Growing Bee Business- Nuc Sales

[@russellaymond312]

Thanks for sharing Gus

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Very informative an you are correct comb is GOLD . Thanks Gus

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Lots of good information. Thanks and take care.

[@honeyandthecoop803]

Thanks Gus for more great information and your time sharing!

[@wittencreekbeez9384]

Always appreciate your willingness, Gus to share your knowledge from a practical point of view!

[@stephencaughley1218]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Really appreciated.

[@OutdoorsandCountryLiving]

It’s a lot of work and not sure folks always understand how important bees are. Keep at it!

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

I have 34 hives and it is a lot of work. 5 years beekeeping.

[@time2fly2124]

ive got limited experience, sold my first nucs last year, but i sold mine near over flowing with bees and told the customers that they needed to install them in a bigger box, like TODAY, or they will swarm. all you can do is just strongly suggest the customers what to do, and hope they do it.

[@dcsblessedbees]

That is true, been watch lots of bee keeping video, not many on bee businessing.

[@christianshannon3943]

Here in Prince George, Virginia I have been a beekeeper since 1999 . Up until four years ago I used to buy bees and nucs that would come out of Georgia. Since I learnt the process of splitting and catching swarms I can make increase to replace hives I lost over this past winter. In four years I haven’t bought any bees or nucs . Folks have rode past my house and come back to ask if I plan on selling splits. So far I have sold five nucs to local neighbors and have decided to mentor some locals by showing them what to do or not to do . Hopefully I can try my hand at grafting a few queens.

[@briancraig6468]

Great points. Thanks for the info.

[@craigbennett5910]

Love that you share your experience it helps a ton

[@timurich4270]

I take $50 per nuc. If a person backs out, I refund the deposit if I can sell the nuc. I have always been able to sell them. Good video.

[@Swarmstead]

Great points all the way around. I struggled with deposits for years. Now I require it up front and in full, no refunds. It separates the serious people from the ones that play around and cancel at the first opportunity of cheaper or earlier bees. I'm small scale though.

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

Yeah, all that backing out can get frustrating.

[@TexasBeekeeper]

Great job Gus. Great tips as always. Thanks for sharing

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

Very good information. Thanks. I sold 3 nucs last year, hope to sell 10-15 this year. Inspector coming Tuesday, May 2, for certification.

[@paris3200]

I love these types of videos. I'm in a similar situation as the person who asked the question so this video was very helpful.

[@flowerstreetfarmbees]

I do $75 deposits for my nucs, and it has worked for me. You've got to do something to ensure that the customer upholds the agreement, too.

[@russellaymond312]

Thank you Gus another great video

[@MrLarryhoward1]

Gus, thank you Sir!!

[@TennesseeTim38451]

Thank you for your thoughts on this. I saw that same post and was hoping someone would address a very valid question. Thanks Gus!

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I appreciate the feedback, I roll the dice putting my opinions out sometimes people like it sometimes they don’t.

[@hickoryhives8372]

Great chat Gus, I only sell about a dozen each season. I require a 50% deposit to help weed some people out. You will always have at least one complaint, guess that's human nature or the world we living in....

[@MacBTN]

Good video. Thanks for the info.

[@terrydeese157]

Enjoyed the information brother

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Hello Gus this older video of yours just popped up an wanted to check in with you . Hope all is doing well. Look forward to more of your videos . Thanks

[@joejackson9214]

Thanks for the video.

[@sherryortiz227]

Thanks for giving me something to hope for and be prepared for next spring. Last winter and past spring was shot down with covid hitting me twice so I wasn't as prepared as I was the previous year and I had to cancel my state inspection and couldnt do all the prep work. I'll make sure I'm on the inspectors list early for 2023 and spend the winter getting things in order. Just getting over Covid again on day 13. My Dr. says I'm a magnet. Got it 3 times in 8 months and lagging behind on early prep for this winter I guess I can at least get it all written down. Going into winter with more hives than I planned but I did get to sell 3 nucs and a few queens this year. Front yard full of mating nucs again. I only plan to sell 6 nucs each year to pay my house insurance being retired and living in the city and don't have enough space to grow too many out.

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

Ha, I fell off a ladder getting a swarm, got Covid, got Shingles. Lost a lot of bees because I was unable to keep up.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Thanks for the tips man. Us new into these revenue streams appreciate the experienced advise. A good mentor isn't always behind a beekeeper, though we should try.

[@davidloucky3566]

Thanks for this post, Gus. I sell a few nucs each year just to keep my numbers from exploding. You don't talk about possible pricing, but that's probably a regional thing. Most folks undercharge, IMHO. I charge a $25.00 deposit on jester box so that I can replace it if they choose to keep it.

[@woodlandharvesthoneycompanyllc]

Very good video Gus. It is really helpful to know some of the key points going in. And yes, I never have enough comb either.

[@gallowaylights]

Gus Mitchell, do you keep feeding 1 to 1 to your 4 frame over 4 frame resource hives all season, to get them to make comb?

[@heavymechanic2]

I'm close to Bristol and people expect a NUC before its possible to rear queens with success. One guy was demanding, he bought a package with a drone laying queen and then wanted a mated queen to fix his mistake. I have good luck rearing fall queens on goldenrod to have fresh queens for spring buildup.. One insulated hive is crazy strong, intending to draw comb weeks before other colonies.

