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Frames with drawn comb

4K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  Nicksotherhoney 
#1 ·
I have some deep and medium frames with comb. I have had interested people asking for them. Can anyone tell me what an average price would be? Thanks in advance, Jack
 
#4 ·
You are right.I dont want any hives,boxes,frames or combs at any of my locations other than my own.I dont want someone else's problems.I know my bees can bring back stuff from others but at least it wont be as easy as it would be if it was brought in and put in my hives.
 
#5 ·
I don't know if it will help, but Better Bee sells a product called Better Comb which is a synthetic wax product full sheet of worker sized cells which you place in the wood frames you receive with the & pin in place with toothpicks for $8.50/frame. I just thought maybe it would be helpful to know what a synthetic comparable product could go for.
 
#6 ·
Since no one has actually answered the question, what are frames of comb worth, I personaly would not pay more than $5 per frame in good condition. That price would be if I were buying 10 or more. So $50 for a box of drawn deep frames. It would also help if you had a copy of your most recent heath inspection to show that the hives were free of apparent disease.
 
#7 ·
Since no one has actually answered the question, what are frames of comb worth,
I think that speaks volumes. Although it's not 'good form' to speak negatively about other people's ideas or products, personally I wouldn't be interested in drawn comb from another person's apiary at any price - even for free - so that would give them a negative value (i.e. less than that of the frames on which they've been drawn) in my eyes.

It's true of course that nucleus colonies come with someone-else's drawn comb, but then I can't see me ever buying nucs now, either. I did once - when I started-up again - but only because there wasn't a better choice on offer at that time.

Sorry to be so negative, but that's my honest opinion.
LJ
 
#8 ·
Since no one has actually answered the question, what are frames of comb worth

To JW's well made point, what's a number since you seem to have a buyer? Without a pricing history and treating it like an business economics problem to get "a" number.

Subtract the your local price of a package from a nuc and divide by 5. Obviously, not a good formula for real value but about the only way I know to quantify a price not determined by demand. For a better number, what's it worth to your operation?

If you're a honey peddler, what's the cost and opportunity lost if the you and the bees have to expend resources to build replacement comb and frames rather than filling drawn frames?


Want to sling the proverbial dart for a price; do the package from nuc price formula and add 50%; probably not a good number but it's a number to put on the table if you think it's worth the trouble to produce drawn frames.
 
#9 ·
Everybody’s right, I’d never do used equipment from someone else. My former mentor is the only exception, we’ve gone back and forth occasionally.
If they want it, sell it. I’d set a price of 8 to 10 (deeps) each if they’re in good condition.
 
#10 ·
I disagree that used frames are worthless.

IMO used frames, are quite valuable and I would be more than happy to purchase them from another beekeeper. If the price is anywhere near the price of materials, and it's a deep frame, how could you go wrong?

the only time I would NOT buy used equipment is if I know for certain my apiary doesn't have EFB, and I don't have any neighbors with EFB, and I'm in a remote location. Same thing goes with viruses.

If I was completely isolated and my bees had no viruses, no EFB, nothing other than varroa, I'd definitely not purchase outside equipment.
 
#11 ·
Worthless is probably the wrong term as they do have value under the right conditions, just not marketable "to many" beekeepers.

Your tolerance for risk with used equipment appears to be higher than many of us. Wish you the best of luck on not discovering why someone else no longer has bees.
 
#14 ·
The greatest risk with used comb is American Foulbrood spores being in the cells. If a beekeeper can't identify the scale left when the diseased larva melts down, then they may cause another outbreak of the disease when the comb is placed in a new colony.
 
#15 ·
Diseases in general. AFB being the most severe but EFB has had an persistent outbreak just north of me. EFB is frequently not a treat and done case, can seem to be a bit chronic in raising it's ugly little head.

The small savings in used equipment, not from a known/trusted source, just isn't worth the potential aggravation and effort to offset any risk; at least for me.

Also, the skeptic in me keeps whispering "why is this equipment available?"
 
#17 ·
....... Also, the skeptic in me keeps whispering "why is this equipment available?"
A typical answer:
- for five (5) years I have been buying a package but I was never able to overwinter it yet.
- I am giving up.

Good enough answer for me - sold.

If the bees died over the winter - I'd take it all and don't worry much.
The brood decease don't typically kill over the winter.
Winter dead-out equipment typically comes up in spring/early summer.

BUT - if the bees died over the summer....
Well, maybe not worth finding out why.
 
#16 ·
Ball park numbers for me: a dollar for the frame and a dollar for the foundation. So the cost for someone to buy new frames is close to 2 bucks each if you are doing it by the 100s. Drawn has value and risk which IMO somewhat cancel each other. For someone selling NUCs comb is needed. So I would ask the people asking for them how much they would offer and then say sold , and be done with it. My best guess is 2 to 5 bucks a frame.

Wax on the web is close to 50 Cents an Oz. 8 bucks a pound so the wax melted down for the DYI salve makers is at that price.

If you do NOT want bees sell to the first offer and then move on to fun things.

O and I would not buy used frames the risk is not worth the value IMO.
GG
 
#18 ·
Say a 5 frame nuc is $175.00
Subtract $10 for the box
Subtract $125.00 for the bees (i.e. package)
Subtract $10 for food & brood
Divide remainder ($30) by 5 frames

Answer would be $6 per frame with wax
 
#20 ·
Meh, you would not want them LJ. Those ten dollar boxes are made of either waxed cardboard or corroplast. The waxed cardboard ones are good for just a few months. Never used the plastic ones.
 
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