# queen and package prices



## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

I did some homework today after I got a flier from B Weaver 936.825.7312. Holie Molie! $60 plus shipping and insurance ($20)!!! For #3 packages up to nine, then it drops all the way down to $54 up to 49... Queens are $17, $18.50 clipped and marked plus shipping.
Midwest 740.892.3200 will be $50 plus $8 priority mail.
Koehnen 530.891.5216 hasn't decided on prices yet but expect to go up a couple of dollars from last years price of $44 plus shipping.
McCary 601.648.2747, (he's a hoot! and a real nice guy) had the Cardovans that I was looking for at $45 plus shipping, marked at no cost, and queens at $12 plus shipping. His stock comes from Glenn apiaries in Ca. they sell their breeder queens for $75 plus shipping.
Thats's all I done so far, going to check out Heitkam's tomorrow 530.865.9562 for New World Carmoilans. I might also try Strachan.
Bill


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## GalvestonCo (Nov 3, 2002)

I ordered my bees from RWeaver (www.rweaver.com). They were $50 dollars for a 3lb package with a marked queen. Not sure about the shipping, I live near Navasota and I'm going to drive up there and get them.


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## Karl (Jun 18, 2002)

Regarding the prices of packages. Just received the latest copy of American Bee Journal and browsed the ads. Seem to be pretty close to last years prices. Plan on calling my local supplier next week and see what prices he is quoting.


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

Karl

I talked to Lee from Watertown WI and he said 3lb will be $48. is that where you get your from?

Phillip

[This message has been edited by rainesridgefarm (edited December 31, 2002).]


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## Karl (Jun 18, 2002)

Hi Phillip: Actually , last year I picked up my packages from Lapp's in Reeseville. If memory serves they were about $42.00 or so for 3 lb. package.


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

Anyone here know the best place to get cordovan queens. My wife would kill me if I paid $75.00 for a queen. I bought a package of bees from CF Koehnen and sons. They were gorgouse. I am going to order from them again, thought maybe some you may have another supplier.

Don't get me wrong CF Koehnen are great people to do business with, its just I would like to have a backup plan.

The cordovans I got from CF Koehnen were the most gentle bees I have ever seen. They made beekeeping seem effortless. The colony is still alive; however I have went through a supersedure and all the bees have went to regular Italian. Plan on requeening with cordovan to get back where I started.

Thanks
Thesurveyor


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Check out my post at the top of this page. McCary 601.648.2747, (he's a hoot! and a real nice guy) had the Cardovans that I was looking for at $45 plus shipping, marked at no cost, and queens at $12 plus shipping. His stock comes from Glenn apiaries in Ca.
Bill


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## Jorge (Sep 24, 2002)

I see an add in the last ABJ from Edward Norman Apiaries for Italian bees at $38 + postage for the 3lb package. He's located in Alabama: 334-562-3357.
I don't know the man, I just mention the add (cheapest I can find).

Jorge


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Koehnen has them for $35.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Every place that I talked to in Ca. wouldn't ship to Ks.
Bill


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

Does KS have a restriction from California. I know some states will not allow shipment from California due to africanized honey bees in Califoria.

CF Koehnen is approved to sell bees to North Carolina.

Someone on the board may be able shed some light on the KS subject.

Thesurveyor

[This message has been edited by thesurveyor (edited January 15, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by thesurveyor (edited January 15, 2003).]


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## dharbert (Jun 13, 2002)

It could be the shipping zone. They will only ship bees within 4 zones of the sender. That's USPS regs.


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

CF Koehnen ships UPS. They shipped all the way to North Carolina From California.

Thesurveyor


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## dharbert (Jun 13, 2002)

How was the condition of the bees?


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

check russell apiaries (601-866-4300)ad in a.b.j.pg.12,yellow italian,3lb w/qu.at $ 33.00


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

Dharbert

How was the condition of the bees?

They were in great condition, not many dead bees. They are still alive. They put up surplus honey stores for winter. I would recommend them to anyone.

