# any bees for sale in Canada?



## abeeco (Dec 6, 2008)

*frasier auction service*

http://www.farmauctionguide.com/cgi-bin/fraser.cgi?sec=v&type=s
search = beekeepers


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

phoned the other day to ask about package avaliability. My supplier mentioned that it was really unlikely that I would get my request this late, most all packages are spoken for.

Reason being? Heavey wintering losses this year.

My suggestion,

dont plan to expand this season. Bees are expensive to buy, package or privite treaty.

wait til next season. It will pay to wait.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Where do replacement packages normally come from in Canada? Australia?

Re the blueberry question, we have the same situation here in Wisconsin with cranberries. They can be pretty hard on the bees and they could be making honey during that time. If there is a good flow and the price of honey is up you lose $ taking the bees into cranberries, but when honey prices are down and/or if there isn't much of a flow during pollination time you are way money ahead. Often it just comes down to what you are best set up to do, if you have the honey supers etc. Not always an easy call. We have never taken our bees into cranberries but have been tempted a few years.
Sheri


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## redbee (Dec 29, 2005)

*cranberrys*

I sent bees to cranberrys last year from South Dakota because the last 2 years had dryed up , and of couse SD had a bumper honey crop that I lossed ,hard to figure need that crystle ball


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## cleareyes (Mar 2, 2008)

Salut The Buzz,
2 beekeepers selling hives in the Mtl region...

http://www.craaq.qc.ca/pollinisation/FicheDesc.aspx?ID=450-475-1065
http://www.craaq.qc.ca/pollinisation/FicheDesc.aspx?ID=450-691-0674
cheers


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Ian: I have to take issue with your comments. Prices of packages have been where they are for a long time. The are not higher because of higher winter losses. Demand is strong because honey prices are good. If a beekeeper wait 1 season he misses out on the high honey prices. Mind you Australian packages or New Zealand packages are pretty hard to break even on the first year. I doubt very much that either are cheaper next year especially if honey prices stay where they are.

As a technique a like to take hives and explode them into multiple units. Wait till the get strong and nighttime temperatures are good, then break hives ino 4-6 units. Purchase local queens and that is your increase for next season. Purchase some nucs in the spring to make up for the hives that will be exploded later.

BTW I sell nucs. You are kinda far Stepehen, but I'm always up for a challenge.

Jean-Marc


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Wish I was able to get bees from the U.S.*

If you are looking for queens, there are two very good breeders that I know of in northern California that are approved to ship into Canada.
If not, get the bees into a heavy feeding and split with 2009 queens.
Ernie


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

I talked to two guys today. One from a bee supply store the other was a private seller of nucs.
At the bee supply store there is note much to be had due to high winter losses unles someone backs out.
From the guy selling nucs, everyone is looking and needing due to high outdoor winter losses. He also said a guy from Alberta flew in on his own plane looking for a semi load from the brandon Manitoba area so he could fulfil his Alberta pollination contracts.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Sorry if the comment leaned the wronge way Jean Marc.
Yes the price of nucs are high because of high honey prices, but if also because beekeepers need to fill boxes or replace losses. If the beekeepers had no losses there wouldnt be quite the same push to buy up these bees. 
Watch the up comming auctions, bet the hives go high,
also expect the comb to go high

There is a saying, when the price of bees are high, the combs sell cheap, and when the honey comb sells high, the bees are cheap.
They tell me the trend is basically, when bees are dead, beekeepers need bees not boxes. When the bees are alive , beekeepers need boxes not bees,


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## the buzz (Oct 17, 2004)

thank-you very much guys, I called alain moyen but he doesn't have any for sale. I have not reached the other gentleman from the monterigie region, I'll get on that tomorrow . I have not heard from the blueberrie guys yet, there might be a surplus of bees because quebec bees can't go to new-brunswick this year because of the detection of hive beatles in southern Quebec. I will be getting my queens this year from Chili 17.50$ canadian because queeens this year from hawaii jumped from 22$ to 29.50$ supposedly because of the high U.S dollar.< deleted by moderator, "wanting to buy" item>
cheers Stephen

Jean-Marc how much are nucs going for out there?


