# Buying Hives



## Workingbee (Jan 20, 2014)

So I am trying to get into commercial beekeeping and of course, in order to do that I need a lot of hives. friend of mine told me to start looking on the Bee Journal and I call a few of the sellers and non of them had any to sell, but they all told me after almond pollination there will be hives available. I see this common pattern in the magazine that everyone is selling hives after almond in hundreds or thousands. maybe I am paranoid but I think there got to be reason behind this. So I have a few questions and hope someone can clear it up for me.

1. why are people selling all their hives after almond? 
2. wouldn't be better to keep than to raise new hives for next year almond? 
3. is there that big of a market for all these thousands of hives to sell (that is a lot of money in there)?


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## KPeacock (Jan 29, 2013)

I don't _know_ the answer, but I suspect that they sell them after almonds bucasue a pollination contract is work about the same as the sale of the hive. so, this way they get the cash for the crops, and then get to sell it too.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

But for every hive they sell, they have to make back up for next year, so . . .


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Some people do sell before almonds, but that time is already past. Most bees that will be for sale are already in California or on the way.
So yes, the income from almonds should be in the bag and the hive is now for sale.
What normally happens is that if we bring the colonies back to Wisconsin, they are a good month ahead of overwintered colonies. They are booming and will swarm if we don't pull bees and brood off. What to do with all those extra bees? We can easily make splits off 2/3 of them, which means we either let them hit the trees, we increase our hive numbers or we sell them as nucs. At some point we don't want to increase hive numbers so the choice is between letting them swarm or making splits for sale. Rather than go through all that work, many folks sell colonies in California and ship them directly from California to their new homes. And yes, there is a market for all those thousands.
Sheri


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## Nick Noyes (Apr 28, 2005)

It's hard to sell a hive before almonds for $325. It's easy to sell a hive after almonds for $150.
They will rent in almonds for $175. It doesn't always make sense but this is the way it goes.
I agree there is definately a market for thousands of hives come end of march.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Yeah, Dave Mendes sells 5000 each spring. Good bees too...


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## fairchildj (Jan 22, 2014)

Where is that dave mendes located and would you hapoen to know a way to contact him we are looking to buy 1000 at the end of this years pollination


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Workingbee said:


> 1. why are people selling all their hives after almond?
> 2. wouldn't be better to keep than to raise new hives for next year almond?
> 3. is there that big of a market for all these thousands of hives to sell (that is a lot of money in there)?


A few insights to answer your above questions/statements. Not close to full and complete answers but some of the the more frequent reasons. 

1.Saves on shipping, gets rid of old equipment.
2.Think you need to learn about how splits work and what it takes to get a hive started.
3. Yes


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

fairchildj said:


> Where is that dave mendes located and would you hapoen to know a way to contact him we are looking to buy 1000 at the end of this years pollination


Time to buy a subscription to the ABJ and read the ads.......... They are in there all the time.


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## fairchildj (Jan 22, 2014)

Thanks Honey-4-All I just bought 300 being dropped off right after pollination getting closer to the 1000


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

fairchildj said:


> Thanks Honey-4-All I just bought 300 being dropped off right after pollination getting closer to the 1000


mendes # from ad 239340062five


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## fairchildj (Jan 22, 2014)

Thanks Honey-4-All


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