Selling established nucs - survivor/feral stock vs bloodlines

[DigitalBishop]

There's a lot of calls for swarm pickups at this time of year and I'm sure I can catch a lot if I put out traps. I'm considering putting these captures in to nuc boxes and letting them get established. Once the box is filled out I intend to sell it. The thing is, when there's banter on the forums about nucs being sold and the price of them. I'm always assuming that it's a nuc full of bees where the type of bee is known. Whether it's Italians, Carnolians, Russians or some other line. Has anyone done this and is there any disadvantage to selling survivor/feral stock other than that they could be hot, which I would take care of if that's the case? A beek friend of mine seems to have no problem selling his full hives despite them being feral stock. Should the nukes be wooden or can they be waxed cardboard? Mediums or Standard Hive frame? What is the standard/common way that nucs are sold as?

Jamie

[bendriftin]

You can sell them in wood boxes or cardboard. Keep one thing in mind, they could be AHB and one you might have issues requeening and two it will take 90 days to completely get rid of all the mean bees. 60 days will get rid of most of them. I would be interested in buying some if you had any by March 1st and depending on price.

[DigitalBishop]

Currently I'm keeping them to fill up an outyard I've acquired. But I will be selling the overflow. Not sure how many I'll get but I'm sure I'll have some by March of 2013. I'm just not sure what I should be selling them for. I've seen prices from $100.00 to $130.00.

[sqkcrk]

Just because they are swarms doesn't mean they are feral or survivors, just bees of undetermined origin. Sell them for as much as you can get. What is the going rate where you live? When are you expecting to collect these predicted swarms? When will they be ready to sell? A nuc ready to sell later in the year may not be worth as much as one ready in May.

[Specialkayme]

I've seen prices from $100.00 to $130.00.

Sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but the $120 range appears to be a good average based on what I've seen.

A few things to keep in mind with that number though. As previously stated, that price is based on spring nucs. Spring nucs sell at a premium, and summer/fall nucs sell less. The average price also comes (usually) from a breeder of sorts. While not all are, if I can get a $120 nuc from a breeder, why would I get one from a hobbiest for the same price? Additionally, the average price is for known genetics. Yours would not. You also can't verify that they are survivor/feral stock, and you can't say if they've been treated, or even if they have been sprayed with poison in the last 30 days.

All of those things should be included in your price valuation, or made aware to the buyer so he can include it in his choice of location. Both ways are fair, in my opinion.

You'll be able to sell your nucs for $120, no doubt, but I would be concerned about giving the customer what they expected, and not ripping anyone off (not saying you would be). For example, a recent craigslist ad in my area had one frame nucs (plus one frame of honey) for sale for $125. That is an outrageous price, but he will probably sell out to people that don't know anything about bees and want to get into the hobby.

[DigitalBishop]

Specialkayme,

I don't plan on selling them till all frames are completely drawn out and that they've been going for a while. I'll be overwintering them till next Spring. They'll have a minimum of four frames. I'd rather sell them as five framers.

Sqkcrk,

These swarms are happening now. Many are being called in. I also plan on setting swarm traps. I live in an area where there's a lot of bird boxes that the Audubon Society puts out for Bluebirds get occupied by bees and I get called to bring them down, remove and return.