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

5 frames f bees with 3 brood at $125.00 each.

Jean-Marc


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## cleareyes (Mar 2, 2008)

*Blueberries*

Last I've heard, New Brunswick border was open to Quebec beekeepers. A certificate from a vetenerian will be necessary though.


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## the buzz (Oct 17, 2004)

where are you located cleareyes?


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>5 frames f bees with 3 brood at $125.00 each.

Thats a good price,

Cant buy that here. 
line up for packages from NZ
hearing prices of 170-190$ for a single hive nuc (3-4 frames brood)

Also hearing of fellas here buying bees in your neck of the woods, by the trailer load,
Hearing them talk about orchestrating the trip across the provinces non stop, I guess interprovincial movement of bees is pretty touchy


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Yup , I heard of them fellows. We do fine at that price. The bureaucracy likes to make people jump thru hoops. I'm not sure why that is. It's probably best to drive straight thru when bees are on a truck, unless nights are cool or you have a way to keep them cool.
The phone keeps ringing for them. By tomorrow we'll have the first thousand done. New territory. I've never ventured over that number before.

Jean-Marc


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Ya thems pretty excited, to say the least!

boy, 1000 nucs is alot of work, 
good show!


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

*Jean Marc is it true*

there's more money in selling bees than producing honey?


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

We are in a 60-70 pound area. I don't have the yards to produce honey. So , yup I'll do better selling bees than making honey, unless I was to produce honey with those nucs. I'm not really set up in Alberta, so it's better to sell them for us. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at a really lot of hives but there are so many obstacles, that I think it's more prudent to enjoy my oversized hobby. So 1000 down , 600 to go and the phone keeps ringing. I also sold 500 hives to a neighbour. I thought they were going to run into trouble, but not that quick. We stopped taking orders a long time ago. The blueberry guys are starting to phone too. All the last minute guys. The neighbours in bee yards are phoning to complain too. Something about bees crapping all over his $2 000 000 home. He was wondering if it was allowed, seeing as how he had never heard of such a thing. 

Jean-Marc


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## Dancing Bee Apiary (Jan 5, 2010)

Old thread; interesting to Canadian beekeepers. How the sales going this year? I'm in Ontario one hour east of Toronto. My nuc sales are about the same as last year so far. I'm still getting lots and lots of interest from hobbyists. I am sold out for May and promising now for June 1st. Nuc price is 4 frame @ $140.


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## the buzz (Oct 17, 2004)

Dancing Bee Apiary said:


> Old thread; interesting to Canadian beekeepers. How the sales going this year? I'm in Ontario one hour east of Toronto. My nuc sales are about the same as last year so far. I'm still getting lots and lots of interest from hobbyists. I am sold out for May and promising now for June 1st. Nuc price is 4 frame @ $140.


well , finally the bees wintered well, 10% loss, due to extreme warm weather I have started to feed the bees and have given them pollen patties. Hope to make splits to get the numbers up. Got to look for queens now, there is no problem to sell honey, just got to find a way to produce enough...lol temperature this week in the 20 degree celsius or lower 70s for my southern friends. cheers for now Stephen


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

ya, I had a good winter also, running a 7% loss, but I figure by the time I have gone through them and cull all the queen problems Ill see 10%. The bees look fantastic! Its been a while since I have last had a winter this successful. Great fall last year for them and this spring started 3 weeks earlier. No doubt the weather helped them along this year. It was a bit of a panic to get them out of the shed in time when the weather shifted to 25 degree days this spring!!!!

Its all good. Got my queen orders in line and I am hoping this year to be a predictable one! LOL 

I am hearing much the same around here


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