NZBF NewBee buying Bees however Im a little take back and unsure

[Alanbee 20]

Hi all,

         Just brought 4 Nucs @ $200 each off trademe see ad below. The trade was for one and I was offered more so I took 4 thinking I was buying the same thing.

         I would like some feedback to what the members feel after viewing the images I took after checking the Nuc boxes before I . 

 

Trademe ad:

This auction is for one Nuc beehive with virgin queen recently added. 
Pick up either from Auckland or Auckland.
Each Nuc will need to be transferred to your box or for $15 I it can come with a new 5 frame corflute box. 
5 full depth frames. Mix of new wooden wax and plastic frames 
Each 2-3 frames brood with honey and pollen stores.  
This auction comes with caged virgin queen or a recently added queen. So should mate and lay in approx 3 weeks. 
Nucs will have there Varroa treatment completed.

 

 

Email to seller:

Hi $%^&,

Reading your last email I had a look before I moved frames into my hives and see there were a few frames short.

Box 1 4 frames

Box 2 4 frames

Box 3 5 frames

Box 4 3 frames

 

Regards,

Me

 

Response from seller:

 

Hi

Not all boxes had 5 frames as I was working going on the basis I would be managing the hives.

To explain. When I make a split I start with 3-4 frames, then add more brood and food as required.

Your bought 4 virgin nucs...I gave you 3 mated queens as I want to ensure success and demonstrate my commitment to a long term partnership.

Let's put 00 hives athe Catter. We can work these together so you learn and I get additional apiary space. 

As for more hives beyond this is old charge a management fee of $000 a year per hive including all feed and Varroa treatments etc. Payable quarterly.  

$

 

What do you make of this?
 

[dansar 5,433]

3 minutes ago, Alanbee said:

Hi all,

         Just brought 4 Nucs @ $200 each off trademe see ad below. The trade was for one and I was offered more so I took 4 thinking I was buying the same thing.

         I would like some feedback to what the members feel after viewing the images I took after checking the Nuc boxes before I . 

 

Trademe ad:

This auction is for one Nuc beehive with virgin queen recently added. 
Pick up either from Auckland or Auckland.
Each Nuc will need to be transferred to your box or for $15 I it can come with a new 5 frame corflute box. 
5 full depth frames. Mix of new wooden wax and plastic frames 
Each 2-3 frames brood with honey and pollen stores.  
This auction comes with caged virgin queen or a recently added queen. So should mate and lay in approx 3 weeks. 
Nucs will have there Varroa treatment completed.

 

 

Email to seller:

Hi $%^&,

Reading your last email I had a look before I moved frames into my hives and see there were a few frames short.

Box 1 4 frames

Box 2 4 frames

Box 3 5 frames

Box 4 3 frames

 

Regards,

Me

 

Response from seller:

 

Hi

Not all boxes had 5 frames as I was working going on the basis I would be managing the hives.

To explain. When I make a split I start with 3-4 frames, then add more brood and food as required.

Your bought 4 virgin nucs...I gave you 3 mated queens as I want to ensure success and demonstrate my commitment to a long term partnership.

Let's put 00 hives athe Catter. We can work these together so you learn and I get additional apiary space. 

As for more hives beyond this is old charge a management fee of $000 a year per hive including all feed and Varroa treatments etc. Payable quarterly.  

$

 

What do you make of this?
 

You got taken for a ride. You were right in expecting 5 frames in each nuc.

I have never heard of anyone selling nucs with virgin queens, that’s just really weird. 

[tristan 4,233]

the whole thing sounds weird.

virgin queens IN a nuc ??

14 minutes ago, Alanbee said:

We can work these together so you learn and I get additional apiary space. 

Your bought 4 virgin nucs...I gave you 3 mated queens as I want to ensure success and demonstrate my commitment to a long term partnership.

???? really, he intends to use your bees ??

going into a partnership ???

 

plus the sellers record is not very good.

it reads like a newbie trying to make a quick $$$.

Edited January 9, 2018 by tristan

[Alanbee 20]

Yes he is a young guy say he wants to become a bee commercial Bee breeder but had no room wile working for an Apiary.

 

No quick bucks I'm just a life style change so Im not a slave to other just to the bees, We have another businesses that uses

Bee by products for health reasons.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Alanbee

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,678]

1 minute ago, Alanbee said:

No quick bucks just a life style change so Im not a slave to other and another businesses that uses Bee by products for health reasons.

No. Not you @Alanbee.  The seller on trade me.

Those nuc's are a rip off. as has been pointed out.

[Alastair 8,151]

He wants to be a commercial bee breeder? 

 

Looks to me like a few frames put into a corflute box, wait till they raise a virgin then sell it as a nuc without even waiting to ensure the queen mates and starts laying. If the queens do not mate these "nucs" will be worth very little. Just moving nucs that have virgins in is a very bad plan indeed and something a proper commercial beekeeper would not do.

 

If this is his idea of what he should be selling to a new beekeeper I hope he finds a different line of work and does not inflict himself on other beekeepers. The most honourable thing he could do is take them away and give your money back.

