# Can you make a living with Bees



## Brooklyn

How many bee hives do you have to have to clear $ 100,000.00 a year profit.

What generates the most money for bees. Is Honey just considered a by product of pollination?

Is their a marketing firm that works for the honey people, Like Got milk does for the dairy guys. I do not understand why honey is so Cheep. Or for that matter why is pollination services so low is it like the beef industry where the cattle guy gets the shaft while everyone else profits from there hard work?

I would think if everyone that works with bees also had a council like the dairy, beef, chicken industry etc..... Maybe you guys do , but I will tell you if you do they are not doing a good job to market your products and service.

Remember I am new to all this and have more questions.:scratch::s


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## KQ6AR

There is an american honey board, & some individual state ones.


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## Beeslave

The question is not how many hives. That is just one of the many variables. Proper honeybee management is the first major step. Then you need good locations for honey production or places to place your colonies for pollination. You then have to rely on mother nature working in your favor. If you accomplished these first steps than you hope they are not poisoned by the crop farmers trying to line their own pockets. Even if you accomplish all of this many other things can/will go wrong. As for some of the marketing groups that work for the beekeeper. I think they do a very poor job compared to what the little beekeepers themselves do with their personal contact with their customers to get top dollar for top shelf products.


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## Tom G. Laury

Join a national organization, like American Beekeeping Federation or American Honey Producers. You will learn a lot and meet some great people.


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## Michael Johnston

There are lots of people making money from beekeeping and they hire people to work for them. I think that anyone that is contemplating trying to make a living from beekeeping should seek out the best operation that they can find and work there for awhile. It is very possible to lose a lot of money in this business if you don't know what you are doing. Beekeeping is definitely harder than it used to be. There are some fairly good beekeepers with limited skill sets whose operations are going backwards. Producing your own bees will save you a lot of money compared to buying queens, nucs, or packages.


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## shadetreebeeman

Brooklyn do you have any bees?


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## pahvantpiper

"How many bee hives do you have to have to clear $ 100,000.00 a year profit."
It varies GREATLY. On a good year if the stars line up you could make that much with 500 hives or even less. (of course if everything falls into place vegas will make you that much). On a bad year, you could lose money with 10,000 hives.

"What generates the most money for bees. Is Honey just considered a by product of pollination?"
Personally, almond pollination generates most for me 'cause I don't make much honey and I'm relatively close to Cali. Other areas, honey sales generate more money. Bees need pollen and honey both. I wouldn't call either a by product.

"Is their a marketing firm that works for the honey people, Like Got milk does for the dairy guys."
Nothing that good. The honey board helps US honey as well as imported honey.

"I do not understand why honey is so Cheep."
China.

"Or for that matter why is pollination services so low is it like the beef industry where the cattle guy gets the shaft while everyone else profits from there hard work?"
Almond pollination prices are actually ok. But yes, I think everyone else makes more money than the beekeepers. But you keep bees 'cause we love it not to get rich.

"I would think if everyone that works with bees also had a council like the dairy, beef, chicken industry etc..... Maybe you guys do , but I will tell you if you do they are not doing a good job to market your products and service."

Honey board...a joke. American Honey Producers...our best hope IMHO. American Bee Federation...Good too. Many great state associations also. Just not enough beekeepers to provide the money like you have in the dairy industry or beef industry or chicken industry.


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## Beekeeper's hubby

Brooklyn said:


> How many bee hives do you have to have to clear $ 100,000.00 a year profit.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .:scratch::s


The number would be approximately the same as you would need to lose 100K in a year. Its a gamble like all agriculture. I would think to make a decent living you would probably need 1000+.


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## Barry Digman

Beekeeper's hubby said:


> The number would be approximately the same as you would need to lose 100K in a year.


Best
Answer
Ever


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## Michael Johnston

If you were serious, you might want to write a business plan. You will have to invest a lot of money before you have enough equipment just to gross 
100K in a year, let alone net 100K.


