Norfolk Honey - second hand beehives with bees for sale
Secondhand beehives with bees for sale
I have second hand National beehives for sale each with a
colony of bees in at pretty uch any time of the year. This offer consists of a brood box with bees,
a floor, and a crown board. If you are buying when the bees can be inspected (not in November, December, January or February) we would like you to choose your colony from three or four that I have have in one of my apiaries. This involves inspecting each hive with me first and you choosing the one that you want to buy.
Prices range from £300 to £350 per hive (depending on
the age of the bees and the equipment)
Why do we sell complete colonies of bees?
Once we get to the Autumn with Winter on it's way buying a complete colony of bees is your best option. Indeed, in my opinion, buying a complete colony of bees is best when you are just getting started in beekeeping. A complete colony means more bees to start beekeeping with. In many years from around the beginning of August onwards (depending on the weather) new nucs are likely to be too small to build up into a reasonably sized colony before the winter sets in. And although a few swarms may still crop up in late summer they won't have the best chance of survival through one of our winters if they are not united with more bees to boost their numbers.
So if you wish give bees as a present at Christmas (a beehive for Christmas) you will be best advised to buy a complete colony. That could be a colony in a second hand hive or a colony put into new equipment. I can put colonies into new hives for up until arround the middle of November at the very latest - although it is better to move the bees from an old hive into to a new one before the end of August if at all possible.
Complete colonies for queen breeding in early spring
If you wish to build up a number of hives early in the year then buying a complete colony in March could be a good idea. A strong colony bought in early in the season (around mid March) and fed well will build up quickly into enough bees to fill the brood box and even a second brood box put on top. Two brood boxes full of bees by early May provide you with ideal material for queen breeding.
Buying a complete colony may seem expensive - but if you manage them well then buying a full colony is about the same in terms of the bees you get as buying two or three nucs - although of course you will be buying just the one queen. However, if you add a couple of nuc boxes to your purchase you can soon have a strong colony and two nucs bred from your colony.
Complete colonies set up to travel
If you wish to buy a colony and need to travel several hours to get it home then I can make a traveling floor and traveling screen - an open mesh screen that allows you to spray the bees with water (to keep them cool) at intervals on your journey home. However, a better plan is to find a bee keeper near you - see Honey Bees For Sale
Pick up from Norwich. I will deliver within East Anglia - please email for a delivery quote.
For further details please email contact@norfolkhoney.co.uk