Price suggestions

[Marc]

How much do you charge for a double deep of bees? I usually sell nucs, but not full hives. Someone contacted me and asked to buy established double deep hives in June, twenty deep frames drawn, brood and stores, and bees to cover them. He basically wants an established hive minus the hive bodies themselves, bottom boards and outer cover. How much would you guys charge in such a circumstance?

[Beeophyte]

Wouldn't that be roughly equivalant to four nuks?

[Vance G]

The question is how much honey can they produce this reamaining season? I would want a minimum of $250. I plan on being in that business next summer. I will be interested how you fare.

[NCSUbeeKEEPER]

The bees and laying queen alone are worth $150 (think about the price of a 3lbs package). The frames with drawn comb/brood/stores are worth $75-100 imo. I would charge $225-250. He could start his own colony for less (and have a lot more fun).

[Nantom670]

My 5 frame nuc which was loaded with brood and a carrying box cost me $125. Knock off $15 for the box leaves $110. You are giving 4--5 frame nucs minus 3 queens in each 2 double deeps. Bought separately here would cost me at that rate $440. If he gave me a bargain for buying multiples, $325 would be a deal to me for each double deep. I would be getting only 1 queen which would save me $60. That would be $380. It boils down to what you will be willing to take, he will want a bargain like anyone else. I would explain what I got for a 3# package with the queen and give him my price and if he said no, I would ask what he was thinking and give him my best price and go from there. The ball will end up in your court.

[Beeophyte]

I bought a friends stuff, two deeps full of bees, smoker, hive tool, two full bee suits, and big pile of shallow supers and frames for $340 this year.

[Nabber86]

I have seen ads on Craigslist for "beehives" that consist of a single deep full of laying queen/brood/bees/pollen/honey (equivalent to 2 nucs) w/ bottom board and lid for around $275 to $300.

[Marc]

Thanks for all your input, guys. He would order the equipment and have it ship to my place, I set it up for him and put my bees in. Next year when he moves to my area he wants to buy whole hives, since he won't be moving here until sometime in late June. That way he won't have to wait another year to get started. He is willing to pay me for my bees, labor, etc... that's why I asked about price... he seems like a decent guy, so I don't want to charge him too much, but I am also not wanting to underestimate my labor and trouble involved. My first thought was $200 per hive, he wants between 2 and 4 hives. I may need to bump this to more like $250 to $300 realistically.

[Ozone]

You really need to 'clone' that customer. The bees will take care of themselves.....