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## Chef Isaac

start small and se what happens first. Don't just jump in. 

On the marketing issue, you will need to create your own marketing end and plan of attack.


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## StevenG

The best advice given was to work for a commercial beek for a year, a couple of years would be better. You have to prove your worth as an employee to your employer. But youwill learn how to make a living at beekeeping, what it takes, and if it is really your cup of tea.
There are easier ways to make a living...and less painful ways to lose money.
Good luck!
Steven


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## Buffalolick

I am a sideliner and honey production is a part of our overall farm offerings. I plan to be at 50 hives in atleast 3 yards in 2 years. After all my ciphering I figure to net about 10K$ a year in honey sales if lucky. There's an old saying.."If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans" What say you of experince?


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## huffmanbeekeeping

I started raising honeybees about 5 years and have slowed increased to twenty hives. The most important advice is start small so when you make mistakes you don't loose hundreds of hives. My profit from 20 hives is about $12000 a year and I plan on growing to 40 hives by the end of this year. My customers pay top dollar for honey ($9 a pound) plus we have a roadside market so I have a wide customer base. I also rent all my hives for $100 each for apple and peach pollination in nearby orchards.

In order for me to make $100,000 in a year I would need about 200 hives and average 60 pounds per hive plus be able to sell 95% of the honey at $9 a pound.


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## hpm08161947

huffmanbeekeeping said:


> In order for me to make $100,000 in a year I would need about 200 hives and average 60 pounds per hive plus be able to sell 95% of the honey at $9 a pound.


I must be doing something wrong....


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## Skinner Apiaries

if 9 bucks wasnt outrageous, my joke about your 40 lb average would be.


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## Keith Jarrett

huffmanbeekeeping said:


> I started raising honeybees about 5 years In order for me to make $100,000 in a year I would need about 200 hives


Yep..... I knew I was a slow learner. lol


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## sqkcrk

It's a typo. He meant 2,000. And the $100,000.00 is Net, not Gross.

"I'm from Missouri. You gotta show me."


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## Grant

Here's a trick: buy ten hives and bees. How much will this investment cost? See how much time ten hives takes. See how much honey they make. See how much money you can make selling the honey from ten hives at your current market. Subtract your expenses.

Then do the math. How many hives does it take? 

My hunch is ten hives will not extrapolate into an accurate picture of earning $100K, but it will give you an idea of how much production your area will support and how adept you are at marketing your honey.


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## Skinner Apiaries

lol you guys crack me up


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## Beeslave

After getting a few more years under my belt, increasing my average honey yield to 600 lbs per hive............with 0 losses of hives throughout the year.....selling my honey for $10.00 per lb......I only need 22 hives to net $100,000 :lpf:


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## Michael Bush

>After getting a few more years under my belt, increasing my average honey yield to 600 lbs per hive............with 0 losses of hives throughout the year.....selling my honey for $10.00 per lb......I only need 22 hives to net $100,000

That's a great business model!


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## The Honey Householder

I wholesale my honey at $2.20-2.35 a lb and avg 127 lb per hive and my avg expences is $90 a hive. 

2.20+127-90.00=527.98 hives for $100K on avg. Your expences might be a bit higher starting out, so you might have to run 10,000 hives starting out. 800-1000 hives avg. per beekeeper so you might have to hire a few when starting out.

You might just start out small and grow into it. Just invest $20-30K each year as a retirerment program.


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## The Honey Householder

Where is Brooklyn today. This tread was started back on 12-30-09. Just wondering if this would help him more today then 2 1/2 years ago.:scratch:


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## sqkcrk

There is no help here. The Thread Title is "Can you make a living with Bees.". The real question should havce been "Can I make a living with bees?" A question no one can answer.


