queen and package prices

[Jack Grimshaw]

Dick m http://www174.pair.com/birdland/Breeding/NWC.html

I had good luck w/Strachan but Ca is a long way from Ct.

Jack

[BULLSEYE BILL]

For you new folks, when you go to the link above for Strachan don't freak out right away over the price. Know the diference between breeder queens and replacement queens.
Breeder queens are for producing queens, and come at a premium. The replacement queens are about the same price as other queens advertised elsewhere.
I have not found any NWC queens or packages outside of California.
Bill

[dickm]

Thanks Jack,
I've written Strachan. The 5 breeders listed were ALL in Ca. I wrote to Sue Colby (the new world carnolian queen mother) and asked if there were any other breeders closer to me.

Dickm

[Joel Acheson]

Hi to all:
Three sources I have found to provide quality queens at reasonable prices are:
Jesterbee in Arkansas
Taberhoneybeegenetics.com in California
Indiansummerhoneyfarm(s?).com in Florida.
I dont know if the s belongs on the end of farm or not, hence the ?.
The reason bees are not shipped from CA to KS is because of the distance, and according to what I was told by Taberbee, there seems to be a zone which includes KS and MO where I live, where pkg bees always arrive dead, so they simply stopped shipping there. Makes sense. They can still ship queens, however.
Cheerybye

------------------
gnubee

[wjw777]

Just ordered two packages from McCary in Mississippi, I called first got his wife. If his Cordovan bees are as sweet as his wife and as gentle natured as he sounds, I'll have the best bees around. Last year I bought a package from Koehnen and sons, super people to deal with and so are their bees ,but because ups only ships overnite now ,it would cost me 90 dollars for a three pound package. I feel either way McCary or Koehnen you'll be a winner getting their stock. Walt

[thesurveyor]

WJW777

What is the shipping from McCary... I have four packages ordered from CF Koehnen... If they are 90 dollars after shipping , I am going to have some expensive bees

[txbeeguy]

I've ordered five Russian queens from Jester Bee Company (far NE Arkansas). They sell "production" Russian queens at a resonable price. Their source is Glenn Apiaries out of California who sells Instrumentally Inseminated Breeder Queens and then Jester uses these queens to produce their stock of Russians. So the queen mother of the bees I've ordered should be 100% pure Russian (since artifically inseminated from Russian drone stock) and Jester then 'free flight' mates them. As I understand, they still should retain their varroa mite resistance as the mating area is heavily populated with Russian drone colonies. This is the first time I've used Jester so we'll see how their bees do.

[mark williams]

wjw777,,,, I've been dealing with mccary for 3 or 4 years,my son also ( he lives in Ms).& i'd say they are the best bees I've got.I ordered 15 more packages from him,he work's close with glenn's out of Ca,I don't seem to have mite problems as bad as some of my other bees,I'm going to requeen all the rest of my bees over to his. good luck..

[BULLSEYE BILL]

Mark,
Are you saying that you are going to change completely over to Cordovan? That would be quite an endorsement, what do you think are their strongest attributes?
Bill

[wjw777]

Hi
Yes, I called Kohenen's and the price they quoted was $95 . Its not that they raised the price but UPS. UPS will now only ship bees overnite, no more second day and thats where the exspence comes into play. Shipping here to Ohio is a far piece and UPS wants their pound of flesh.Its to bad because Kohenen are super people and I recommend them to anyone,but for me this year im going with McCary.A three pound package is $45 plus shipping he said $10 or alittle more. Mark?, are the cordovan bees from McCary real gentle? I think if i stepped on one from Koehens they wouldn't sting. I got over 200 lbs of honey last year to boot. and the prettiest bees you ever saw.when you smoked them they would press against the comb and freeze. A friend came over to see them and he just laughed in what they did. When i called McCary I felt like I knew him all my life, I could have talked to him all nite and he really loves his bees like someone said. As for me the Cordovans are the bee for me. Your comments please
Walt

[This message has been edited by wjw777 (edited February 28, 2003).]

[wjw777]

Sureyor,
If you ordered more than one package the price will go down with the more you order.I was just ordering one and for me ninty some bucks is alot which is mostly shipping here in Ohio. you should call them and see what the shipping cost is . If im not mistaken if i would want to buy two packages from Koehens it would be around 160 dollars so it actually dropped 20 bucks , but i would call them to really find out the total exspence. You won't go wrong.

walt

[fat/beeman]

Walt
just ordered 50 packages from spell bee $28.50 each.
you should try to get someone comeing up there to drop off you some.
Don

[wjw777]

Hi Don,
thanks for the info. but im stuck on the cordovan bees. Im a hobbyist beekeeper and the cordovan bees are not only very pretty in their lite golden color but very gentle. Last year my hive of cordovan produced over 200 lbs of honey. Not only do they look good, gentle ,but can also make honey. Right now I just don't want to change horses in mid stream. Its good to hear from you my old neighbor. Walt

[mark williams]

Bill: yes i'm going over to all cordovan's.I got 15 pkg's last year(cordovan)& started all on foundtion did'nt have any drawn comb& 5 3band Italian's pkg's.I've lost 4 of the Italian so far,also requeened some of my other hives with cordovan,i've only lost 1 of them & it got knocked over.also they are real gentle.My son live's in Ms. & he's had good luck with them also.In this part of the country they seem to do real good.I could have got honey off of some.but did'nt want to push my luck.

[mark williams]

WJW777, the bees are very gentle,I've even got my wife liking them(lol).I don't hardly ever wear a veil& that's what I like about them.on my other bees i have to most of the time.

[wjw777]

Mark.
Just put the check in the mail to McCary today. When talking to him he hides nothing from ya. Honest , feel real warm towards him. He must have some operation down there.Mark , are your bees real yellow almost I call butter yellow strips you can barely see. working with them is actully fun. Getting them the week of April 20th he is all booked up the first part of April already. how is your interduction with the queen with your cordovans
Any tricks that might help me suceed with introduction
Walt

[mark williams]

Walt: I know what you mean about mr: mccary,he is a very nice man,I meet his 2 son's down there & they are just like there dad,yes his bees is yellow,I'd say there golden more than yellow,before the computer that is unlimited on info,I've phoned him with problems& he's alway seem glad to help.he treat's everone the same if you buy 1 queen or 1000.I know you'll enjoy the nature of the bees & I just take a nail & push a small hole in the candy, never had any problem with them excepting the queen,

[wjw777]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the info. the bees I got from Koehen and sons were really yellow when the sun hit them it was like if someone turned a flashlight on them. But I know Mr McCary's bees will be just fine. Im so excited about getting them. They will be coming here to Ohio the week of April 20th , pray to God that all the snow will be gone by then lol
Mark, thanks for all your input I really appreciated all that you had to say.
Yours in the hobby
Walt
Really nice to meet people like you on this forum. Thats what its all about

[loggermike]

The cordovan queens have a reddish tint to them and the workers black bands are very faded.I,ve heard them referred to as 'ultra-yellow'.Tom Glenn sells breeder stock and has a lot of info on his website.Although he says it is just a color phase that isnt linked to other characteristics,I never saw cordovans that didnt try to turn every drop of honey into brood.Under the right conditions,this can lead to an extraordinary honey crop.But they can also starve very easily when things go wrong.
---Mike

[beebarf]

I ordered bees from Mr.McCary about 2 weeks ago,he said he would send me an invoice, then i was to mail the payment in...how long did it take u guys to get your invoices from him?????