Custom Extracting

[mainelybees]

I have been doing custom extracting for about 7 years and have not changed my prices in that time. I charge 5 dollars per box if I keep the cappings and 7 dollars if my customer wants them. I have a twenty frame extractor, a twenty frame uncapping tank,a 36 inch clarifier (can't remember the capacity)and a settling tank that the honey gets pumped into. Needless to say, I don't really have to do to much manual labor. My question is; am I charging a fair price or can I increase a couple dollars without feeling like I am overcharging other beekeepers?

Thanks for the advice.

David

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Maine-ly Bees
David Wallace and Family
Bowdoinham, ME
mainelybees@aol.com

[WineMan]

the prices i know of for here and florida run about 10-15 cents a pound. i dont know of anyone that gets the wax back.

[Gregg]

Last time I had someone custom extract for me was in 1999, 8 cents per pound and they kept the wax.

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Gregg Stewart

[BerkeyDavid]

I paid Mitch a case of beer for two boxes. It was a very fair price, plus I got to keep the cappings, but I brought my own capping tank.

Seems like the price is fair to me...

What do you think Mitch?

david

[This message has been edited by BerkeyDavid (edited September 07, 2004).]

[Mitch]

I had no clue what people were charging for extracting.Now i do. I do not mind helping another beekeeper out,but do not plan on getting into the extracting biz.Looks to me like 10 to15 cents a pound is a very fair price.
Bob

[WineMan]

3 or 4 years ago before honey prices rose, 7-10 cents was the typical rate. so it has climbed but not a bunch.

[Beemaninsa]

I believe you are in the right range. If it were me, I would not raise my price more than $1.

[Michael Bush]

I think it depends a lot on whether or not you can do all of the custom extracting back to back with your own or others. It's worth at least $50 just to clean up. But if you can just start on another batch the next night and not have to clean all the residual honey out of the extractor and capping tank etc. then you can do it cheaper. I'd be tempted to price it just that way. If you coordinate it it's this price per super. If not it's a $50 cleaning fee plus this price per super (or pound or whatever you use).