 

If that does not happen I think he should be named so others can avoid him.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Alastair

[frazzledfozzle 7,363]

He is selling very expensive virgin nucs which is a risk to the buyer because not all will mate.

they are the weakest nucs I’ve ever seen for sale.

he says he has given you 3 mated Queens instead of virgins to show a long term commitment to you but if it was me I wouldn’t go anywhere near him or his commitment.

[cBank 790]

I think going for a full return + refund would be a good idea - the whole thing stinks. 

 

Someone here may be able to help set you up for a reasonable price and additionally the Auckland Bee Keeping club has some nice sounding hives going on the noticeboard (or did at last meeting) for a reasonable price that could be split and have far stronger results.

Edited January 9, 2018 by cBank

[frazzledfozzle 7,363]

It also sounds like he’s working for a beekeeper makes me wonder if he’s not flogging a few frames and selling them as nucs because they sure as heck aren’t splits like he claims. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by frazzledfozzle

[Alanbee 20]

4 minutes ago, frazzledfozzle said:

It also sounds like he’s working for a beekeeper makes me wonder if he’s not flogging a few frames and selling them as nucs because they sure as heck aren’t splits like he claims. 

Thanks what I was thinking and when I opened the Nucs and saw BQNZ who is BQNZ?

 

[cBank 790]

Think that’s a brand name - I had the same thought so looked it up. Someone here was discussing their sizing recently.

 

https://www.beequip.nz/collections/supers/products/3-4-depth-brood-box-with-waxed-russian-pine-frames?variant=34541452494

Edited January 9, 2018 by cBank

[tommy dave 1,135]

a few frames with a virgin queen isn't a nuc - that should have been a red flag that warned you away. Please post his trademe id so I can warn others.

[Rob Stockley 3,415]

7 minutes ago, Alanbee said:

Thanks what I was thinking and when I opened the Nucs and saw BQNZ who is BQNZ?

 

Those are retail frames from https://www.beequip.nz

[Alanbee 20]

9 minutes ago, tommy dave said:

a few frames with a virgin queen isn't a nuc - that should have been a red flag that warned you away. Please post his trademe id so I can warn others.

Im to green to know the difference, yes I admit it, I have a very good friend who ran 1800 hives for 30 years he showed me something that would give me honey and string me if I didn't treat it right. Some years later in my late teens I helped him build his honey house. A great mentor and friend respected by many. 

 

As for posting the Trademe id I think it best to give the guy the opportunity to do the right thing as the only thing they will dead with is their name.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Alanbee

[JDS 16]

I would check to make sure each one has a queen.  

Edited January 9, 2018 by JDS

[Alanbee 20]

2 minutes ago, JDS said:

I would check to make sure each one has a queen.  

Just written and ask him to come collect them and refund my money.... Some one else can show me the honey.

[Philbee 4,672]

Maybe combine into two hives and put on good forage

With luck you might go into winter with 2 reasonable singles @ $400 each

 

Then Re treat

[Stoney 1,388]

Oh dear... i wonder what his disease history or knowledge is like, looking at the state of his for sale nucs I'd say he's just a bluffer... joining the long que of so called bee keepers making a fortune selling bees

[Alanbee 20]

5 minutes ago, Philbee said:

Maybe combine into two hives and put on good forage

With luck you might go into winter with 2 reasonable singles @ $400 each

 

Then Re treat

You know Phil I took this on and committed to doing this over 18 months ago and got my first taste of the games played in Northland around Commercial Beekeepers over property rights. There are people in every industry every where willing to teach you a lesson with out love. But for me its about finding a better class of loser to hang without with. If I have to lose why lose the lesson it the most valuable part. 2 hives then re treat? haha  Nah to easy!

[Philbee 4,672]

6 minutes ago, Alanbee said:

You know Phil I took this on and committed to doing this over 18 months ago and got my first taste of the games played in Northland around Commercial Beekeepers over property rights. There are people in every industry every where willing to teach you a lesson with out love. But for me its about finding a better class of loser to hang without with. If I have to lose why lose the lesson it the most valuable part. 2 hives then re treat? haha  Nah to easy!

Lol
I understand your point but what is funny but fitting is the misunderstanding of the term Re treat

I meant re treat for Varroa because the nucs are likely in need of treatment.
There is a chance that you wont see your refund so my advice stands

[Alanbee 20]

Is there some where that we report questionable behaviour of beekeepers in regards health and safety ie AFB, Stolen bees?

[Philbee 4,672]

2 minutes ago, Alanbee said:

Is there some where that we report questionable behaviour of beekeepers in regards health and safety ie AFB, Stolen bees?

Hmmm, it is just a little bit questionable that you have posted that question with regard to afb.
Maybe you could edit  that bit out

[Alanbee 20]

Reason is if someone is up to no good how fare dose the "no good" go?

Edited January 9, 2018 by Alanbee

[Alanbee 20]

Reason is if someone is up to no good how fare dose the "no good" go? you maybe right Phil ... all the beekeepers I have ever met are of the old school that stand for something (apart from two) and when someone makes a fool out of you you tend not to forget te lesson.

[Philbee 4,672]

Start here

http://www.afb.org.nz/records-and-reporting