Author Topic: Is anyone selling beehives and bees? (Read 4279 times)

waterbuffalofarmer · « **on:** April 16, 2014, 08:07:40 am »

Hi
I am looking for at least one beehive and some bees for 2014. However I have not been able to find any bees.
Can anyone help?
Thanks

Bionic · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2014, 09:12:44 am »

Do you want second hand hives or new? Whereabouts are you?
Last year we bought bees from Melindwr Valley Bees, Aberstwyth. He sells hives too

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2014, 09:25:02 am »

I'm not really bothered second hand hives would be good provided they are in good condition.
We are based in mid wales. Here is the link to our website.
http://www.buffalodairy.co.uk/
Thanks

Bionic · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2014, 12:11:53 pm »

Ah, I see you are up near Aberstwyth yourself, so you can't be far from the people I gave you the details of.
Failing that you can always buy hives from Thornes. They are expensive but pretty good.

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2014, 02:11:58 pm »

Hi,
Yes, just been on their website, looks interesting and not too far away. Thanks very much for the lead.
Best wishes
Eirene

Beeducked · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2014, 08:37:12 pm »

There's also Fragile Planet in Oswestry who are pretty good. I got a nuc from then last year and they are a cracking colony.

cloddopper · « **Reply #6 on:** April 18, 2014, 10:53:08 pm »

If you're handy with a bench saw & a router etc you can make the brood boxes , bases & supers etc.etc. yourself for a fraction of the price of the big boys selling prices and make them in western red cedar to boot ( very long lasting wood ) ..

Thorne's & others sell metric or imperial sized " National bee hive " plans and several other sized plans as well so does the British Bee Keepers association (BBKA)

I made the vast majority of my own fifty national metric sized hives .

Having set standardized sized hives helps no end as all parts are interchangeable.
You'll only need one type of frame style , super or brood box etc.
I've taught keepers who had four or five different types of " car boot/auction " hives and all manner of hotchpotch devices to make incorrect frames sit in the supers & brood boxes.
They didn't do very well in the long term as they always had problems with things .

The only thing I got from Thornes in the end was the self spacing all wood Langstroth ( ? ) style frames & frame pins as I'd managed to get hold of a foundation moulding set at an auction for pennies .

WillieBee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 19, 2014, 02:35:53 pm »

This company also make hives, they are pretty cheap too.

http://www.caddon-hives.co.uk/National-Beehives/National-Bee-Hive/

Another hive maker, actually based in my home town can be seen below. Their hives are good, but as cheap. Their website is ..

http://thehivemaker.co.uk/the-hive/

Good luck in your venture.