[@songbirdacres-cliffbontrag4614]

I have been really small scale so far, 4-6 hives, have been considering the idea of expanding quite abit in order sell more than just honey... You have input on how many hives to have to really make it worth the bother selling Nucs / queens etc. - I'm in Central VA, certifications are required to sell nucs. Thanks Gus for the great video!

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

That’s really dependent on how much you hope to make, and personal variables. Wish I could just tel you a number, it this is one of those questions you have to figure out what will work for you.

[@biz-zeebeefarm1232]

Gus, after a couple years of people backing out , I started taking a nonrefundable deposit per nuc which is taken from the total. If someone backs out, I keep that deposit for my time.

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I’ll be doing that next season. How much was your deposit, 1/3?

[@biz-zeebeefarm1232]

@@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529 Yes, about a 1/3 of the nuc price.

[@beefriendlychannel7965]

Call a deposit a "commitment payment". It puts the consumer on their back foot, and gives you flexibility on the other end.

[@richlandfarms8452]

Very good information. Thanks. Do you have a website? Through a search I see your classes and beekeeping experiences but couldn't find any information on your other offerings.

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I don’t have a website yet, I need to find someone for that.

[@williamrhoades1913]

Great video. Have you done a video on your thoughts on selling honey as a hobby beekeeper? Seems that some folks want to buy it by the gallon, but that only brings about half the price per weight as the smaller sizes. Thanks

[@nszucs1]

Thank you for covering this Gus! I am hoping to put more time into beekeeping as a side gig. I'm hoping selling bees will be a good way to do it and you covered a lot of my questions. Do you give people a choice on mediums vs deep frames?

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I will only make medium nucs up on special order and they are the same price.

[@amathonn]

Do you graft all your own queens? What certification do you recommend?

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I like trapping swarms. And thinking about leasing bee yard out for bear hunting next year. If I don't get a license next year. The horizontal Lazutin hives with nail boards are working so far to keep bear out. I got into bee keeping to sell localized hardy yooper bees and give bees places to live. Bees per pound are worth more than honey. I am a cheap ask too. I use old scaffold boards to build hives. Misting bottle with sugar water, propolis oil mix instead of smoker. It helps with mites and robbing. Wet sticky bees need to be cleaned before they can fly again. Like hitting them with powdered sugar. I got a feather for a bee brush. I only get up north to bee yard 3 times a year for about a week at a time. So they get misted with sugar water 6 times a year. Memorial day, 4th of July, and Labor day. Someone has small apiary down the road from my central u.p. property. Never meet them only drive by it. Have bumble nest on property too. Which I may try to raise some bumble bees too. Those 2 things made me decided to try bee keeping. Kind of became a bee watcher at camp because of berries, service berry trees, and basswood. Made a swarm trap spring 2021. It seems like I need to make a hive every time I go to camp now. When life gives you bees become a bee keeper.

[@tonyvanoostrom3501]

Hi there Gus. Thanks for your great videos. Have you an opinion on 4 frame nucs vs 5 frame. I am in Ontario, Canada, and we are predominantly 4 frame nucs up here. But some folks do sell 5 frame. I see Jester boxes only come as 5 frames as far as I can tell. Regards. WillowBee Apiary

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

For selling I use 5 frame jester boxes, that’s pretty standard for where I am.

[@WeBeWrenchN]

New bee keeper here. I found this video to be very helpful. I really appreciate your time and info. When you're making these nuc frames, I'm assuming you use natural wax foundation? With wooden frames? Also do you build your own frames or purchase premade. Thanks!

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I buy my frames, for brood frames I like 1 piece plastic.

[@WeBeWrenchN]

@@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529 thank you!

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

Great information. What about selling honey?

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

What would you like to know?

[@gallowaylights]

do you pull honey at various times trying to get various flavors ?

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

@@gallowaylights not really, I just separate yards or if I come across something different

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

@@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529 How you got started, what you do, the whole nine really. All I know is trying to sell at farmers markets, or online like Etsy or FB ... I have no clue about large qtys. Anything you share would be helpful.

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

How much do you sell your nucs for?

[@johnemmenecker4859]

I sold 200 packs this year and 100 nucs… I would never sell my own girls unless I went to south Florida to grow them… which is what I do…

[@mileawayhoney]

Are ya selling you honey in 5 gallon buckets? to who? How do you get certified?

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

Yes, to whoever wants to buy them. Restaurants, individuals, beekeepers.

[@mileawayhoney]

At the 25 dollar a quart price thats like 500 bucks so Im guessing you discount it. Never thought about Restaurants. what about getting certified, who does that for ya?

[@johnemmenecker4859]

Not bad advice but you missed resale….that hits on your comb point though….

[@johnemmenecker4859]

And 10000% I am doing deposits Becuase i those people ALWAYS show up. And I hate dealing with chasing cats, let alone people…

[@johnemmenecker4859]

If they don’t want to deposit I don’t want them as a customer

[@springcitybeefarm5971]

I’ve found on resources hive that long langsworth hives with great queens are the bomb for resources easy access and big capacity try it it changed my operation saves time allows brood and comb resources . Build your own cheaply to keep cost down what I did bonus is winter great in them .

[@gusmitchellcranesnesthoney6529]

I ran some long langs quite a few years ago, already been through that fad