Thesurveyor


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## Axtmann (Dec 29, 2002)

Guys whats wrong with all of you???

I go thru the whole page and all of you talking about package queens and bees.
Have none of you learned to breed your own bee and queens?
I cant believe it if I read all the articles here.

How long are you keeping bees? Are you all beginners with no help from an experience beekeeper?

We have all year a program in our club and everyone gets eggs from beekeepers with good bee material for free. We have 3 to 5 frame breeding hives without a queens and take this with us to the other beekeeper for the eggs. We can breed up to 40 queens in those hives depend on the amount of bees. We teach the beginners and they can have queens from us for free also.

After you collect the honey, you can split a hive in 3, the next year 3 in 9 and so on. Why you all looking for bees from special breeders? Thos guys a lucky in your country here they would starve to death.

I think some of you needs every month instructions what to do or better what you shouldnt do with your bees. Like we give the beginners in the club here.
A beekeeper should never ever ask where he could get bees from, only if he had an accident like flood we had last year, fire, robbery or AFB. Or he is a beginner!!
I had last year 14 new queens left and they was free for the beginners in the club.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The package bee industry here in the USA is quite large.

Queens are bought by most commercial and hobbiest beekeepers because raising really good queens is a time consuming and complex undertaking. Also there is the pure breeds that people want to try.

Some people in the far north actually kill all their bees every fall and buy new package bees every spring. (I would never do this myself) 

Some people are just getting into beekeeping and don't know anyone who would give them bees.

Some people are expanding their bee business and want to do so quickly.

Some people have lost all or most of their hives to mites or other disease and want to replentish their hives.

I doubt that anyone does this because they don't know how to make splits.

Myself, I was on the verge of cutting back to one hive or so and gave away almost all of my bees to friends when I found this board and got excited about all the new experiments on mite control. Small cell, being the most exciting and FGMO fog being another exciting front. I decided that I could sell small bees and maybe make a reasonable amount of money at it. And a friend of mine agreed to take on alot of the hard labor. I didn't think there was enough money in just honey to be worth the back breaking work for me.

So now I want to get about 20 hives to experiment with raising queens, doing small cell, FGMO, and some of the top bar hives I've been wanting to try.

To do this from the one strong hive I have and the one weak one I have would take several years, even if I talk my friends into letting me take splits off of some of the hives I gave away. And I have a lot of experiments I want to start now.

That's why I'm buying bees this year.


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## franc (Jan 7, 2003)

I agree Axtmann with what you say Ive been breeding my own queens for about 5 yrs now and it really bothers me when other beekeepers bring packages from southern bees into my beekeeping area.My queens often end up mating with their drones and lose the ability to survive the winter.And it always amazes me that these same people complain about mites killing their hives when its really just poorly bred southern queens.


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## franc (Jan 7, 2003)

I agree Axtmann with what you say Ive been breeding my own queens for about 5 yrs now and it really bothers me when other beekeepers bring packages from southern bees into my beekeeping area.My queens often end up mating with their drones and lose the ability to survive the winter.And it always amazes me that these same people complain about mites killing their hives when its really just poorly bred southern queens.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Its just a matter of economics,not any lack of ability.This is a big country with many different climatic areas.So,I can buy queens from a friend farther south where it is full blown spring,while where I live high in the mountains it is still snowing.I can make splits and give them a mated queen way before I can raise them here.These early splits will average 60 to 100 lbs taken off in August.In May I can raise queens to requeen the others that need it..So we take advantage of the climate differences.If it didnt pay,I wouldnt do it.Also,just because its from a warmer area,dont assume the stock is inferior. Quite a few sellers use breeder queens from the North .You can get what you want ,you just have to ask(and pay)! Another reason is the bee outfits are larger here and dont always have time to raise queens.Between extracting and pollinating some outfits are already working 8 days a week!
---Mike


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## Axtmann (Dec 29, 2002)

