# Selling five frame Nucs.



## ifixoldhouses (Feb 27, 2019)

I would probably sell them on Craigslist, just get a box and sell them for $150-$180 or what everyone else is selling it for around you.


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## Schultz (Mar 9, 2015)

Unless you're a masochist, I would avoid other peoples frames; unless, of course, they're better than yours!


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Welcome.
How long have you been keeping bees?
You might want to go to your profile and add your location. Knowing your location can make a difference in the advice you get on many topics.


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

I would avoid taking other peoples frames. I have seen some homemade stuff over the years that violates all rules. Not to mention disease.


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## Absinthe (Feb 26, 2016)

One of the companies near here gives you the option of paying a deposit for the nuc box, or you can bring your own box and move their frames into your box and not pay the deposit. You get your deposit back if you return their box and cover. I think in any case you eat the frames, or add the cost of them into your price. 

The other fellow here has those corrugated plastic nuc boxes I assume they are cheap enough to eat with the sale. 

In any event you should consider your frames a wash. 

What I have found in nucs that i have bought, was that in most cases the frames were the crap you would have culled out of your hives anyway. 

Un-assembled deeps are $85 per 100 at Better Bee. Or if you make them yourself you might even have them cheaper than that. 

And the Jester EZ Nuc box is like $15 and maybe a little less if you get them by the 10 or 100 or whatever. And Better Bee has the 5 frame Pro nuc for $16. Use your good woodenware to overwinter them, or resource hives or whatever, or the days before they come for pickup transfer them to the disposable and the night before, close it up. 

How many Nucs do you think you will be able to overwinter and have available?


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## Absinthe (Feb 26, 2016)

Do I have it right that you are just 13? How long have you been keeping bees?


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I sell only the frames with the bees. A box is available with an additional deposit. Customers are expected to bring their hive and enough frames to finish filling the box. I do not want someone else's frames brought into my apiary. I do not sell garbage frames either. By the time one of my nucs is ready to sell, it has two freshly drawn foundationless frames full of brood, plus the three frames I removed from the parent hive.


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## Absinthe (Feb 26, 2016)

come to think of it, the very last one I got from someone (actually free) was supposed to be a swarm that he picked up. He said to drop off a box and frames, and he would transfer it and drop it by my house as it was on his way to somewhere he had to be.. (Most out of the way anyone has gone to help me) For some reason, instead of the swarm he said he had an extra nuc just laying around so he moved that to my box, and for some reason tossed my frames and back-filled it with acorns. So I have a box of 8 acorns from that nuc. So not all the nucs I have gotten have all been trash frames.  But other than that pretty much all the rest of them were economy frames with super dark comb.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I know that I’m old fashioned but when I sell nucs people bring their hives and we move the frames with bees and the queen from my box into theirs. No trash frames. Queens are marked. Seeing the queen is a must. No surprises…..no misunderstandings.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

one man's trash another man's treasure.

I have seen threads hear on BS about "dark" combs, IMO not all that dark. So if I was to "pull" 3 frames from a hive to make a NUC, some would be dark, some would have Drone spots ,etc. To a perfectionist, some of these could be seen as Junk. So in the day, pre some of this accumulation of chemicals in comb, I would have a comb in service for 10 years and not think any thing of it. We have IMO drifted, to where culling in 5 years is somewhat expected. The chemicals rarely can be seen. So the "look" of a comb can be deceiving. For me If I got a NUC and it was on "plastic" frames I would think YUK.. as I am a wood frame type person. So I would think either ask what you should expect or offer, some build frames of you "specification" to be used. It would complicate things, but if you are a good customer I would think it would be allowed.

To the OP original question, Selling NUCs is "comb consuming" so some math and a plan would need to be in place. Frames by the 100 are about a buck per as well the wax so 10$ of your inputs is the 5 frames w/ foundation.

IE sell 10 NUCs in 2021
need total of 50 additional frames
likely need at least 30 built out with bees.
need 10 temp NUC boxes. (or do 2 batches of 5)
ETC so make a plan.

So add 3 deeps of foundation to the hives you intend to take the bees from, the previous july and in the spring, if they survive you would have the comb, with bees.
Palmer style NUCs would supply build comb as an option.
One could use deeps for supers and extract
Some folks plan to keep on all mediums,, so maybe Medium frame NUCs could have a market as well. Unfortunately they have the same inputs for 1/3 less comb and bees. Maybe an 8 frame medium for 12 bucks more would get the hive started well and give you a second product.

I would start slow maybe 10 the first year , 20 the second, and work the kinks out of your system.
Do get payment up front, do have a "wait list" with a few names for cancellations. Example, Today in Michigan 3 dams burst and 10,000 people were evacuated, any plans they had are down the river so to speak.
Do make a few extra in case you have a dud queen.

Could offer a "do you want fries with that service" where you bring the NUC to their place and move it into their hive , show them the brood and queen etc.
Try to fill the need, it may or may not be what you think.

good luck
GG


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## Mesa Honey Bees (May 19, 2020)

Ok, thanks so much for the feedback. It’s only my second year in beekeeping so I would probably have less than ten Nucs overwintered next season. The only problem would having new costumers take me seriously being only thirteen. Again thanks for all the help. 

-Jake.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Mesa Honey Bees said:


> The only problem would having new costumers take me seriously being only thirteen.


If you are selling nucs and they are buying nucs....they'd be hard pressed to look down their noses at you....in my opinion.


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## Absinthe (Feb 26, 2016)

The quality of your product should speak for itself. If you are a member of your county or local beekeeper's association you can merely mention it to them that you have them available. Or will have and can take preorders. Many times they will make an announcement at a meeting for members.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Jake,

Try to find a local Bee club. Offer that you may have NUCs in the spring. Starting is likely easier for you.
You likely need an adult to drive to the meetings and help with the transactions.
Maybe let the overwintered NUC build to 2-- 5 frame boxes, sell one off and re queen the other, in 3 weeks sell it as well. Or do the same keeping a parent hive going to keep some bees. Sell good product and the age should not matter. folks should go by how well the NUC did.
Again keep at it, start small, and by the time you are 18 a thriving setup you could have.

Good luck
GG


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## John Davis (Apr 29, 2014)

One thing to check is your state inspection requirements. Some states don't have inspection requirements for hives that are yours but may require inspection if you are selling bees, queens, or bees on comb like in nucs.


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## patncin (Jun 10, 2016)

I saw you're 13. I wish I had started that young. Go to MDA Splitter.com, Mel Disselkoen. He sells good nuc boxes cheap. He also has good youtube videos, and a book. It helped me. I sell my nucs cheap, only because it is usually new beekeepers buying. I have to be inspected in this state, so each buyer gets a copy of my inspection. I sell on Facebook or Craigslist. I do pick up only, and I mark the queens, and I show the buyer the queen and brood pattern before they take them. I can't make enough!


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