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## Mosherd1

The Honey Householder said:


> I wholesale my honey at $2.20-2.35 a lb and avg 127 lb per hive and my avg expences is $90 a hive.
> 
> 2.20+127-90.00=527.98 hives for $100K on avg. Your expences might be a bit higher starting out, so you might have to run 10,000 hives starting out. 800-1000 hives avg. per beekeeper so you might have to hire a few when starting out.
> 
> 
> The Honey Householder said:
> 
> 
> 
> I am not following the math on here, even if the + should be a X, the nuumber still do not work out. I think maybe I am missing a number or something?
Click to expand...


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## Rader Sidetrack

Mosherd1 said:


> I am not following the math on here, even if the + should be a X, the nuumber still do not work out. I think maybe I am missing a number or something?



*(($2.20 * 127lbs) - $90expenses) * 527.98hives = $99,999.412*


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## Mbeck

I knew it! 
All you big time beekeepers are filthy rich!
What are you guys going to do to Huffmansbeeking for letting the the cat out of the bag?


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## Specialkayme

I'm curious what is tied into the $90 worth of expenses. If that is just medications and queen replacements, or does it include wear and tear on equipment, travel expenses, taxes, salaries (for seasonal helpers)?


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## Roland

Good point SpecialK, we don't know how shrewd he is, might include shoes for the kids too. Don't forget that he buys new bees every year, and sells them in the fall.

Crazy Roland


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## MrHappy

The Honey Householder said:


> 527.98 hives


I feel sorry for the hive that is missing the .02


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## MrHappy

The Honey Householder said:


> Where is Brooklyn today. This tread was started back on 12-30-09. Just wondering if this would help him more today then 2 1/2 years ago.:scratch:


Just looked at his profile and he sold most of his stuff in June last year with a back injury. He is getting back into it though and is in the chat room sometimes. He was on today, but prob never came back to this post.


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## rweakley

Specialkayme said:


> I'm curious what is tied into the $90 worth of expenses. If that is just medications and queen replacements, or does it include wear and tear on equipment, travel expenses, taxes, salaries (for seasonal helpers)?


Doesn't Honey Householder start over every year with packages? So That would be a large part of the 90$. Unless I am getting him confused with someone else. He sells all his bees in the late summer early fall. Starts every every year with packages, but he has drawn comb and he gives them all frames of HFC or sugar syrup to get started. No medications, mites aren't normally a problem first year.

Rod


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## Mosherd1

If he does sell been in the fall, what type of people purchase bees in the fall? Almond pollination maybe?


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## David LaFerney

Sorry - old thread.


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## The Honey Householder

Specialkayme said:


> I'm curious what is tied into the $90 worth of expenses. If that is just medications and queen replacements, or does it include wear and tear on equipment, travel expenses, taxes, salaries (for seasonal helpers)?


$90 expense is, package bees, queens for split, 1/2 load HFCS, old truck and fuel, and shoes for the kids. This year was the first year I've bought new equipment (2100 new medium boxes). The last time the company bought new equipment before this year was back in 1982. Hard to do any replacement of anything at $.40-.89 a lb for honey. The last 5-6 years in the bees have been a fast track business with good pay out. Still a poor beekeeper. 

Seasonal helpers. 8 kids= no salary, just college paid for, and R&B

Taxes! Come on I have 8 kids. I pay my dues.

Just like farmers, you live poor, die rich.


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## Barry

The Honey Householder said:


> This year was the first year I've bought new equipment (2100 new medium boxes). The last time the company bought new equipment before this year was back in 1982.


Right there is the BIG hidden cost!


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## Roland

Ya, but ask how much it costs him to have each one assembled..... With cheap nails. (don't worry, he does a good job)

Crazy Roland


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## Barry

Don't forget the Honey House that the Honey Householder processes all that honey in, and all that processing equipment.


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## jim lyon

2100 new boxes for 800 hives? There is the new standard for optimism.


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## EastSideBuzz

I figure every 100 hives cost 15k so building up to 500 hives is a size able investment. Then add in the truck and fork lift it is close to 100k to have a shot at 100k a year as a poor farmer.