Loggermike I believe you. 
That is the best way to bring the small hive beetle and other diseases in no time throughout the whole country, the Apistan and Cumafos resistant mites also.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I don't think package bees are the biggest threat in regards to Small Hive Beetles and Varroa resistent mites. It's the migratory beekeepers who haul their hives from Arizona to Montana or Wyoming to California and back. I'm not critisizing them for making a living, but they are much more likely to have some hidden infestation that no one notices than a bare package that has just been gone through, and all of mine are stamped that they are free from infestation, which is more than the migratory hives get sometimes.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Yes ,moving truckloads of bees around will spread problems.But that is how agricultural crops get produced in the real world.I just got back from the almond orchards in N.cal.where probably around a million hives from many states are starting to be moved into the orchards.Almonds are Californias biggest export crop.Nothing is going to stop something that big with so much at stake.Like it or not thats how it is.Everything comes here and we just have to deal with it.Money talks,BS walks, as they say.
---Mike


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Lapp's in Reeseville, WI is charging $35 for a 2# package, $46 for a 3#.


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## newguy (Dec 18, 2002)

To get back to the original question:
[list = 1]
<LI>Where are the best prices on bees? and 
<LI>Any web addresses for the suppliers mentioned?
[/list]
Thanks for whatever help you have.


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## franc (Jan 7, 2003)

Newguy when I bought bees I used to buy 5lb packages from wilbanks then divided the package with some xtra queens I think 5 lbs of bees is about 55.00 plus shipping and queens are about 12.00 and you should be able to divide 5lbs into 3 hives so you save on some shipping.


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## Jorge (Sep 24, 2002)

How many bees do you estimate you get in a 5lbs package? 20000 or so?

Jorge


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## franc (Jan 7, 2003)

Jorge I'd say about 3000 per lb so about 15,000 total but im being conservative a lb of bees that fill up on honey could be over 2lbs so it could vary alot.


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

As for me I will be ordering from CF Koehnen. They have the most gentle bees, and they produced quite abit of Honey last year. I have already placed my order and They stated they would not know the cost until around March.

Thesurveyor


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

I'll agree with Bill on mr. mccary he is one fine man.I have been dealing with him for 2 yrs. & meet him last year personal.i've called him & he's always been a lot of help.& loves his bees. he was also named Ms. beekeeper of the year2002. I've got 15 pkg last year from him. Bill your right he's a hoot.


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## newguy (Dec 18, 2002)

Any web addresses for these guys?


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

What part of the country is Mr McCary in. Does he have Carnolians form the Glen apiary stack?
What do you fellows think of the Carnolian Bee?

Dickm


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

>McCary 601.648.2747, (he's a hoot! and a real nice guy) had the Cardovans that I was looking for at $45 plus shipping, marked at no cost, and queens at $12 plus shipping. His stock comes from Glenn apiaries in Ca.

He is in La. I think.

Other than the Cordovans I want just for GP's, my next strain will be the New World Carnolians. If you can believe the advertising why would you ever want anything else? I plan to requeen everything over to them this year.
Bill


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

> What part of the country is Mr McCary in.
http://www.beesource.com/suppliers/usbees.htm 

McCary is in Mississippi


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Mccary is in Buckatunna Ms. just south of Merdrian . He's got cardovans only,


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

I also like the hype on the new world carnolians. Do you have a reliable source for them?

Dickm


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## beekeeper28 (Nov 27, 2002)

I have read a few post from Axtmann and it seems that they are often hostile to those who don't use his exact methods. To me what does it matter if a large number of beekeepers choose to buy packages? The topic is the buying packages. It does not mean that the ability does not exist to raise new queens or splits. How is it constructive to bring a supierior tone to these forums? Even if someone did not know how to do something - where better to learn than on a forum where many beekeepers could give positive advise. Frankly it seems that the post(s) from axtmann are not positive, but rather contriversal in general. My question is ... Is the intent here to share ideas and methods or to force every one to be "clones" with only one way (our way) as the standard for all bee keepers who enter these forums, and for all others to be classifed as inferior? Sorry the Freedom loving, Independant red-blooded American is coming out in me and I'm just a little tried of the tone that I have picked up on in some postings. 
Tom


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Tom: >I have read a few post from Axtmann and it seems that they are often hostile to those who don't use his exact methods. ... How is it constructive to bring a supierior tone to these forums? ... I'm just a little tried of the tone that I have picked up on in some postings. 

