My experience with R Weaver Apiaries

**adrianthomp** · 08-12-2010, 03:21 PM

Before purchasing fall queens I did some reading on sources for buckfast queens. I got a lot of hits on Google for R Weaver Apriaries. Reading their website it sounded like they were a reputable company that produced quality queens. I was so, wrong, pretty website, that about it.

I went ahead and purchase 3 buckfast queens form them, they told me it would take 2 weeks to get the queens, I waited patiently for them to be shipped. A rep that I had an email conversation with said that they would shipped on a Monday but they could not provide me with a tracking number, I thought that was strange since I paid for overnight shipping.

So I waited around all day waiting for the queens, when they arrived they looked bad. Shipping was hard on them. I emailed the company letting them know that they had came in looking bad and they never responded. I went ahead and introduced the queens to the hives and came back a few days later and all the queens were gone. I gathered they had died and the workers took them out.

I contacted R Weaver Company again to let them know and they told me tuff luck, they only guarantee live arrival not healthy queens. So I am out $75.00 plus shipping. The reason for this post is to warn would be buyers of this company. Poor customer service and even poorer queens, they will never get another dime from me.

**Growing Boy** · 08-12-2010, 03:35 PM

Sorry to hear that.
I've always had good luck with them but being 160 miles from them and in the same climate i'm sure doesn't hurt.

**mythomane** · 08-12-2010, 03:41 PM

I wonder if those bees are really Buckfast. You should go with BWeaver next time, although I am not sure how well they might do in your area. They would have sent you out new queens no problem.

**USCBeeMan** · 08-12-2010, 08:42 PM

Can someone explain to me how 1 county out of all of Texas can be AHB free? Seems that the Weavers live in a county that is free of AHBs.

**devdog108** · 08-13-2010, 01:51 PM

they are not and offer a replacement guarentee if the queen lays a hot hive...that is potential AHB. They also flood their mating yards(according to them) to try and ensure that they have their drones, and not ahb..

**trs246810** · 08-13-2010, 07:01 PM

I placed an order on their site when I needed a few queens earlier in the season. I called to check the status two days later and Risa said the order was never received...she then acted like I was bothering her. I told her that was fine...and that I really needed queens...and would order somewhere else. A couple days later I get an e-mail saying she got my order...and my queens were ready to ship. I immediately called and was able to cancel. I like Mikes and HB Genetics. R. Weaver might be okay, but their service and hospitality is lacking. I have heard a lot of good things about B. Weaver though. I do know that R. Weaver buys random bees from local beekeepers...and just adds their queens for their package bees (according to Risa). I asked her what types of bees the packages consisted of...and she said whatever they get...but that the queens were R. Weaver. I'm not usually one to complain, but everyone else I've dealt with has been really friendly and helpful.

**adrianthomp** · 08-13-2010, 08:16 PM

Risa was not very helpful at all, I think they feel customer service is not important. I got screwed by them and will never buy another bee from them. I've bought queens from a few other vendors and have never been treated like this.

**hardtimekenl** · 08-14-2010, 12:28 PM

yell i got a queen from them last fall wintered it and in the spring a. all american queen . in the spring to the fall them bee did not one thing i mean not spit .if that is the best queen breeding thay got i will pass and keep my nexts 25 dollars .when i called and told them what the bees did not build up good or work good either thay acted like i was some kind of a nut .

**The Honey Householder** · 08-14-2010, 04:58 PM

As a comm. honey producer that lost thousands from bad queen from Weaver's years ago. I will never throw money away like that again. When it comes to queens Wilbanks are the suppier to buy from. The're queens are the best for honey productation that I have found.

**Risky Beesness** · 01-03-2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by trs246810

I have heard a lot of good things about B. Weaver though.

I was trying to do a search and ran across this thread. I almost placed an order with R Weaver before I realized I could get my bees from B Weaver here locally. This is where I am considering purchasing my fist 2 nucs. I can pick them up right here in Austin. Does anyone have any more information about their Bee Weaver queens and their resistance to mites, etc. They claim that "you can through away those expensive mite treatments".

I just found a beeweaver topic.

**thomas** · 01-03-2011, 10:08 PM

Hello i wrote Rweaver about thier buckfast bee and was told that they do not have buckfast that they have not gotten semen from where they use to get it from over seas in years.And that the bees they carry are italians no buckfast i have a freind who has some of these so called buckfast and they look just like three banded italians and carni's cross.

THOMAS

**J Justin** · 02-02-2011, 07:04 AM

I too have had bad experiences with R. Weaver Aperies and it mainly centers around dealings with a Risa Davis. She is flippant, dismissive and rude to your request and concerns. Frankly I don’t know how a company can stay in business when they have a person who treats customers the way she does as the main customer contact person. This is quote from R. Weaver’s web site “Risa Davis, our office manager, has been with the company for more than 24 years and will be the first line of defense on the phones, e-mail, sales and customer service.” This shows their attitude toward customers, customers are something they need to be protected from, not the life blood of their company. I would strongly recommend not having dealings with this company, not for their product but who they choose to represent them; you will eventually have a run in with the overly petulant and immature Risa.

**beeweaver** · 02-02-2011, 08:01 AM

Most beekeepers know, but for new beekeepers it is confusing... Bee Weaver and The R Weaver companies are 2 different companies. Weaver Apiaries divided into 2 companies in 1995, the first season we (Bee Weaver) began leaving hives untreated for mites. Bee Weaver's queens & bees have been managed separately, as has our operation. Just wanted to be sure all understood that we are not partnering with RW.

Stay warm out there... hope those hives are buckled down for this cold!