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## Roland

The point is that Householder has the whole family involved in the business(you should meet the super assembler). They where working untill 9 at night when I stopped by. It appears that most of the family helps out. Their cost is alot more hidden than the paper trail cost of new woodenware, extracting equipment, and building. 

Crazy Roland


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## Mbeck

Eastside,
15k for 100 hives
Can you break that number down?
Is that buying them outright ?


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## Daniel Y

Rader Sidetrack said:


> *(($2.20 * 127lbs) - $90expenses) * 527.98hives = $99,999.412*


That would due to the number being rounded. not at all uncommon since there is actually a function on most calculators to round to the selected significant decimal point. in this case 2.
2.2*127-90=189.4
$100,000 / 189.4 = 527.9831045
so you can see that when rounded the number of hives does work out to 527.98. This rounding would account for the error you see of 0.588


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## Oldtimer

> my avg expences is $90 a hive.


The way to find expenses per hive is when at years end your accountant does your balance sheet. Take the total of ALL items in the expenses column and divide by the number of hives you have.

These expenses include such "invisibles" as public liability insurance and legal compliances, interest on money you owe, depreciation on your equipment. If you employ your kids and don't pay them, it's a cost. Why? Cos if they weren't working for you they could have been working somewhere else and bringing home a cheque. What happens when they get a real job and leave you?

The true cost per hive, will be way more than a guy with 20 hives all paid for and not costing his vehicle, or time spent at markets, could ever dream of.


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## The Honey Householder

jim lyon said:


> 2100 new boxes for 800 hives? There is the new standard for optimism.


Jim, these are just boxes to change out in the honey house this summer. Some of my boxes are getting a little worn out, even if Mom keeps trying to fix them up. Might have ruined her with painting these new boxes, she might not fix another box.


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## Skinner Apiaries

lol I dont think anybody talked about when half the bees die. Its probably better to start with a small number maybe 50, and build hive numbers from there. At least that way you arent juggling thousands in stock you can mismanage and kill in a single season. jmo


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## jim lyon

The Honey Householder said:


> Jim, these are just boxes to change out in the honey house this summer. Some of my boxes are getting a little worn out, even if Mom keeps trying to fix them up. Might have ruined her with painting these new boxes, she might not fix another box.


I stand corrected, assumed boxes included frames and foundation. Doh!


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## grozzie2

Skinner Apiaries said:


> lol I dont think anybody talked about when half the bees die.


Optimistic business plans rarely account for the downside scenarios.

Realistic business plans, often start by acquiring equipment at a discount, from the reciever, after the optimist fails.


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## HONEYDEW

One of our "big time" keepers out here said to net 100k a year in beekeeping start the year with 200k in your account....


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## Elwood

John the Baptist lived on honey and locusts no where near a 100k. But, he lived, and even influenced the course of history.
Can you make a living with bees? Who knows? Can bees help you live a better life? Definitely!


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## beebeautifulLLC

Wow - good number n the north. Florida the hives rent from $35 to 50 a month or at each crop start (you may have a crop start mid month and so make double numbers that month). Honey is $8 a pound in pound jars, and $12 for 2 lb jars. Orange blossom is $9 a lb, due to low rain fall. Gallons in plastic range from $26 to 40 depending on the type of honey.

I agree in starting slow...making mistakes and learning from a smaller batch of hives is good. Then when you are comfortable, build to a sideliner. Start with one type of profit center. I did bee rescues first, charging $100 to show up and then depending on the hive structure, charged more. Plus side, bees!

Next year I expanded the back door honey sales and branched out into farmer's markets.

I expect to expand by selling bee equipment now, seeking advise on wholesalers and who is a good company to distribute for. Seems Dadant does not have a program, just bulk discounts. 

Welcome any advise on taking the next step.

If one wants to make a good profit in beekeeping,just like any business, you'll need to dovetail into different areas.