I think that has been the problem. It's not so much what he says as how he says it. I'm not sure he intends it to come across that way. Perhaps some of it is a cultural difference. Some cultures are more diplomatic while others are more direct. Direct can be misconstrued as rude by cultures that are more diplomatic. Maybe some of it is a language barrier. His English is good, but he may be missing the nuances necessary to disarm some of his comments.

Also some of the misunderstandings are based on the differences between how beekeeping is generally done here and how it is done in Germany. He is constantly aghast at methods that are considered normal here.

Pakage bees and bought queens are the norm here in the USA. I've noticed that even in Canada, they are not. There they are more likely to buy nucs.


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

Dick m http://www174.pair.com/birdland/Breeding/NWC.html 

I had good luck w/Strachan but Ca is a long way from Ct.

Jack


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

For you new folks, when you go to the link above for Strachan don't freak out right away over the price. Know the diference between breeder queens and replacement queens.
Breeder queens are for producing queens, and come at a premium. The replacement queens are about the same price as other queens advertised elsewhere.
I have not found any NWC queens or packages outside of California.
Bill


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

Thanks Jack,
I've written Strachan. The 5 breeders listed were ALL in Ca. I wrote to Sue Colby (the new world carnolian queen mother) and asked if there were any other breeders closer to me. 

Dickm


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## Joel Acheson (Mar 17, 2001)

Hi to all:
Three sources I have found to provide quality queens at reasonable prices are:
Jesterbee in Arkansas
Taberhoneybeegenetics.com in California
Indiansummerhoneyfarm(s?).com in Florida.
I dont know if the s belongs on the end of farm or not, hence the ?. 
The reason bees are not shipped from CA to KS is because of the distance, and according to what I was told by Taberbee, there seems to be a zone which includes KS and MO where I live, where pkg bees always arrive dead, so they simply stopped shipping there. Makes sense. They can still ship queens, however.
Cheerybye

------------------
gnubee


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Just ordered two packages from McCary in Mississippi, I called first got his wife. If his Cordovan bees are as sweet as his wife and as gentle natured as he sounds, I'll have the best bees around. Last year I bought a package from Koehnen and sons, super people to deal with and so are their bees ,but because ups only ships overnite now ,it would cost me 90 dollars for a three pound package. I feel either way McCary or Koehnen you'll be a winner getting their stock. Walt


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

WJW777

What is the shipping from McCary... I have four packages ordered from CF Koehnen... If they are 90 dollars after shipping , I am going to have some expensive bees


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## txbeeguy (Jan 9, 2003)

I've ordered five Russian queens from Jester Bee Company (far NE Arkansas). They sell "production" Russian queens at a resonable price. Their source is Glenn Apiaries out of California who sells Instrumentally Inseminated Breeder Queens and then Jester uses these queens to produce their stock of Russians. So the queen mother of the bees I've ordered should be 100% pure Russian (since artifically inseminated from Russian drone stock) and Jester then 'free flight' mates them. As I understand, they still should retain their varroa mite resistance as the mating area is heavily populated with Russian drone colonies. This is the first time I've used Jester so we'll see how their bees do.


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

wjw777,,,, I've been dealing with mccary for 3 or 4 years,my son also ( he lives in Ms).& i'd say they are the best bees I've got.I ordered 15 more packages from him,he work's close with glenn's out of Ca,I don't seem to have mite problems as bad as some of my other bees,I'm going to requeen all the rest of my bees over to his. good luck..


