sold my first nuc today!

[rookie2531]

  I was really nervous and excited last night. Made plans for buyer to come by afternoon and pick it up. Gave him 3 frames brood, 1 pollen , 1 pollen/honey/brood. It did not have a lot of honey, but plenty brood and pollen. He also got the nuc box. I vented it through bottom and top very well and he said hell use it later as a swarm trap.
   This weekend, I'll be setting up a full hive and installing a nuc in it. Getting him set up with everything, suit,tools,feed, the works. Excited for that too. And got 2 more people waiting for nucs, probably set them up closer to the end of month.
  Then, no more selling nucs this year. It will be time for me to build up mine some more. But if they want some woodware or something else, I'll be there. Planning on making some oav tools.

[biggraham610]

That's great, I'm a long way from worrying about selling any, I'm just trying to build build build numbers. I am going to make a split after the solstice and give it to my nephew he has shown interest. If he wants to buy or build the wood, I will provide the bees. Wish you Continued success. G

[Dallasbeek]

Good going, Rookie!  Graham, congratulations on getting your nephew involved.  I have a neice in MA who's pretty much keeping pace with me despite some losses last year.  Getting the next generation involved is going to be the salvation of the bees, I think.  Keep up the good work, guys.

[GSF]

Congrads to the both of yall. Rookie, I really didn't have plans to sell any nucs this year, nor did I think I would have 24 swarms. We housed all but about 4 of them as well. In the morning I will have sold my 16th nuc this year. I have another customer who wants 2 more as well. In addition I gave one to my neighbor and one to an elderly gentleman who gave me a swarm last year.

[OldMech]

24 swarms?
  A tuff way to get increase..  are you doing any swarm management?
   With 50+ hives I am disappointed with myself if I get more than four or five swarms. I try to do swarming for them, as well as making sure the conditions for swarming are not present.. at least as much as possible...  Everyone gets swarms now and then, but with that many I would be reviewing my methods and making a few changes.  Unless your managing 500 hives?

[GSF]

Old Mech, I ask myself the same thing; Am I doing this wrong or am I doing it right? The upside is I've sold 16 nucs and got a portion of my investment back. The downside is; "Where's the honey?" I let it get away from me this year. My original plan was to pull the queens and put them in castles thinking it would stall or postpone the swarms. Well, life got in the way and the weather just wasn't fit during their plans. I have Sunday and a rotating day off. Usually both of those days were too cold, wet, or something more demanding came up.

I just got through trying to get my place back in order after building my barn/shed. I had to tear down a 25x40 pole barn before I could build a 30x50, before I could tear the first on down I had to build (using the same tin) another one to put the stuff in. There's always next year :)

[OldMech]

Ahhh, life got in the way..  been there myself a time or two..  On the UP side... if that many swarms issued from your hives, You must be one HECK of a good beekeeper to make your bees flourish like that!   

[GSF]

Old Mech - I'm a rookie. This is my 3rd summer with bees. I want to thump myself on the chest and think I had a lot to do with it, but bees are livestock. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones. I am very pleased with the outcome. It's been pretty encouraging seeing money flowing back to me.

[rookie2531]

Went to a guys house this morning and setup a nuc into a ten frame hive, that I built. Supplied him with the works. Hive, tools, jacket, smoker, gloves, and even threw in a pint of essential feed stimulant. A good day and a smooth install.

[pdmattox]

congrats on the progress and hats off for getting others involved in bees. I used to get frustrated about swarms. Now I look at swarms as a beekeepers gift to nature.