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## Daniel Y

right idea but wrong numbers with the 10 hive suggestion. 10 hives will not give you even nearly a reliable average.
lets suppose that 10 hives can net $1000 a year. this would only be 1% of the goal. not a very good number to base anything on. Also it would not require the same methods. You can manage 10 hives all by yourself in your spare time and manual labor. 1000 hives not only requires employees but equipment.
Management of 100 hives would not be of the same quality as that given to 10 hives. production would suffer and losses would be greater. A ten hive sample would be a complete waste of time. try 100 or so and you will get more into the 10% of average and a lot clearer on what it really takes labor, losses and equipment wise.

This last year I went from growing 130 or so tobacco plants in my back yard. to growing 1900. not even close to the same thing. Not grown in the same place, with the same equipment or with the same methods. completely different concerns and goals. last year focus was on intense care of every individual plant. this year is a general grow or be destroyed focus. It takes it from being a hobby to a job. and I want my profit period I have no interest in watching the plants grow this year. I am interested only in how much they will make me. They have a minimum requirement to meet or be abandoned.


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## Ozarks Honey Company

Wait, go back... I still want to hear how to get $9 per pound for my honey. Cause where I live, "that ain't happenin'!"


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## Daniel Y

Ozarks Honey Company said:


> Wait, go back... I still want to hear how to get $9 per pound for my honey. Cause where I live, "that ain't happenin'!"


Work at it.


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## jim lyon

Ozarks Honey Company said:


> Wait, go back... I still want to hear how to get $9 per pound for my honey.


Me too. 
Daniel: I have known some who have operated up to a thousand hives with just seasonal help during the extracting season. We are currently operating over 1000 hives per full time worker though we will need additional help during the harvest. It's impossible to do a good job of that without good equipment though.


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## hpm08161947

Daniel_Y:

What are you doing with those tobacco plants?

Herb... from brightleaf country


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## Daniel Y

Herb, Growing it for our use. Four cigarette smokers in my household and this is meant to be a three year supply. if it works we will then scale back down to a one year supply per year. From nearly 1900 plants to 500. But it is going to be backbreaking work for this one year.

You can be proud, Brightleaf is one of the main varieties we are growing.


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## matt1954

Here in the DC area, we charge $10.00 a pound for honey and get it. We routinely sell out at Farmers Markets on Friday/Saturday. However, we are fortunate enough to be located next to a large government employer. Between selling packages, Nucs, equipment, and teaching classes, we do okay. We will never be rich at this, but I am never happier than when I work those bees. I work a day job as a contractor for FBI, and the satisfaction never comes close to when i am with my bees listening to that humming. I dont know what it is, possibly, it reminds me of working the bees with my dad when I was nine, but I do love it and cant imagine myself not doing it.


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## Vance G

Remember Steve Martins comedy routine about how to live off the interest from a million dollars before he had a million dollars?? The answer was," First, Get a million dollars!"


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## Ozarks Honey Company

Geez, $10 pp. For that I could almost drive my honey to DC and sell it and still make a profit! :banana: Maybe, I should ship it to Matt and he can sell it for me for a nominal fee and then we would both make out. 

We get about $5-6 around here. Guess people in Missouri are too cheap to pay more. LOL. But... Since it appears that I will be sold out this year before I have even extracted 1 drop, and, I haven't given anyone a price yet... Maybe I need to shoot a bit higher this year.

Hey, speaking of DC have you seen the video on the bees at the White House? I thought that was pretty cool!


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## rweakley

I am also in Missouri and I get 5$ a lb if I sell it and 4.25 wholesale to some who sells it in my jars. I could probably bump both of those prices, but I'm too lazy to make change and a move from 5 to 6 seems to be a bit much. I'll probably bite the bullet and jump everything .25 to .50 next year. I have relatives (wife's side of course) who think my 5$ price is highway robbery, don't you know you can get it for 3 something at walmart?


