By March they'll start popping out. The ones you see now are more southern Beeks.
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By March they'll start popping out. The ones you see now are more southern Beeks.
I don't know about your area, but around here there always seems to be a market for nucs. The folks looking to get started often do not know that they have to order bees early. I would wait and offer them for sale when I knew how many I had available.Quote:
Originally Posted by oblib
as a buyer, i would consider risky to buy a nuc until the flow begins.
Spring. :banana:
It is certainly the weather at play here. My queen bee still producing brood since last December after the ants attack. The dandelions are still blooming but they are not interested in them. Never seen a bee on them. Rather, they go for the loquat and other pollen flowers here. I saw one bee carrying home 2 sacks full of buffy pollens today. Don't know what it is but surely not from our garden. So no drones are produce yet and we're still in the middle of this chilly winter. Certainly not in the Spring yet. So don't sell yourself short here. Because this year's weather is a bit hectic.
Oblib, what configuration are your nucs in? I have been keeping bees since 2008. I only have one yard to keep track of, but hives that have been alive in February have all lived and gone on to produce honey or splits. If you take a peek on a warm day in March and see that there is brood and stores of honey I see no reason why you couldn't sell some. Mine are mostly in 5 over 5 frame configuration.
All my nucs are mediums and are in 8 over 8 configuration. About the same space as a 5 over 5 deep.
All were flying yesterday. It is supposed to be almost 60 here on Friday and Saturday. I will be able to open them all and check for stores. I also have honey frames available to give any that are short. Assuming I have enough honey to be able to assure myself that all are plenty heavy I think I will just assume a 50% loss from here on out and advertise/sell extras from there.
Is my own fault, I got addicted to making bees and just kept on making nucs up lol. Should have spent some time finding a place to keep them. TBH it would feel pretty good to sell some and get a little return on my investment. If they sell fast then I know I can make lots more this year to sell next.(Assuming I can find a place to raise/keep them.)