ordered a package for next year. 3 pounds. the cost is 75.00 dollars. just wondered what everyone else is paying this year? mine will come from California and i ordered the Italians. they were cheapest and i figured I'd give them a try.
so, how are your prices??
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i just ordered a package for next year. 3 pounds. the cost is 75.00 dollars. just wondered what everyone else is paying this year? mine will come from California and i ordered the Italians. they were cheapest and i figured I'd give them a try.
so, how are your prices??
$72.00 per for Italians. :-D
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Jester Bee has 3# packages of Russians for $62 plus shipping. I ordered 3. :-D
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I think that this year many packages are missing
--------------(http://www.mortimer.f9.co.uk/pictures/santa.jpg)
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fortunately my bees are coming through the USPS to the bee store, and not from the N. Pole by way of Santa!! ;)
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Santa's Factory just does not have enough help to make warm socks for every Honeybee. :-D
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April of this past year I bought (1) 4 pound package with 2 queens, made 2 colonies. Good because if queen failure, you can unite the colonies. I am pretty sure we paid $120 CDN. Carniolan, imported from Australia by my bee course instructor. He orders many many packages so he can sell to his students, individuals and his own personal uses. He runs 1,200 hives. Great day. Cindi. Don't know yet what the price will be this year. I may order from him and also order locally in our province.
Ooops, looked at the records, it was not $120 CDN, it was $210 CDN, funny how the mind can invert numerals or letters. This was a big one. More thought about the packages I will be purchasing in spring. Great day. Cindi
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Howdy
I ordered two #3 pound packages from C F Koehnen and last year they both together cost me $140.00 plus $91.01 for ups next day air. But i was pleased by how full they were and how gentle they still are they don't sell pure carniolans they all are mixed with cordovans but i find no fault :)
Tom
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Hardeman Apiaries in Georgia sell 3lb packages of Italians for $53.00 and Russian hybrid for $57.00. I have bought packages from them before and the bees are productive and gentle. They take orders by fax or phone. You can get their number from beesource.com.
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I just ordered a package from Coma and they are 70 plus shipping
kirko
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Looks like packages in Alaska will be $70/3# or $90/4# for those willing to drive to Anchorage. Keith Malone brings in several varieties, including daughters of queens he's wintered and bred in south-central Alaska.
There's another fellow who brings packages into Fairbanks. He's in Asia right now. Says he'll have prices in March. Last year he got $110/3# and $130/4# package. Not sure what races he offers, but last year I was given some hives of Carniolans by a guy who probably got them from him.
It's a 700 mile round trip drive to Anchorage. With the price of gas figured in, I can save money by driving to Anchorage for 3 or more packages. It can be done in a day, but it's a long day, then I can't hive them until the next day.
If I get them in Fairbanks, it's only a 60 mile round trip, and I can hive them the same day and not be exhausted. Plus they come in a couple weeks later than the ones in Anchorage, which makes a huge difference in the weather.
I haven't decided which way I'll go yet. Maybe some from both.
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I ordered my bees from Olivarez out of Chico, CA. $65.00 each for 3 lb package. One of his subagents is only 20 miles away so I can pick them up without shipping cost. I ordered 3 packages. He offers Italian, NWCarmiolans, and Minnesota hygenic. I'm trying one of each. Olivarez has subagents in Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah. Try www.ohbees.com. I you lack a subagent in your area you might be able to become one.
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Sometimes one can be lucky. I have a connection with a beekeeper who sells me a complete hive with bees for AU $100.00 and they have all served me well. Admittedly he is downsizing his operation but if opportunity knocks one has to go with it.
Maybe Australia is the land of milk and HONEY !!!
Have a great New Year everybody.
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>I haven't decided which way I'll go yet. Maybe some from both.
I find that delivery of bees is unpredictable. It's good to hedge your bets.
I'm expanding this year and will get them from two sources for insurance. At lest one of them will probably come through, and hopefully, both.
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$65.00 US for a 3 pound package in Wisconsin USA.
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well, 65 seems to be about the going price. mine is 65 + shipping + cage deposit that i'll get back. ends up being a total of 75 -4 for the returned cage.
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If I get them in Fairbanks, it's only a 60 mile round trip, and I can hive them the same day and not be exhausted. Plus they come in a couple weeks later than the ones in Anchorage, which makes a huge difference in the weather.
wff, look into the hiving thing. It sounds like you have alot of concern about hiving the same day, or shortly thereafter. Ask a question on the forum. I think that you can leave bees for several days before hiving in a cool dark place. They do just fine.
I know that because when my course instructor gets bees from Australia, sometimes he has them in his dark garage for quite some time until everyone can get over to pick up their packages. He recommends you come and get them as soon as possible. But I remember last year they came a week earlier than anticipated and I could absolutely not go over to his place to pick them up. they stayed there for about 3 days, I brought them home and hived them the same day. So...put out the question if you want, let's see what people say about the length of time from pickup to hiving. Great day. Cindi
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I'm doing the same as Michael, not putting all of my bees in one basket. I am ordering from 3 different sources. Prices range from $53 to $70 for 3# package.
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$65 for 3 lbs/Italian. $5 more than last year. They are from a local source that gets hundereds of packages.
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I ordered 20 nucs this year @75 ea for 4 frame nuc
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I just got in touch with a guy who's offered to pick up packages in CA and drop them off on his way back to Seattle in April. We're figuring we can get far better prices than what's retailed (as much as I love our local store, with as many colonies as I have I can't afford retail prices) Since I live close to the I-5 corridor in SE Portland, I've offered to host a pick-up site at my place. There's more information on the OSBA message board (I'm new, so I can't post URL, but google Oregon State Beekeepers Association) if you're interested, and you can PM me from there. (MichelleB)
If you only need one package or are just starting out, by all means support the local retailer. They'll come through for you in a pinch.
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no such luck over here. bees are sold only by the hive. Currently works out to be app. us$112.00 i am not surewhat the law is regarding mail of livestock but our postal system was beyond slow up until a few years ago.
not sure what your prices on hive bodies(cover, bottomboard and box) are so i cant compare the final figure for your complete hive
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Considering the prices for packaged bees, a complete hive for $112 sounds like a bargain when you include the costs for BB, hivebody, frames, foundation, inner and top covers. I've seen 5 frame NUCS offered for more than that.
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I see what you are saying, although we consider the prices to be high. We dont use inner covers here though i suppose its just not necessary.Our biggest problem now is wax. There is very little and we can't import. Plastic frames havent really caught on plus they are expensive although they would work out in the long run I have heard of cases where farmers have bought them and the bees dont use them.