# thinking of selling out



## beekeeper032000 (Apr 25, 2009)

Does anybody ever think about selling out? Selling all their bees and equipment? I'm thinking of selling out, but not sure yet. I don't have the same passion about bees like I did in the past. Anyone ever experience this?


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Yes,but a word to the wise.Within six months to a year you will be buying all that stuff back.Don't ask me how I know that. Instead,give them a good mite treatment then take a loonnnnggg vacation from the bees.


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## IsedHooah (Jan 13, 2015)

Maybe just think about downsizing for a few years before getting out altogether? Just another option I suppose.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

I've been keeping bees since '91. I've quit a number of times and several times hurricanes quit for me. But eventually I always get back in. It's an addiction. If you find the cure, let me know.

Rusty


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I've kept bees since 1990 or so, and I've quit once for 4 years because of moving to a high stress long hours job in an area where I could not keep them. I had sold off or given away all my equipment, and had to buy it all back again when I got into a situation where I could keep them again. That was back in 2004 when I started back up again. I'm getting to where now I think about taking a break from them... but but I don't think I can, not really. I still just get too much enjoyment from keeping bees. The whole world and it's worries just seems to fade and disappear every time I crack open a hive lid. I have cut back the numbers though and plan to cut back a little more again this year, but I don't think I'll be quitting completely again any time soon.


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

I haven't kept bees anywhere near the amount of years Ray has, but I have similar thoughts and feelings. Working with the bees is kinda therapeutic for me if I do it in a cool, calm, unhurried manner. I love coming home and just sitting and looking at the bees coming home to their hives. Does something good for me.

During really tough times with the bees, I certainly felt like giving up and nearly did. People like Ray and Jeff encouraged me to keep going, and now I am so happy I did.

Finally, my goals have changed. I would like to do enough splits and queen raising so it will pay for all my equipment and labor, then sell off enough bees each year to make the entire operation pay for itself and even make a little. I really do think this is possible. 

I hope you can clarify your goals and make decisions that later on you are happy with.


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## nediver (May 26, 2013)

Enjoyed reading all these comments and positive encouragements. 

You will need to decide what is best. I can understand both sides. I have hobbies I miss but just can't do anymore.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

I started 47 years ago when I was 10 years old. There have been lean years when I had very little time for the bees. Twice, I lost all of my bees first to trachea mites in 1988 and then to varroa in 1993/1994. I rebuilt each time. There is always pleasure in working with bees and encouraging them to produce a crop of honey.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

It gets to be a grind. Beginning about...now..... I'll be working bees seven days a week, weather permitting, until the end of summer. At age 66 I don't need the headaches of employees and expanding. It would be fun if I had 20 hives and no commitments to honey or nucs. I'll stick it out for a few more years...if everything cooperates but will likely begin scaling back then.


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## beekeeper032000 (Apr 25, 2009)

I know I'm whining here. I'm 59, started in 1990 and now I'm up to about 300. I've been focused on raising and selling queens, nucs and honey production. I started in n. cal. then moved to Ga. in 98. I'm beginning to lose my passion with beekeeping, mainly because I've not found good help with the bees, and the summer heat and humidity can really put you under. I'm getting tired of the physical demands of beekeeping and having to fight with the mites ect. Yet at times I vacillate back and forth, thinking of sell all, but then staying with it. I'm absolutely unmotivated this year and here it is time to make up splits and nucs.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I can see getting tire of the rat race. Being an honerable guy, people start relying on you and you don't want to let them down and you are also like being in a pocker game with a weak hand where you get pot committed. I am doing my best to stay from making but very small commitments these days. 

I can definatly understand your feelings and my view is you sorta gotta do the best you can to make moves toward what will make you happiest. 

My view is to not nessasarily rush in or rush out but to look for opertunities that present themselves to move in the direction you want to go. 

