Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: JackM on November 26, 2014, 08:29:15 AM

Title: Which is easier?
Post by: JackM on November 26, 2014, 08:29:15 AM
I have 4 hives, I expect to split again next spring.  But I don't want any more hives.  So I am figuring on selling or gifting 2 hives.  Not one of them is easy to get to.  Most are up on a hillside with steps to come down.

I figure with a good strap around it and closing up openings two folks can carry the whole hive down the hill.  Else could wait for ??? and do a box at a time.  Right now they are winter size of 3 mediums, so not too heavy, they may need feeding come spring.

What are opinions on how to handle this?

What is fair price for hive of above size with proven queen.  My bees are all 'feral' bees from local swarms.  I must at least recover the cost of the wood work.
Thanks
Title: Re: Which is easier?
Post by: iddee on November 26, 2014, 08:51:03 AM
Why move a hive. Advertise a nuc on craig's list. Let them bring their hive and you place the queen, 3 frames of brood, one frame of pollen, one frame of honey in their hive. Replace the 5 frames, and either be sure you kept eggs for them to raise a queen, or have a bought queen ready to install.
Nucs here are averaging 125.00 each.
Title: Re: Which is easier?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on November 26, 2014, 01:15:22 PM
x2
and you can sell more than one from a strong hive.
Jim
Title: Re: Which is easier?
Post by: Culley on November 26, 2014, 06:14:26 PM
What about combining the splits back together after the swarm season has passed?
Title: Re: Which is easier?
Post by: JackM on November 27, 2014, 09:24:28 AM
Quote from: iddee on November 26, 2014, 08:51:03 AM
Why move a hive. Advertise a nuc on craig's list. Let them bring their hive and you place the queen, 3 frames of brood, one frame of pollen, one frame of honey in their hive. Replace the 5 frames, and either be sure you kept eggs for them to raise a queen, or have a bought queen ready to install.
Nucs here are averaging 125.00 each.
That sounds smarter. Thanks for being my brains.