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Mark,
Are you saying that you are going to change completely over to Cordovan? That would be quite an endorsement, what do you think are their strongest attributes?
Bill


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi
Yes, I called Kohenen's and the price they quoted was $95 . Its not that they raised the price but UPS. UPS will now only ship bees overnite, no more second day and thats where the exspence comes into play. Shipping here to Ohio is a far piece and UPS wants their pound of flesh.Its to bad because Kohenen are super people and I recommend them to anyone,but for me this year im going with McCary.A three pound package is $45 plus shipping he said $10 or alittle more. Mark?, are the cordovan bees from McCary real gentle? I think if i stepped on one from Koehens they wouldn't sting. I got over 200 lbs of honey last year to boot. and the prettiest bees you ever saw.when you smoked them they would press against the comb and freeze. A friend came over to see them and he just laughed in what they did. When i called McCary I felt like I knew him all my life, I could have talked to him all nite and he really loves his bees like someone said. As for me the Cordovans are the bee for me. Your comments please
Walt

[This message has been edited by wjw777 (edited February 28, 2003).]


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Sureyor,
If you ordered more than one package the price will go down with the more you order.I was just ordering one and for me ninty some bucks is alot which is mostly shipping here in Ohio. you should call them and see what the shipping cost is . If im not mistaken if i would want to buy two packages from Koehens it would be around 160 dollars so it actually dropped 20 bucks , but i would call them to really find out the total exspence. You won't go wrong.

walt


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## fat/beeman (Aug 23, 2002)

Walt
just ordered 50 packages from spell bee $28.50 each.
you should try to get someone comeing up there to drop off you some.
Don


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi Don,
thanks for the info. but im stuck on the cordovan bees. Im a hobbyist beekeeper and the cordovan bees are not only very pretty in their lite golden color but very gentle. Last year my hive of cordovan produced over 200 lbs of honey. Not only do they look good, gentle ,but can also make honey. Right now I just don't want to change horses in mid stream. Its good to hear from you my old neighbor. Walt


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Bill: yes i'm going over to all cordovan's.I got 15 pkg's last year(cordovan)& started all on foundtion did'nt have any drawn comb& 5 3band Italian's pkg's.I've lost 4 of the Italian so far,also requeened some of my other hives with cordovan,i've only lost 1 of them & it got knocked over.also they are real gentle.My son live's in Ms. & he's had good luck with them also.In this part of the country they seem to do real good.I could have got honey off of some.but did'nt want to push my luck.


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

WJW777, the bees are very gentle,I've even got my wife liking them(lol).I don't hardly ever wear a veil& that's what I like about them.on my other bees i have to most of the time.


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Mark.
Just put the check in the mail to McCary today. When talking to him he hides nothing from ya. Honest , feel real warm towards him. He must have some operation down there.Mark , are your bees real yellow almost I call butter yellow strips you can barely see. working with them is actully fun. Getting them the week of April 20th he is all booked up the first part of April already. how is your interduction with the queen with your cordovans
Any tricks that might help me suceed with introduction
Walt


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Walt: I know what you mean about mr: mccary,he is a very nice man,I meet his 2 son's down there & they are just like there dad,yes his bees is yellow,I'd say there golden more than yellow,before the computer that is unlimited on info,I've phoned him with problems& he's alway seem glad to help.he treat's everone the same if you buy 1 queen or 1000.I know you'll enjoy the nature of the bees & I just take a nail & push a small hole in the candy, never had any problem with them excepting the queen,


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the info. the bees I got from Koehen and sons were really yellow when the sun hit them it was like if someone turned a flashlight on them. But I know Mr McCary's bees will be just fine. Im so excited about getting them. They will be coming here to Ohio the week of April 20th , pray to God that all the snow will be gone by then lol 
Mark, thanks for all your input I really appreciated all that you had to say.
Yours in the hobby
Walt
Really nice to meet people like you on this forum. Thats what its all about


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

The cordovan queens have a reddish tint to them and the workers black bands are very faded.I,ve heard them referred to as 'ultra-yellow'.Tom Glenn sells breeder stock and has a lot of info on his website.Although he says it is just a color phase that isnt linked to other characteristics,I never saw cordovans that didnt try to turn every drop of honey into brood.Under the right conditions,this can lead to an extraordinary honey crop.But they can also starve very easily when things go wrong.
---Mike


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## beebarf (Feb 14, 2003)

I ordered bees from Mr.McCary about 2 weeks ago,he said he would send me an invoice, then i was to mail the payment in...how long did it take u guys to get your invoices from him?????