In most things that generate income, the only way to get that income is to work it and when you quit working it, it almost always devalues the actual assets. However, gaining time might be worth losing a bit. I retired and make less then half of what I did working and could not be happier.
Good luck
gww


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

Just a sideliner here, but have worked my whole life at some job or another, (like most beekeepers,we are not known for our laziness). But anyway, I have found out that any job, no matter how much you love it, has it's ups and downs, it's mountains and valleys. It sounds like you are in a valley right now. One thing I have learned, is don't make any huge decisions when you are in a valley. Those decisions are based mostly on emotion and not logic. My two cents for what it is worth: work this year, and see how you feel next spring, if you still feel the same way, then maybe it is time to get out. For everything there is a season.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

If your getting tired and have no motivation it's time to cut back for a while and then take a good look at things.
I've been there. Same age group, 20 years with bees.
It happens to people in all lines of work. No guilt, just acknowledgement of changing circumstances.


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## beekeeper032000 (Apr 25, 2009)

Hey thanks for the replys and the advise from you fellow beekeepers. I think cutting back alittle may help abit and just be patient during the low valleys, although year by year the back starts to tell on you  Thanks again for all your input, I value them. Best of wishes to you for this year.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

clyderoad said:


> If your getting tired and have no motivation it's time to cut back for a while and then take a good look at things.
> I've been there. Same age group, 20 years with bees.
> It happens to people in all lines of work. No guilt, just acknowledgement of changing circumstances.


Yep, I am looking at retirement in a few years, and working to build some things for an income stream where I can work with my land and have it produce for me. I don't have any visions of having thousands of hives, trucking them around the country and running the rat-race. I want to have just enough so that it does not become a 'chore' to work with them, but enough to give me something to do that I enjoy, and which will bring in some money as well.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I've been wanting to back off each year, but it has become an out of control joy. My parents got into the business back in 1976 and I ran my first bee yard of my own at 8 years old. At the age of 45 now, I'm blessed to say I'm doing the job I enjoy. Of course I've had a slow winter and gearing up for a new bee season. By the end of honey season I'm always ready to retire. opcorn:

Two years ago I had a buyer come in and made an offer on the company. The $$$ for sell out was hard to pass up, but 5 years no com-peat and no consultanting made me pass. To young to retire. 35+ years in the business and every year I'm in it to learn more. Last year wasn't in no way the perfect year, but at 208 lb avg. NOT BAD. Hard work with great $$$$$$, has always been my joy. Now if I can pass on what I know to my kids.:thumbsup:


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## beekeeper032000 (Apr 25, 2009)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> Yep, I am looking at retirement in a few years, and working to build some things for an income stream where I can work with my land and have it produce for me. I don't have any visions of having thousands of hives, trucking them around the country and running the rat-race. I want to have just enough so that it does not become a 'chore' to work with them, but enough to give me something to do that I enjoy, and which will bring in some money as well.


I think I've gotten over my head with the bee business. I don't have any employs, and working stooping down most of the day is tough on the lower back muscles. By the evening time when I get up from sitting, I'm at a 90 degree angle for about 5 minutes, ha, ha. The business has been good to me in the past, sometimes it is hard to finally decide to sell out, but I think it would be a relief.


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## bkeading (Apr 8, 2016)

I had met a old beekeeping once who said to me, once you get started it's in the blood. I have been keeping bees for about 10 years now I know what it's like to work your tail off year after year doing something you believe in, and live for. And yes there have been times I wanted to quit. But the simple fact is after a while it becomes a part of who you are and to quit would be to give up on a part of you. Never quit, just take a break


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I am now 73 years old, last year promised my wife I would cut down on the number of hives I run. I make about 40 nucs a year and sell some honey so to cut down I sold 7 large hives which left me with about 40 hives and I said I would try to cut down to 25 hives.. I must be doing something wrong as of now I still have 50 hives and 40 nucs, there must be something wrong with my bees cause they just keep growing and growing and I am really hurting. In my neck of the woods I cant even give away virgin queens or queen cells so I don't know where this is going to end.
Johno


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## Earthboy (May 16, 2007)

gone2seed said:


> Yes,but a word to the wise.Within six months to a year you will be buying all that stuff back.Don't ask me how I know that. Instead,give them a good mite treatment then take a loonnnnggg vacation from the bees.


Excellent reply! Me too. I started beekeeping to get lost--only to find myself there.

EB


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## DittmeRino (May 17, 2016)

Amen to sitting and looking at the bees coming home to their hives. I feel the same way.


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