# How much do I need to sell my queens for?



## conservativef2d (Jul 16, 2010)

How much can I sell gueens that have been mated with unknown drones? A friend and I are going to raise queens and more than likely we will not kno what will mate with them in ther flight. I live in NC if that helps.


----------



## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

It all depends on what they are, what they can do, and the market based on how many are available, and what the going price is. Currently, prices range from $15 to $40 with most being around 20-25.

Set a price. If they don't sell, lower it. If you sell out rapidly, raise it. Have fun with it.


----------



## PDG honey (Jul 31, 2010)

Pick your price. Now that said you should have 1 drone hive per 10 queens mated. Graft from your graft hives not your drone stock. Each graft hives should not be related to any other hive in the yard. Your drones hives should have at least 2 drone frames. The drones are the main genetic in your queens. Start slow, have fun, and make some money.


----------



## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

What's your queen's pedigree? Is she survivor stock, or just whatever was received in somebody's bought package last year? Does she make brood, honey, propolis, pollen, or what? Is she gentle? How's her brood pattern? Any hygienic qualities, and if so, how'd you test for them? Etc...

As you can see, there are a LOT of different answers to these basic questions! Likewise, there is a WIDE range of prices between queens! Queens of unknown origin, untested, and possibly poorly mated? Even at FREE, those queens might be too expensive if the results are crashed hives, yeah?

Know your craft. Price your queens appropriately. Guarantee your product. Be honest. And you'll have a business you can be proud of! 

DS


----------



## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

Like everyone says take it slow and easy, don't get stars in your eyes for a quick buck because there is a short supply this year. If you sell P-Poor queens in a hurry to make a buck more than likely this will be your last year selling....Beeks minds are like elephants they never forget were they bought that last "bad" queen from....good luck


----------



## conservativef2d (Jul 16, 2010)

Im just trying to make my own queens so I can make more hives. Just wanted to know how much they could sell for. Not jumping into nothing only have 3 hives right now and have a nuc box that i made queenless to see if they will make anything and they do have a a queencell started. Im getting 5 packages at the end of this week and I was wanting to make shure I had some extra queens so if the queen in the package wasnt laying good or laying all drones I could requeen the hive.


----------



## conservativef2d (Jul 16, 2010)

BigDaddyDS said:


> What's your queen's pedigree? Is she survivor stock, or just whatever was received in somebody's bought package last year? Does she make brood, honey, propolis, pollen, or what? Is she gentle? How's her brood pattern? Any hygienic qualities, and if so, how'd you test for them? Etc...


The hive of bees that Im trying to make queens off of has made it for 5 years without feeding sugar water or treating them with anything, they are a little agressive, they have plenty of polen and brood and not to many drones. How do you test for HYGENIC quality? never done but will research it.

Oh this hive came from my grandpas hives probly, cought a swarm in his bee yard when I was in highschool so I just figured it was from one of his hives.


----------



## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

If I was in you're area, I wouldn't have a problem paying you $25 to try queens from that mother.


----------



## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

KQ6AR said:


> If I was in you're area, I wouldn't have a problem paying you $25 to try queens from that mother.


Yep, I'd gladly pay $25 for one of your mated queens too, if I needed a queen. Survived for 5 years, possibly your grandpa's bees...? Sounds pretty good to me!


----------



## be lote (Mar 26, 2008)

problem i got is that agressive part.
word of mouth gonna sell your product or not.
you sale them queens an they start terrorizein there neighbors an them
folks gonna spread the word in your market.
anybody can raise queens but it takes talent to raise good queens an
that aint me yet. 
like other folks have said id get my dca right first


----------



## conservativef2d (Jul 16, 2010)

I dont kno if that queen has survived 5 years but they have been in the bee hive body for 5 years. they also made good sourwood honey 3 years out of 5.
Aggresive part means you have to put a bee suit on to work in them, and my dad can stand about 30ft away and not get bothered while Im working with them. I was thinking about buying a queen that had gentle offspring but what if her offspring doesnt survive or need treatment to make it. Im going today to check my queenless nuc so hopefully they will be working on a queencell.


----------



## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

When deciding the price of queens there are many factors that must be taken into account... for the commercial breeders, it starts with "how many can I raise under optimal conditions and how much will it cost to do so"... 

The next questions that must weigh in are "how much has been spent on development that must be recovered and how much must be spent in the near future to continue that development"...

The price of queens is driven more by the costs to the producer (not the costs of the retailers and resellers) more so than the demand... 

So far, it has always been a producers market, and the price has been fair (with the exception of a select few)... 

Queens from survivor stock may pass on the survival characteristics, but there are also may other things that have to be considered in producing the queens before they can be deemed viable... first focus on rearing quality queens and knowing how to tell the difference, then figure out what it would cost you to provide these quality queens, when you could provide them, and what traits you can offer on a consistent basis... then you can figure out what they will be worth... letting queenless nucs pull e-queens and mate with whatever is available to them will not reproduce the traits or quality that are present in the mother colony... slow down and take up a grafting needle and let the mistakes of others before you help you to grow your operation and skills... the best advice that I can give anyone that wishes to raise queens is to "study, study, study" I promise you, there is more to learn from trial and error than any university could ever teach.

Hope this helps.


----------



## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

i have a hive that made it thruogh the winter and it is so com that i dont have to smoke them and i dont even put on a suit.. im going to raise my queens from them.


----------



## conservativef2d (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys greatly appreciated and i am going to study study study. I have always been interested in cars and racing and the guys on the car forums are usually not this friendly on useful information. Keep the info coming, cause I always like to take everyones advice and put it together to create a very good outcome.


----------