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Beebarf: I have had queens arrive from him, then get my invoice later,my package bees i've picked up at his place,


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## beebarf (Feb 14, 2003)

O.k. i was getting worried he forgot about me.i really do want these kind of bees(nice ones)because this is my first year beekeeping.i will hold on awhile then before i call him again.thanks for responding so quickly!!!!


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi,
Logger, your right, the cordovans were bred for their color,but gentleness also came into play when they decided to make ,if you want to call it , a strain of honeybees, Im sure there can be cross hives of Cordovans but from the people i talked with they are few and far between. That is the chance I have to take. But I sure met alot of nice people who have the Cordovans and that is just as good as the bees. And as far as invoices and such, I gave him the date i would like them shipped , he agreed and that was that. I really don't need anymore paper to throw out LOL 
Walt


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## txbeeguy (Jan 9, 2003)

About Cordovans. 
Perhaps I'm reading more into the postings than what's really there but everytime I read a posting about Cordovans, it seems they're almost addressed as a different race of honeybees when really, they're basically just Italians with a recessive genetic colour mutation. 
Please don't get me wrong, if you guys that have them are happy with them, then perhaps ultimately that's all that matters. 
I note an article that Sue Cobey wrote in Bee Culture (Nov. 1990) and a little more in Bee Culture (Jan. 1994) these bees tend to be a little more susceptible to chalkbrood disease. Have you all experienced any of this? 
Also (just a general observation on my part), in order for the recessive gene to produce either the Yellow Cordovans or the Purple Cordovans, it takes an artificially inseminated queen which has been inseminated with Cordovan-gene drones. Otherwise, your stock will revert back (over time), to "normal" honeybee colours.
And lastly, at least in the early days of Sue keeping the Cordovan stock, colour was the only breeding/selection criteria - any 
other characteristics (be they good or bad) was a far secondary consideration -- is that really what you want? I suppose if they're producing great amounts of honey, then you're going to be happy. But if not, then that too, is a result of their highly variable characteristics (that is, variable except for colour, of course).


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Texbeeguy,
As I said earlier, it is a genictic trait the color that is, but once the color was there Joe Lawshaw from Ohio State University started looking for traits that he felt was necessary for a good all around bee. Sue at one time I believe worked with Joe and than started with the carnolians and is basicially doing the same thing that Joe did. Looking for the good all around bee .No chalk brood with my bees. I heard Joe Ladshaw would work with the bees he started and there was a saying I heard ,how true I don't know, but if he entered a hive and got stung once it was his mistake , second time well start looking for another queen for that hive. I know for a fact that Koehens would send queens to Joe to be inseminated and than send them back to them so for me the queeen born in California was sent to Ohio than back to California and than back to me in Ohio. Kind of wild isn't it , no wonder my Cordovans are gentle their pooped from all of that moving back and forth. LOL
I talked to Joe many times on e-mail and gentleness was looked at for a top priority in his selection and I believe he did a great job. and carried down to the other breeders who bought his queens. 
Best Regards
Walt


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

Got my invoice from CF Koehnen and Sons. The package prices with shipping. I order 4 packages and with shipping they came to $69.80. The UPS next day shipping is the killer. It is $91.15. The cost for the packages is $47.00 for a 3# package w/queen. I am very satisfied with bees that I got from them last year, so I am going to stay with them, even though the UPS rates are killing me.

