Mason Jar Bee Super

[Maggiesdad]

Hmmm....

How do you sell -
word of mouth?
roadside stand?
farmer's market?
is your clientele crunchy?

 

[Maggiesdad]

my apologies to the OP - I did not mean to hijack the thread.

 

[norseofcourse]

My problem was/is...no one wants to buy it. I packed 3"- 4" squares of cut comb in plastic clam shell boxes and I only sold a few; most of them are in my freezer taking up space. I also put some in jars like your pictures and they only sold when that was all there was left. Fun experiment, but won't be doing it again.

Interesting, I've seen comb honey and it seems to sell well (I'll have to ask the next honey seller I see). Maybe it's a regional thing. Or maybe there's some tricks to marketing it - educating the buyers on the benefits of comb honey, or figuring out how to target likely buyers (upscale farmers markets? natural food stores?) Of course that also depends on how much time and energy you want to spend on a niche market item.

@SrStinkaLot - is comb honey something people want where you live? Or are you thinking to try and make it popular?

 

[SrStinkaLot]

Welcome to BYH, SrStinkalot!

From what I've read, while the mason jar super looks cool and can work, it's a lot of effort for a small return. The bees really don't like working in the tight space of the glass jar, it takes a booming hive with a good flow on to get them to move up in there.
And then it's a pain in the rear to get the bees off of the comb and out of the jar when you are ready to harvest.
I think @Latestarter is giving you good advice with the chunk honey method -similar marketing effect, lots less effort.

bees put it in the jar, then you backfill...

You put it in the jar, then backfill...

You still need to be able to turn out a good comb honey product for this, which is a couple of rungs up the art of beekeeping ladder.

On the other hand, I think you should try it - tell us how it works for you!
Is your nectar flow seasonal in Columbia? Or do your bees make honey year round?

Thanks I will take all your wonderful tips in mind, I was thinking in selling Honey jars like the first picture.Nectar flow is seasonal where I have my bees because it is a cold climate and we have dry season and wet season only, on other parts of Colombia the climate is a bit warmer and the nectar flow is a bit better.

 

[babsbag]

I was selling word of mouth at the school where I worked and a local health food store. Now selling honey that wasn't strained was pretty easy (go figure) but they just didn't understand the joys of chewing on honey comb; creamed honey was easier.

Bees are now really just a hobby so not actively selling honey, building a dairy is pretty time consuming.

 

[SrStinkaLot]

Interesting, I've seen comb honey and it seems to sell well (I'll have to ask the next honey seller I see). Maybe it's a regional thing. Or maybe there's some tricks to marketing it - educating the buyers on the benefits of comb honey, or figuring out how to target likely buyers (upscale farmers markets? natural food stores?) Of course that also depends on how much time and energy you want to spend on a niche market item.

@SrStinkaLot - is comb honey something people want where you live? Or are you thinking to try and make it popular?

I haven't seen any comb honey where I live and I was thinking in the comb in a jar method so it could be a somewhat introduction of the topic in the market. I was thinking in farmers markets and places like that to introduce it.
All of this new idea because I was thinking in a Tequila that has a grub in it and maybe it would be interesting to sell honey with comb in it.

 

[Maggiesdad]

All of this new idea because I was thinking in a Tequila that has a grub in it and maybe it would be interesting to sell honey with comb in it.

Sell brood with the honey - get your protein and your carbs!

 

[SrStinkaLot]

@Maggiesdad I've eaten brood and it has caused an allergic reaction on me because I'm allergic to bee stings so I don't think it can be a good idea, I can eat honey normally but react to brood and bee stings. Thanks to that experience is why I reckon selling honey jars with honey comb it it would be best.

For the sake of the conversation I hope I understood what you meant by brood, the bees in the egg and larvae stage if I'm wrong I'll be glad you could explain me.

 

[Latestarter]

Yes, you have it right... Brood is the egg and larval stages. Sorry you're allergic... Must be a challenge working your hives...

 

[SrStinkaLot]

@Latestarter It is a challenge specially when my veil had a hole in it, got stung by 20 bees the worst part was they were an experimental breed that had African genes, but I'm ok and enjoying beekeeping as much as possible.

If I'm allergic to brood maybe other people will be and what I want is to expand my market and not reduce it or make it for some people only. I really liked the idea of cutting comb and putting it in the honey jars.