# Honey Run Apiaries



## FindlayBee (Aug 2, 2009)

I placed an order for 2 starter hives in February, 2011 from Honey Run Apiaries in Delphos, Ohio. I was not required to pay for the starter hives until the day of pickup.

Description of my order:

Starter Hive: $140

Includes 6 frame nuc with 3 extra new frames with foundation in a standard 10 frame medium box (painted). Comes with temporary bottom board and top for transportation, plus a screened bottom board, inner cover and telescoping cover. The bees are New World Carniolan with a 2011 NWC Queen.

Expected date of availability: Late May, 2011.

Tim is the Vice President of the Northwest Ohio Beekeepers Association, which I am a member. During the April meeting I became aware of a delay in production, which put my order coming at least 2 weeks later than first anticipated. This was completely understandable with the weather we were experiencing at the time. Since the original date was late May, this would most likely, in my opinion, put the hives ready during the first half of June.

On 6-11-2011 I received a call from Honey Run Apiaries that my nucs (starter hives) were ready for pickup. At the time of the call, I was enjoying the observation hive with my daughter at the Toledo Zoo. I chose a late evening pickup time for 6-12-2011.

I borrowed my dad's truck for pickup, and he came with me, to pick up the hives. We arrived just after 9:30PM. Tim was outside and expecting us. We talked about my order and he went to get the components that would not be attached to the nuc (screened bottom board, inner cover, outer cover) and loaded them into the truck. 

We then went out into his apiary to get the nucs. The weather was cool and the bees were not hanging about the entrances much. Tim located the first nuc and closed it up. The medium boxes have a screen on the bottom and a temporary plywood cover on the top with a notch cut for an entrance. The top was taped down and the entrance closed. The same was done for the second box, but the weight of the hive was not right and Tim went to the next box and it was good to go. He closed it up and we carried the hives back to the truck. Once everything was loaded up, I paid for my order. Tim suggested that it would probably be a good idea to just cut the entrances open once we got them located in my apiary. They would have plenty of ventilation due to the screened bottom and once the entrance was opened up, they would be fine for a day or so.

I will hopefully post photos of what the boxes look like for transport, as well as a few photos of the bees. These are my first nucs/starter hives and I believe the price was very good for what all is included.

On a side note, even if the bees you are picking up are completely enclosed in a hive with no means of the handler getting stung, there is always one bee that didn't get the memo. When I was moving the hives to their new location, the second one had a passenger on the outside just above the handhold. I didn't get the memo that she would be coming along. I wasn't wearing gloves and she let me know I squished her with my wrist. 

It is a good idea to wear gloves after transporting a hive and opening it up late at night. Those girls sure don't like being driving 35 miles all closed up. I started cutting the entrance open without gloves, as I wanted to be able to pick the tape off easer once I got it cut. My dad commented that he could see the bees popping out as soon as I made the first cuts. He asked if I wanted gloves, I said no, but soon changed my mined as they seemed a bit upset with me. This behavior is due to the fact I was handling bees after dark and after being bounced around in the bed of a pickup.

:thumbsup: Once again, very happy with my purchase from Honey Run Apiaries. Pickup was much smoother than I had anticipated and was very pleased. I will update a bit later after I get the hive setup complete with a true bottom board, inner cover, and top cover.


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## Mustang (Jan 10, 2011)

I got two queens from Tim in may . Tim's the best !


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## jeff123fish (Jul 3, 2007)

I've been using Honey run for years never had a problem of any kind. in fact the only problem i have ever had is when I call to place an order we end up talking bees for two hours lol


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## the doc (Mar 3, 2010)

I bought two NWCs from tim in mid may that were picked up. He was great about keeping in touch with me. The two queens were started in a 4 frame medium nucs which has built up to a 10 medium brood frames and the other in an 8 frame nuc which rapidly built up to about 16 brood frames. They were accepted immediately and were let out after 12 hours. After getting organized the colonies are doing great and exploding in populations. I have since moved both to 10 frame langstroths, 2 boxes for the first and just added a third box to the second. They were exploding in populations and were full of capped workers.

Very happy with his queens and service.


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## FindlayBee (Aug 2, 2009)

Although the website says is a 6+3 frame medium hive, and puts the frame count at 9, there are actually 10 frames in the hive.

One of the hives, the one on the left, was a bit testy when I went to take off the temporary top. There was a storm coming so this may have been part of it. It was the first time I have actually had bees attack my veil. I could walk way and they left, but as soon as I was about 4 feet away, they let me know they were not happy. Due to the storm coming, and some irritated bees (which I was going to irritate even more when I transferred them to a new boxes), I was only able to get a few picts with my cell phone. I didn't get any of the actual bees in the hive, trying to get things done before the storm.

Here are a few photos of what I bought:









The orange boxes are just being temporary stored on top of the white hives (the white hive boxes are the ones I purchased). I transferred each starter hive to one orange box and removed the second box. They are currently still in single mediums with 4 new black pierco frames.

I will also be raising the hives higher off the ground. Just have to get the stand built.









The girls looking at me from the temporary top entrance.









This photo shows what the starter hive looks like (without the bottom board, inner cover, and top cover which was included). Other than the lack of duct tape around the top, this is what the hives looked like when I picked them up. As pictured, they are empty as I had transferred the frames to the orange boxes.









Bottom of the box with temporary screened bottom. I plan to use these as full sized medium nucs boxes. I may modify them to allow 2 colonies to occupy the same box, just with entrances on opposite sides.


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## FindlayBee (Aug 2, 2009)

*Re: Honey Run Apiaries Second Photo Set.*









Inside of the box also showing the temporary screened bottom. Once again, I am going to keep the box like this for reasons stated above.


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