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Elmgrovegnome

Elmgrovegnome

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RamFanWA said:
This probably works for any hobby someone has (I have some bees) - but thinking that honey will be "free" is like thinking salmon are "free" after the fishing licenses, rods, reels, bait, truck, trailer and boat!!!

View attachment 71838
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Isn’t the idea that overtime the honey is eventually free? Like once you have everything you need, then the cost is recouped in five to ten years?
 
RamFanWA

RamFanWA

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Elmgrovegnome said:
Isn’t the idea that overtime the honey is eventually free? Like once you have everything you need, then the cost is recouped in five to ten years?
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I don't ever see it as breaking even... you'd really have to make a business out of it with hundreds of hives. In the NW they truck the hives down to the almond orchards in very early spring, then to the apple orchards in central WA... Hive rental can produce $200 or more during pollination season...

For me it is a hobby... however, in maybe 3 years of doing this, I've never harvested honey.... and I quit for 5-6 years, so just started back up.

My life cycle is pretty much this:

1. Buy a NUC starter (queen and maybe 3,000 worker bees) for about $200 and transplant them into your own hive... These starter kits usually are not available until very late spring - which means your first year of production is going to be limited, if at all. At least in the Pacific North West.

2. The next year bee population can swell beyond your imagination, due to getting a jump on the pollen cycle in early spring. If you are not aware, they can out-grow the hive, though I have added brood boxes and they out-grew that too. If this is not rectified, they will up an leave. AKA, swarming. Looking for new digs. Two brood boxes can hold 40-60,000 bees.

You can build them a house, but they can't be fenced in very well.

3. Depression sets in and you quit for a couple of years...

Usually you'd want a hive with two brood boxes, where the larvae is turned into bees. Above that is typically the honey (super) box. The honey supers can be the size of the deep brood boxes, but it becomes more difficult to lift them when full, as they can weigh up to around 90 lbs. Typically half height boxes are used for honey these day, so us old farts can lift off the 45 lb box.

So, the sunk costs for this probably average $450-650 for hive components - but you also need a few tools, a smoker, gloves, a protective suit - so you could add another $150-250 for that.

Yearly expenses would be for feeder supplies - mainly sugar and pollen patties - and leaving honey for the hive to winter over. It's not good to steal all their food!

So, initially you might be out of pocket $700-800, but hives can be added for $300-400 depending on the season you purchase them and deciding what you can make yourself.

If I purchased $800 worth of honey, I am pretty damn sure that would last 10 years, in or house!!
 
Elmgrovegnome

Elmgrovegnome

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RamFanWA said:
I don't ever see it as breaking even... you'd really have to make a business out of it with hundreds of hives. In the NW they truck the hives down to the almond orchards in very early spring, then to the apple orchards in central WA... Hive rental can produce $200 or more during pollination season...

For me it is a hobby... however, in maybe 3 years of doing this, I've never harvested honey.... and I quit for 5-6 years, so just started back up.

My life cycle is pretty much this:

1. Buy a NUC starter (queen and maybe 3,000 worker bees) for about $200 and transplant them into your own hive... These starter kits usually are not available until very late spring - which means your first year of production is going to be limited, if at all. At least in the Pacific North West.

2. The next year bee population can swell beyond your imagination, due to getting a jump on the pollen cycle in early spring. If you are not aware, they can out-grow the hive, though I have added brood boxes and they out-grew that too. If this is not rectified, they will up an leave. AKA, swarming. Looking for new digs. Two brood boxes can hold 40-60,000 bees.

You can build them a house, but they can't be fenced in very well.

3. Depression sets in and you quit for a couple of years...

Usually you'd want a hive with two brood boxes, where the larvae is turned into bees. Above that is typically the honey (super) box. The honey supers can be the size of the deep brood boxes, but it becomes more difficult to lift them when full, as they can weigh up to around 90 lbs. Typically half height boxes are used for honey these day, so us old farts can lift off the 45 lb box.

So, the sunk costs for this probably average $450-650 for hive components - but you also need a few tools, a smoker, gloves, a protective suit - so you could add another $150-250 for that.

Yearly expenses would be for feeder supplies - mainly sugar and pollen patties - and leaving honey for the hive to winter over. It's not good to steal all their food!

So, initially you might be out of pocket $700-800, but hives can be added for $300-400 depending on the season you purchase them and deciding what you can make yourself.

If I purchased $800 worth of honey, I am pretty damn sure that would last 10 years, in or house!!
Click to expand...
Sounds like raising chickens for eggs is more cost effective.

I have some friends that have a few hives of their own. The last I spoke with them they had 3. They have gotten honey. I don’t know what the quantity is, but it tastes good. Their interest was more about saving the bees though.
 
RamFan503

RamFan503

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Stu
RamFanWA said:
I don't ever see it as breaking even... you'd really have to make a business out of it with hundreds of hives. In the NW they truck the hives down to the almond orchards in very early spring, then to the apple orchards in central WA... Hive rental can produce $200 or more during pollination season...

For me it is a hobby... however, in maybe 3 years of doing this, I've never harvested honey.... and I quit for 5-6 years, so just started back up.

My life cycle is pretty much this:

1. Buy a NUC starter (queen and maybe 3,000 worker bees) for about $200 and transplant them into your own hive... These starter kits usually are not available until very late spring - which means your first year of production is going to be limited, if at all. At least in the Pacific North West.

2. The next year bee population can swell beyond your imagination, due to getting a jump on the pollen cycle in early spring. If you are not aware, they can out-grow the hive, though I have added brood boxes and they out-grew that too. If this is not rectified, they will up an leave. AKA, swarming. Looking for new digs. Two brood boxes can hold 40-60,000 bees.

You can build them a house, but they can't be fenced in very well.

3. Depression sets in and you quit for a couple of years...

Usually you'd want a hive with two brood boxes, where the larvae is turned into bees. Above that is typically the honey (super) box. The honey supers can be the size of the deep brood boxes, but it becomes more difficult to lift them when full, as they can weigh up to around 90 lbs. Typically half height boxes are used for honey these day, so us old farts can lift off the 45 lb box.

So, the sunk costs for this probably average $450-650 for hive components - but you also need a few tools, a smoker, gloves, a protective suit - so you could add another $150-250 for that.

Yearly expenses would be for feeder supplies - mainly sugar and pollen patties - and leaving honey for the hive to winter over. It's not good to steal all their food!

So, initially you might be out of pocket $700-800, but hives can be added for $300-400 depending on the season you purchase them and deciding what you can make yourself.

If I purchased $800 worth of honey, I am pretty damn sure that would last 10 years, in or house!!
Click to expand...
I used to buy our honey 100 pounds at a time for our honey oatmeal porter. They had quite an operation. Hundreds of hives they would move around mainly to clover fields. Still, they decided to open a Meadery and pizza joint so they could make money.
 
RamFanWA

RamFanWA

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I'll just leave this here.....
1754179450926.png
 
RamFanWA

RamFanWA

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This may not be humor. It just pisses me off. :laugh4:
Keep in mind, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in FOUR years.... :woozy2:

1754499648070.png
 
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