Thesurveyor


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi Surveyor,
like i said earlier its not Koehnen raising the prices its that UPS next day service. It can be very hard on the package bee business with what UPS now demands bees being shipped. I know you'll get great bees from them. keep me posted with ya Surveyor?
Walt


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

I will be getting my bees from Koehnen in about 4 weeks. I plan on ordering some bees from McCary. Have not placed the order yet, but plan to in the next day or so. Does anyone know how the temperment of McCary's bees is in comparison to the bees from CF Koehnen?

Just wondering.

Thanks
Thesurveyor


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Surveyor: I can't tell you the temperment of the bee's mccary is all I've got but they are a pleasure to work,what I really wanted to say is if your going to order from mccary I won't wait to lone , because the last I talked to him he was getting behind.because of the weather, mark


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi Mark and Survyor,
I never had McCary bees,but i do know he said his store is Glenn Apiaries of 
California. And I knew some people who had that stock and was very pleased with them. Koehnens bees we so gentle that i received I just couldn't believe it. But as you said surveryor that next day shipping kills you,with UPS and Parcel Post won;t ship that far. McCary is a very nice and very honest man from talking with him. and im trying him out. and i believe they will be what im looking for. If for some reason one of the hives is a little bit aggressive well ill buy a queen (cordovan queeen that is) and go on . this winter in the Northern states have been very cold and heavy losses are reported alrready i was told in Michigan over 59 percent and Ohio can be just as bad. so order early i think supplies will be short. Respectfully yours
Walt


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

I am planning on getting 20 packages from Koehnens in a month, does anyone have experience with them? Good, bad?


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

Wired,

I would recommend them to anyone. The bees were great, gentle and very productive. They have a brillant golden color. I have ordered from them again, and eating a chunk of change on the shipping. As far as I am concerned, If I could afford the shipping, I would order all my bees from there. 

UPS really laid a world of hurt, when they required next day air. Plus I live all the way on the east coast.

Plus the people there at Koehnen are great people. I spoke with a lady there today, she was nice and very pleasant to talk to. Customer service is worth alot in todays market place.

Thesurveyor

[This message has been edited by thesurveyor (edited March 11, 2003).]


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Wired,
Your dealing with one of the greatest bee suppliers in this country. They are truly a five star company. you won't go wrong with them ,and their bees are as nice as the people you will be dealing with. As surveyor said living on the east coast puts the hurt on us because of UPS next day service. 
I envy you for living so close to them.
Yours in the hobby
Walt


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Has it occured to any of you to buy some package bees of whatever breed that are cheaper and just buy their queens? Shipping on queens isn't bad at all.


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Hi Mike,
Yes thought about it quite abit, but here in Ohio the winters have not been kind to our bees, plus the city has grown around us and the number of hives is minimal. so dividing hives with our weather can be very detrmetal to our bees , I tried it and lost big time. And another point,Mike, I really love to play with package bees and watch what comes out. But maybe mike i will have to go your route because of shipping and the cost.Thanks for your comment.
 Respectfully yours
Walt


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Walt,
I actually live close enough to go pick up the packages myself, and I am real stoked about doin it too. I also live within driving distance of Honey bee Genetics, Strachan Apiaries, Glenn Apiaries, and a few others. It is a 5 hour drive, but well worth it.


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

You are a lucky man!!!

Thesurveyor


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## thesurveyor (Aug 20, 2002)

If you are going to order bees, you will need to order ASAP. Just ordered 2 more packages from McCary. He said he was getting behind. booked until April 21st. He and I talked a bit. Word is that MI is reporting 60% loss this year.

Thesurveyor


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## wjw777 (Mar 24, 2002)

Surveyor,
Im planing to call McCary tomorrow to get another package or two. Such a nice man and his wife is a peach too. Real Southern hospitality there. We are really taking a beating here in Ohio a friend of mine lost all his bees, this weather in Ohio this year isn't fit for man or beast(bees). 
Respectfully yours
Walt


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