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## jim lyon

Vance: Remember the scene from "The Jerk" when he was working in a carnival and one day the light came on for him and he said
"I get it now it's a profit deal"


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## Roland

don't you know you can get it for 3 something at walmart? 

But the "it" ain't honey, is it?

It is time to culture customers with good tastes.

Crazy Roland


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## Ozarks Honey Company

> I have relatives (wife's side of course) who think my 5$ price is highway robbery, don't you know you can get it for 3 something at walmart?


I would tell your relatives to go buy that Chinese import crap then... Because you have more than enough customers that are willing to pay full price for local honey. They obviously dont understand the value of true local raw honey.

My 2 cents...


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## Vance G

Yes I do. That is a novel concept to many these days. I have to admit my beekeeping these days really isn't. I am just an old fat retiree who can afford to play around. Right now I am gambling that I can winter a lot of colonies for sale in the spring. I think business will be good.


jim lyon said:


> Vance: Remember the scene from "The Jerk" when he was working in a carnival and one day the light came on for him and he said
> "I get it now it's a profit deal"


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## David Cassity

You cant argue with people that think apples and oranges are the same thing. I had a friend in the service industry had a sign- speed quality or price. Chose any 2. No matter how hard you try its impossible to deliver all 3 of those items on a repeatable consistant level.
Years ago people were more thannwilling to pay more for a product with a higher percieved value. What has happened is producers of those premium products over priced and underdelivered in the name of profit margins and corporate greed along with a mentality in business that people are stupid. Unfortunately now public perception is opposite. Sorry to blot but this hire a hot button with me


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## Bud Dingler

couple of key points to get $9 a pound or better for your honey. 

honey bears and plastic packaging does not say pay more for my honey. glass is the way to go for higher sales price points

custom designed packaging is an investment initially but then costs that same to print per label as some cut and paste crappy label. 

forget competing with grocery honey. in fact grocery stores are a waste of time as its all about price. 

find gourmet and specialty food outlets. 

have a web site and use facebook or twitter and social media. 

sell at farmers markets

this will not work if you are not near an urban area.


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## suttonbeeman

Bud Dingler said:


> couple of key points to get $9 a pound or better for your honey.
> 
> honey bears and plastic packaging does not say pay more for my honey. glass is the way to go for higher sales price points
> 
> custom designed packaging is an investment initially but then costs that same to print per label as some cut and paste crappy label.
> 
> forget competing with grocery honey. in fact grocery stores are a waste of time as its all about price.
> 
> find gourmet and specialty food outlets.
> 
> have a web site and use facebook or twitter and social media.
> 
> sell at farmers markets
> 
> this will not work if you are not near an urban area.


 for 

Bud...glad to see you. I was getting worried about you. All these new reports comming out a out nictinoids and no bud to take up Bayer had me worried. Your above post is exactly right...isn't it great we agree for once!


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## Roland

Bud said:

this will not work if you are not near an urban area. 

Why do you say that? Rural people do not buy honey? I would think that the proper individual, with a unique history and bee management style, could market honey in a manner that was not confined to just their local area. There is this thing called the Internet I hear.

Crazy Roland


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## HeshyB

sqkcrk said:


> It's a typo. He meant 2,000. And the $100,000.00 is Net, not Gross.
> 
> "I'm from Missouri. You gotta show me."


i always look out for your posts they are always right to the point. thanks.


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## HeshyB

Brooklyn said:


> How many bee hives do you have to have to clear $ 100,000.00 a year profit.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> what if we revise your projections by say half?
> 
> and then ask. How would someone earn 50-60k (52k being the sweet spot) a year as a beekeeper? (to clarify: 50-60k being the take home after expenses.)
> 
> I am thinking along these lines because I am not looking to be rich I am interested in earning a decent living (and therefore assume everyone else is like me.) and am wondering if the modified numbers might make it an easier annual goal to reach.
> 
> all input is valued and appreciated.


