[tylerhorseman]

found a guy on craigslist offering 2 8 frame deeps full of bees with 2 honey supers for the future obviously. im looking to buy it because I just lost a nuc hive to SHB I believe the queen and all left on my I know they didn't swarm because there was like 10 bees on my check sunday and only 7 days before I could see the hive was weak and was worried. so do you think its a good price ?

 

[jwcarlson]

Do you have any other bees?

 

[tylerhorseman]

Do you have any other bees?

I do have another hive that isn't doing as well as my grandpas 2 that we got at the same time so I don't want to steal from is since it has to build itself up for winter also

 

[tsmullins]

Well, assuming you get 30 pounds of honey per super. And you retail that honey for six dollars a pound. That would pay for the colony.

Definitely check the hive thoroughly.

 

[OneEyedRooster]

Just my opinion but it sounds like zero honey in the supers so your just paying for the bees and used equipment. I would pass and for the money line up a few nucs in the spring. Unless you really know the hive and are experienced, no promise they will make it through the winter and it they do, are you ready to deal with a swarm?

 

[AChabot]

Consider that if you shell out all of that cash for these hives in mid August your are taking on 100% of the 'winter risk' inherent in beekeeping. If I was a seller, I'd be careful not to point that out to you, take my new money, and order nucs for the spring.

 

[Acebird]

so do you think its a good price ?

no

 

[mathesonequip]

I would look real carefull at 175. 200 with everything almost new.

 

[tylerhorseman]

I have until Thursday Friday to decide im leaning towards taking the chance so I can maybe have 2 hives to harvest from next year instead of one( as long as my other nuc makes it ) but idk yet

 

[Harley Craig]

I bought an 8 frame med nuc for 150 2 months ago, I would look em over REAL GOOD like do a sugar roll even and if all looks good feed the crap out of em if they need it

 

[tsmullins]

My bad,

Like Rooster pointed out, the supers sound empty. I would not pay $370 for a full size hive in August, unless I could get a harvest from the hive. Even then I probably would not. But I am not in the market to by bees.

As others have pointed out, there is absolutely no guarantee the hive will overwinter.

 

[zhiv9]

I would look real carefull at 175. 200 with everything almost new.

This if it was 10 frame equipment. I am inclined to think $150-$175 since you are taking all the risk.

 

[tacomabees]

I have until Thursday Friday to decide im leaning towards taking the chance so I can maybe have 2 hives to harvest from next year instead of one( as long as my other nuc makes it ) but idk yet

I bought out an apiary in May...6 hives, one even had bee's, all hives had double deeps, drawn frames, one hive had three deeps and each hive had about 30 lbs of honey that I was able to distribute when I got new Nucs in the spring. I also got 10 westerns with fully drawn frames for them as well.... price? $200 for all of it...and I got to leave them where they lay to pollinate his 80 apple trees...and the new Nucs did well, we had a strong flow and I was able to pull about 150 lbs combined, that I am selling for $10 for 1lb bottles locally...so, I came out all right....and he's getting some honey out of it to make us some mead wine...

Personally, I think it's pretty pricey for what you get and the time of the year....but do the math and see what makes sense.

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=88

I think you could buy all this stuff new for about $200 bucks, plus he's wanting another $170 for the bee's...sounds like a good deal.... for him...

 

[tylerhorseman]

I bought out an apiary in May...6 hives, one even had bee's, all hives had double deeps, drawn frames, one hive had three deeps and each hive had about 30 lbs of honey that I was able to distribute when I got new Nucs in the spring. I also got 10 westerns with fully drawn frames for them as well.... price? $200 for all of it...and I got to leave them where they lay to pollinate his 80 apple trees...and the new Nucs did well, we had a strong flow and I was able to pull about 150 lbs combined, that I am selling for $10 for 1lb bottles locally...so, I came out all right....and he's getting some honey out of it to make us some mead wine...

Personally, I think it's pretty pricey for what you get and the time of the year....but do the math and see what makes sense.

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=88

I think you could buy all this stuff new for about $200 bucks, plus he's wanting another $170 for the bee's...sounds like a good deal.... for him...

thanks for the advice everyone. I think uve got me convinced to either talk him down to $200 or take or i'll just spend the $400 on new bees next year just kinda depressing my first year and my hives are crashing

 

[tacomabees]

T-horseman,

What are you paying for Nucs in your end of the world? We get 5 frames, for $90 California immigrants at a low, to a $200 high with locally bred queens with VSH genetics....

 

[Fusion_power]

Thm, correct decision. There is no way on earth that I would advise paying that amount for a colony this late in the year. Think of it like this. You can purchase brand new equipment and assemble it and paint it and put wax in it for about $200. Add a nuc for about $100 and you have $300 tied up in a colony next spring. If your current colony makes it through winter, you can pull a couple of frames of brood to add to the nuc turning it into a very productive colony in time to make a crop next year. So doing your own equipment plus a nuc costs $300 vs paying $370 for a colony that is not certain to make it through winter. That makes it an easy decision.

 

[lazy shooter]

I think that it too much for bees with unknown health and condition at this time of the year. I did pay about that much for a two box hive that had one deep and one medium eight frame with a metal telescoping cover and good bottom board. All the equipment was this years, and it was chock full of bees and honey. There were six frames of honey. I have since added a third medium as a super. Also, the bees were delivered 60 miles one way and the hive was set up for me. I wanted the bees to put in a young friends water melon patch, and I had knee replacement two weeks prior to buying the hive. I got a lot more than the bees in services rendered, and I had a special need. I can't remember if I paid 350 or 370 dollars, but it was cheap for what I received.

I am going to buy another big nuc and try to over winter it.

 

[Acebird]

One option would be let the seller take the risk. You give him 200 for the equipment now and the rest in the spring IF the bees survive.

 

[Daniel Y]

The bottom board first deep 10 frames inner cover and outer cover would cost $75 at Mann Lake. Each additional box I value at $30 if it has frames and foundation or comb. So that is another $90. Then you have a colony of bees that is worth $100 at least. So it all comes in at about $265 not including honey which it sounds like he removed.

Population of the bees and the age of the queen will alter that real value of the bees. As an example I recently sold a 4 box 8 frame colony complete that was strong and healthy for $325.

You woudl have to have something fairly special going on for me to stretch it to $370. Plus buying this time of year you are getting nothing but the risk of loosing them. tell the seller if the hive is still full of bees in the spring you will make an offer. Otherwise buy the equipment. wait it out and get that equipment filled next spring. You will be money ahead.

This past spring I had several colonies that where 4 boxes tall packed with bees prior to swarming season. now that might be starting to push a value of $370 but I am not sure I would ever ask that much for it. That is a proven colony posed to produce and at the door step of making honey. And I would still have a hard time valuing at that price. A few weeks later full of honey and the hive is worth far more than that.

 

[jwcarlson]

found a guy on craigslist offering 2 8 frame deeps full of bees with 2 honey supers for the future obviously. im looking to buy it because I just lost a nuc hive to SHB I believe the queen and all left on my I know they didn't swarm because there was like 10 bees on my check sunday and only 7 days before I could see the hive was weak and was worried. so do you think its a good price ?

The amount of bees I basically fell into this year has convinced me to be patient and wait for swarms or split any survivors I have. After officially pulling the plug on a nuc last night (combined with a hive needing bees and split the comb with a couple hives that need some comb), we have seven colonies. Be bought three packages and caught swarms. The swarms were small, but are quickly becoming our largest hives.