Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ocba - Re: [ocba] Internet bee supplies?

ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: annallys Goodwin-Landher <annallys AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <ra41717 AT gmail.com>, <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Internet bee supplies?
  • Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:15:57 -0400

Another location for ordering from Dadent:
 
I was in Siler City for a workshop and the Farmer's Alliance hardware store on Chatham Ave (in the old downtown) carries dadant products.  From the south end of Chapel Hill it's about 30 miles.  Here's the link to the website:  http://thefarmersalliance.com/
 
In addition, if you order hive boxes and supers from brushy mountain and then order boxes or bottom boards etc from better bee the dimensions are about 1/4 inch different.

Annallys Goodwin-Landher
PO Box 2744
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
919 933-9109
annallys@hotmail.com
 

 

 

Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:04:34 -0400
From: ra41717 AT gmail.com
To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [ocba] Internet bee supplies?

I've found that some suppliers are good for some things, others are better for other things.

Dadant (www.dadant.com) is a good place to check out. To save a bit on shipping costs, find what you want online but instead of ordering on their website pick up the phone and call the store in Chatham, Virginia and place your order directly with them. They are 20 miles north of Danville so the distance-based shipping charges are a good bit less than from the main store in Illinois.

Betterbee (www.betterbee.com) is worth looking at for bottles and specialty items.

I've bought a few things from Miller in the past and it was good quality.

Jack Tapp, on New Hope Church Road at I-40 in Chapel Hill, carries essential items and can get Brushy Mountain items for you without you having to pay shipping charges.

Rossman's in Georgia (www.gabees.com) specializes in cypress wooden ware.

I usually make my own wooden ware, mostly because I enjoy it. But Blair is right that the price per box is not much more for store-bought than home made, as long as you don't have to pay shipping costs. Wood is heavy and the cost to ship can be more than the box itself.

The trouble with Lowe's & Home Depot is that you have to carefully inspect your lumber before you buy it. Random pine boards from the rack can be very bowed, warped, excessively knotted and even too short. I usually have to fish through quite a few before I find a small handful that are acceptable. If you start with funny lumber you'll end up with funny boxes. But if the boards you buy are "true" then you can get results as good as the mass market suppliers. After all, these aren't pianos we are building. It helps to make jigs to keep the corners square, the lengths precise, etc. as you build them. A frame assembly jig makes the work go tremendously faster and better. You can get plans for one on www.beesource.com.

Randall Austin

On 9/24/2011 5:03 PM, Alicia Reenders wrote:
CANAXtuDUKOD2-AFs0dpWs9peMx64J-uWXUJcFbZGiOb0+z8P6A AT mail.gmail.com">I have made my own bee boxes from Lowe's lumber and had a really hard time getting square corners and tops that line up when you try to stack them due to warping issues. I have taken a woodworking class and learned how to plane and joint lumber to get square edges, and I think this is what you might have to do. In the long run, it was cheaper to go to lowes but the product was not very useable.

I really like what I get at Brushy Mnt. I know most use that in this area. Maybe others have better building technique...I'd like to hear

-Alicia

On Sat, Sep 24, 2011 at 3:31 PM, Blair Christian <blair.christian AT gmail.com> wrote:
Does anybody have any opinions about supply companies?  I had a friend
in the Asheville area recommend Miller Bee Supply
http://millerbeesupply.com

I was going to build some hive bodies myself, but their prices are
quite reasonable if you use lumber prices based on home depot or
lowe's.  I do like to support local companies, but there are times I
buy things online for the convenience of home delivery....  I didn't
do any pricing on frames, though.  Anybody have thoughts on for a
price-conscious newbie?  I have plenty of time this winter to assemble
things...

Thanks,
Blair
_______________________________________________
ocba mailing list
North Carolina Beekeeping
http://www.theocba.org/



_______________________________________________
ocba mailing list
North Carolina Beekeeping
http://www.theocba.org/


_______________________________________________ ocba mailing list North Carolina Beekeeping http://www.theocba.org/



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page