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## Woodside

HeshyB said:


> Brooklyn said:
> 
> 
> 
> How many bee hives do you have to have to clear $ 100,000.00 a year profit.
> 
> Hi,
> 
> what if we revise your projections by say half?
> 
> and then ask. How would someone earn 50-60k (52k being the sweet spot) a year as a beekeeper? (to clarify: 50-60k being the take home after expenses.)
> 
> I am thinking along these lines because I am not looking to be rich I am interested in earning a decent living (and therefore assume everyone else is like me.) and am wondering if the modified numbers might make it an easier annual goal to reach.
> 
> all input is valued and appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you are experienced and know how to keep bees alive.. then around 1000 hives, with some end of year upgrade money to reduce tax load.
> 
> On paper you prolly only need 448...
> 
> If you are unexperienced you will scrape by or lose money with any number of hives.
Click to expand...


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## clyderoad

In the beginning, working for yourself, put keeping the bees successfully before any thought of income or business. And not a few hives for a couple of years. Only then consider ways to earn money from them. Keep the cart behind the horse.
If you work for another beekeeper then you have no choice but to learn the bees first as the beekeeper who employs you calls the shots on the business side. A good way to start out if you can but beware a 6 month beekeeping class or 12 month employment stint isn't going to cut it.
When one becomes good at keeping bees for years they'll know if it's possible to make a living at it. 
Bees first, business second (if at all) or risk following others down a well worn path of failure.

You could buy a ongoing operation too, and hire out the experienced help to run it, like some have done.
(BTW, anyone know how Paramount is making out with the bees? haven't heard much.)


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## Hillbillybees

A living can be made from beekeeping or there would not be commercial beekeepers. A living is different for each of us. It's agriculture. Ups and downs. Good years and bad. When its good you have to keep back income for the years it will be bad. Some are great managers and can get by with less colony's than others. 
We know what we need to live on and we have a good handle on what we average per hive in a five year period and we double that number of hives. We don't play outside what has worked for us such as trying treatment free, etc. We build our own equipment in the winters. We watch our costs and try to increase our profits just like any other business. I can honestly say it's some of the hardest work a man can do but we love the little buggers so the rewards that are not monetary make up the difference in lean times. It's hard when you've done everything you know to do and you have losses. It's definitely not for everybody.


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## viclozan

Skinner Apiaries said:


> if 9 bucks wasnt outrageous, my joke about your 40 lb average would be.


Here in SE Virginia people do not hesitate to pay $15 a pound. I am very new and have only sold about 100 jars in my second and third year at $15 each. But when I have more hives and are able to produce far more than I do now, I will easly sell off locally for $12-$13 a pound. I cannot meet the demand for the honey just from work and church. I do also get random buyers who find me at the local club website where we advertise all local honey producers.


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## Michael Bush

"I should say that beekeeping is a good business to let alone, for the same amount of brains and energy that will make you a living at beekeeping will make more than a living at almost any other business."--C.C. Miller, A Thousand answers to beekeeping questions 1917 edition Page 18


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## dcwilliams29id

Michael Bush said:


> "I should say that beekeeping is a good business to let alone, for the same amount of brains and energy that will make you a living at beekeeping will make more than a living at almost any other business."--C.C. Miller, A Thousand answers to beekeeping questions 1917 edition Page 18


thats a great quote! lol. but then again, they didn't have hipsters willing to spend $14 for a lb of honey in 1917 either. This whole sustainable foods movement is starting to move the needle some on assigning value to thoughtfully and sustainable raised local products. Not sure I would want to base my livelihood solely on servicing that niche though.


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## KCWildman

I'm in Weston Missouri, but sell most of my honey over the counter at another retail store I own. $10/lb, glass jars, and an older label style that my Dad used. Only 800 pounds last year, but it was gone by November.


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## Qvox

There are lots of things that a person can make a living doing.

Most restaurants fail, but some restaurateurs make a living, and a few have made a fortune. The same can be said for farming. 

