Wabash Antiques and Feed Store on Washington Avenue in Houston is carrying a full line of Dadant Beekeeping Supplies, even brooders and supers. The general manager, who is a beekeeper himself and a member of the Houston Beekeepers Association, says that the store sends its own truck to Dadant to retrieve them. This is a great plus for the home beekeeper, because commercial orders are filled first by Dadant. This means that a small order could take 4-6 weeks to be filled, as it was in our case, and can also come with a hefty shipping fee if you are ordering a "get-started kit". The retail price at Wabash is slightly higher but there is an overall savings because of the shipping. Plus you get invaluable beekeeping advice.
The other good news is that the manager told me that the bee supplies are selling phenomenally well. The store initially placed an $8,000 order. In four months they have sold $100,000 worth. (All figures are wholesale).
I believe that people who would not normally consider a backyard hive will consider it when they happen upon all the supplies while visiting the store. I witnessed this yesterday when a dad got excited when he saw them and started asking questions. Unfortunately, his teenaged daughter quickly nipped his enthusiasm in the bud. You would have thought by her reaction that he wanted to start a tarantuala farm!
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