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  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Default colony prices

    Recieved this today:
    We now have available,
    6 frame nucleus which include:-
    4 frames of brood
    2 frames of stores
    1 laying queen
    supplied in a returnable travel box.
    ONLY £299 (+ £25 returnable deposit for travel box)


    11 frame complete hive which include
    6 frames of brood (approx)
    5 frames of stores (approx)
    1 laying queen
    1 cedar open mesh floor
    1 cedar national brood box
    1 cedar 4" flat roof.
    Ideal to if you want to dive straight into honey production.
    ONLY £499

    Apparently I am expensive with 6 frame colonies 80€ 10 Frames 120€ & 140€ for 20 Frame colonies... I should be exporting to the UK! German bees, like German engineered shampoo zoom zoom!
    what is the going rate locally?

  2. #2
    Senior Member busybeephilip's Avatar
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    Default

    WOW ! crazy prices

    5 frame nuc with new laying queen are about £100 - £120 in N.Ireland but some beekeepers will sell much cheaper at £60-80. works out at about £80 for the bees and £20 for the queen

  3. #3
    Senior Member busybeephilip's Avatar
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    when I started my Dad bought me my first 5 frame nuc of local dark black bees for £5 with an old WBC hive thrown in free. Times have changed

  4. #4

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    I got that email as well Calum. Not sure who Northern Bees are to be honest but they clearly have access to our email addresses! I think those prices are utterly ridiculous. I think about £150 is fair for an overwintered nuc of locally adapted bees in this day and age. Less for a summer split with current year's queen. I might also tailor my prices to the person I'm selling to. But £299 for a 6 frame nuc??!!! Nuts!!

    Edit: a quick Google found their website at http://northernbees.co.uk/. I see they list them as "available now" - makes you wonder about the provenance of the queens as I doubt they'll have current year mated queens in Nth Yorkshire yet!
    Last edited by drumgerry; 30-04-2014 at 05:57 PM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    There's your answer

    We supply British bred queen bees when available. Alternatively we offer imported queens, which we now use in our six comb nucleus.
    £299 for something which will likely be an aggressive hybrid colony once it requeens itsef.
    Buyer beware, not that there will be many at that price.

  6. #6

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    Jon - I honestly think you'd be surprised how many would buy at that price. Getting bees can be a problem for people unless they know someone or have spent a year or two making themselves known on the local scene and if people are keen to get going they might just splash out on one of those nucs. I don't think they'll have problems selling them.

  7. #7

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    Hi Pricey there are a few options such as contacting one of the many outlets online that sell bees or (and for me a better approach for a beginner) contact your local association they may run beginners classes and may be able to provide nucs for sale or put you in touch with someone local. You can also keep an eye on this forum for people selling nucs. What area do you live in?
    Steven

    Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

  8. #8

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    I live in Edinburgh and have joined the local association, so I am hopeful, but I think there are quite a few people waiting because of poor bee production in the last couple of years.

  9. #9

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    Hi Pricey I'm a member of Emba as well, although I'm in bathgate, they usually take names from the beginners course of those who want nucs and try to provide as many as possible

    Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

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