Making a living from beekeeping takes more than just a love of beekeeping. In fact, loving what you do, while helpful, isn't necessary for making a living. Many people dislike, or even hate, what they do for a living.

What making a living at beekeeping takes, is knowledge, practical experience drive, determination, organization,a relentless drive for efficiency, a good head for business, VERY hard work, creativity, marketing, sales, and some luck. As the number of hives increases, so does the overhead, and difficulty level. It's kind of like juggling. 

Most people can juggle one ball. Juggling one ball is easy. It's not even really juggling. But if they juggle one ball long enough, they might convince themself they're a D*** good juggler. That there's nothing to juggling. Then they try to juggle 3 or 4 balls, and decide there might be more to juggling than they originally thought.


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## HarryVanderpool

The best thing about running your own business is that you only have to work half days.

The trick, is deciding which 12 hours of the day to get the work done.

In beekeeping that decision can change day to day.

You've just got to love it or you'll never make it.


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## JWPalmer

I am still trying to figure out how to break even. Like the old old joke about losing money on every sale but making it up in volume. Couldn't make any money with two hives, couldn't make any money with six hives, winter losses and all, can I do it with 20 hives? Probably not. At least I am at the point where I can sell a few bees to someone who thinks they can make money with two hives.


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## Richinbama

I'm a new keeper myself, I think there is money to be made in bees. Not mabye in the first year, but the second you can ... I'd think. I think the fist year is a learning year, and a year to grow your hives. It's about what you retain from learning, and the energy you put back into it. Do you build all your equipment, or buy it?. Did you try to catch wild bees, and propagate them ? Did you pursue this as a hobby, or as a business? I did for both reasons, as part of my farm. It's an added value product, and a hobby to grow and learn with the bees. I'm enjoying it, so I'm content growing it as a future part of my farming business. You alao must grow yourself a market share, does someone want a product your producing? If you put pride to the side, and create a share for yourself you can do it nicely, in small increments. You must be able to produce bees to produce honey. My thought is if you can grow and successfully raise bees, product 1,. Product 2 is honey , a byproduct of bees,. Product 3 , wax, also a by product of bees (1) . The list goes on, and on. Then you have other areas such as pollination, and bee removals, that leads to contracting, if you remove em, can you fix the damage from this, and make a fair living at all these things? I'd say yes if you want to put the energy, and time into it, otherwise, enjoy the hobby, and have some honey in return... my thoughts. Also, you can't loose money on the same, and make it up in volume. The idea of volume is to make a.smaller profit on a.larger volume of sales. Then you increasing your market share, and make more money by volume for increased smaller.profits. you can never make money on a loss. No sales should be at a loss, but at a fair market price, you can increase your sales and profit potential. Then you can sell to certain markets at a higher price point, but retain your base customers also.


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## Kcnc1

sqkcrk said:


> It's a typo. He meant 2,000. And the $100,000.00 is Net, not Gross.
> 
> "I'm from Missouri. You gotta show me."


If 20 makes him 12,000, then 200 will theoretically make him 120,000. It wasn’t a typo. Now all his assumptions may not work as he scales up, or he may actually have economies of scale and make more per hive. But at least it’s a number of hives to theoretically start with.


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## Woodside

you can if you have $250k startup and an additional $100k at your dispense when you make one bad decision and lose all your bees. After 10 years if you are smart and diligent you might start making as much money as someone sitting in an office (at least on paper)


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## Geno

If your plan is to make a small fortune in the beekeeping business, begin with a large one...


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## Beetastic

Went from 65 overwintered double story nucs to 220 ten-frame deeps. I will most certainly make money after almond pollination, nuc sales, honey, and a few queens here and there in 2019. Of course I am lucky in that I am so close to almonds and the price is so good. I also have a good area in which to keep bees. I'm self-employed in my "other" full-time job, but it allows extreme flexibility for me to be able to tend to my bees. I plan on switching over to full-time beekeeping after one or two more years. If I didn't think I could do it, I wouldn't.


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