# 2020 New bee package and nucs.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Now is the time to place your orders while supplies last. 
they go quick end of Febuary and early March.

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I placed my order a couple of weeks ago. This will be a new adventure!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Hope if your just starting you ordered 2 hives worth.

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Just one to start. There are several hives in the area. We looked at density.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Is easier to compair how your bees are doing if you have two colonies near each other.

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I have a professional bee keeper who is bartering her services. It’s all good.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Wondering what prices you are seeing? Here in North-West PA, I saw an ad over the weekend for nuns for $155.00.

I'll wait for swarm season to get more bees.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I never check prices as we make up our own nucs and raise our own queens.

But sounds like I should start taking hives and doing forths raise queens for each and sell.

$155.00 X 4 would be more than I could make off a hive selling the honey.

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I was cleaning out my email and found my receipt for the bees. They are Italian, due to arrive mid March. $325.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

$325 for one 3 pound package of bees?

Yup need to start selling nucs and for get honey production.

 Al


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

Think I'll just makes splits instead...


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

alleyyooper said:


> I never check prices as we make up our own nucs and raise our own queens.
> 
> But sounds like I should start taking hives and doing forths raise queens for each and sell.
> 
> ...




Yes sir, the money isn't in honey for the numbers you run.


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> I was cleaning out my email and found my receipt for the bees. They are Italian, due to arrive mid March. $325.


325 dollars for what? Packages, Nuc;s, how many?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Read above>>>*"Just one to start. There are several hives in the area. We looked at density."
*
I my self guessed a complete hive for that kind of money.

 Al


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> I was cleaning out my email and found my receipt for the bees. They are Italian, due to arrive mid March. $325.



What are you getting for that amount of money? Packages, nuc's or hive.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Let me find the receipt. 
I have the hive already. It’s new.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

“Early Italian nuc”


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Wholey moly that isn't a deal when you could get the same only 5 frames of brood in a nuc for $165.00.
But then I see the name Bee Weaver. They have always been high.

for example.

4 frame Texas Nucs $150.00.
https://www.amesfarm.com/products/honeybees-4-frame-nuc?variant=17529491973

Georgia nucs 5 frame several breeds 120.00
https://mountainsweethoney.com/bees/

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I am a pre-newbie. LOL. 

My first excursion into bees. So, I purchased that nuc based on an experienced local bee keeper’s recommendation. Saving money wasn’t even in the parameters.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I looked at the link for Texas bees. Henderson, Texas, is quite a drive from my location. The nuc that I am getting is less than an hour away.

Five or ten years from now, I may make a different decision.

I am content.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

I quit Italians when it became apparent that I was on a reoccurring yearly roller coaster ride of buying replacement packages and splits.
I stumbled on a group of fellas who raise Russians, and Russian carnelion crosses. Or Russian mutts most likely...I can't speak for all Russians but mine tend to run hot.....sometimes dang hot....BUT I've not used anything but powdered sugar in the last 2-3 years as treatment .....and I'm not feeding them...

I may feed some this year as I've ordered queens for some splits......to try


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have what I call Karnolions. they started out as Carnolians many years ago and the firsty queens I raised were their eggs which hatched and mated with drones from hives that had over wintered the longest it has been over 20 years I have been raiseing queens.

I am glad your happy with your purchase but to me spending double just because they are close by is plain crazy.
Many places ship nucs over night UPS and some ever will do the mail.

 Al


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## siberian (Aug 23, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> I looked at the link for Texas bees. Henderson, Texas, is quite a drive from my location. The nuc that I am getting is less than an hour away.
> 
> Five or ten years from now, I may make a different decision.
> 
> I am content.



Im sure at some point we have all bought something then found out we could have got it cheaper, is what it is. Welcome to the world of bee's. Joined any clubs? Wicwas press is a good source for bee books if you are looking for any.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Purchasing close makes sense to a pre-newbie. Geez folks. I didn’t even know you could get them shipped to you. 

You do know words mean things, right?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Bee club? What is that?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

It is a club for bee keepers where they share information and help with problems and some clubs even have loan out extractors to use for free.
this is the state club for Texas where you can get informatin on a more local club.
https://texasbeekeepers.org

I would be out of bee keeping were it not for people i met at a bee keeping club.

I bought a nuc of bees when the bee tree that fell didn't have bees for me to capture for my new equipment.
I was told where to go buy a nuc of bees where he still had some late May they didn't make it thru the first winter.

Bought two packages and asked a old member at a bee club to inspect them with me the first time. turned out they were sick. Had to kill them and burn the boxes and every thing.

Work got out at he bee club so I was given new boxes and bees to replace them. One member started giving me swarms he caught and loaned me the boxes and frames till I could get more to replace his with. I marked his swarms with his intianals and the number.



















I went into that winter with 6 colonies. 4 made it thru the winter. A older bee keeper member with health issues was getting out. he was running a lage amount of bees in several out yards one two miles of my home he said he wold sell me for 75 each there were 7 colonies just packed with bees. I bought queens from another club member and that winter went in with 28 colonies and came out with 22.
Split them with queens I bought from that same club member. I went into that winter with 4 out yards and 60 some colonies from splits and swarms i caught.
That is when I decided to start raiseing my own queens.

I at that time also couldn't build fast enough so bought two truck loads of boxes and frames for $2.00. Not many bee keepers in that area and many will not take the time to clean and recycle equipment.









First attempt to make a winter mouse guard. didn't care for the style.


















Lots of snow many winters for a couple months.




























 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Second gen mouse guards, third gen I leave out the entrance reducer and leave them on year round. Kept snakes out too.










Went to another auction sale in January was really cold bought a bunch of bee keeping equipment for $5.00. Two trailer loads and 2 pick up loads which included one and two pound jars with lids and other things.



























All the bodies got scorched with a blow torch inside and out. then sanded inside and out with My power belt sander. 
All frames had any comb removed and tossed into the solar melter then a 3 day bath in bleach at a 1:4 ratio with water. then a two day dunk in clear water. come out looking nearly new.

Went to a Office Depot sat down with a lady useing my pictures and designed our jar labels.


















One of my beautiful queens. the Karenolions.











 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

WOW!!!! Thank you for a wonderful post!!

Looking at the bee keepers club link now. 

Woohoo!!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Old bee keeper told me in my second year, " don't be afraid to expermint or try new things"

I took that message to heart. the year we lost 63% of our colonies to Nosema Crena and no one in the USA knew any thing about treating I fell back on a fellow who knew a bunch of Canadian commercial bee keepers.

Yes it can be treated and Hives still alive you may be able to save. We tried and saved all but one that was sick but alive. and started treating every fall there after for it.

We also at that time started treating with Formic acid for mites. Bought the mats they use at the bottom of meat trays. Soak them in formic acid and allow to drip out excess. Lay the single pad on the top bars for 2 weeks then remove and repete.
Cut the loses from mite infestation 90% or more.

 Al


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Here some options to consider
http://dodge-jeffersonbeekeepers.co...Alternative-to-mite-controll-presentation.pdf


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