# 100 hives



## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

USDA Farm Service Agency will have county averages which will be more or less accurate. There is an office in each county I think.


----------



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

Thanks Tom,
USDA may do something in your area but after being passed off 3 times I'm not sure they know what a bee is here.


----------



## pumpkinpiper (Mar 3, 2004)

In my neck of the woods, we shoot for 70#-100# per hive.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/Hone/Hone-02-25-2011.pdf


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Ask your State Apiary Inspector if he/she knows the State production average for honey.


----------



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Well according to the chart that Jim so graciously posted, the average is 47 pounds. I'll be generous and say 100 hives will produce 2.5 tons. That's pretty lean. To make a go of things you'll need to peddle that honey in 1-5 pound jars with a reasonably heafty price tag to make it worth the effort. If you pack them all in 1 pound jars you would have to average 14 jars sold per day or say 1 jar/hour. 

Jean-Marc


----------



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

Thanks to all, the best I could come up with was something from 2007 and it does not show Missouri producing much honey. In Branson being a tourist area there is one lady selling hers at @12.00 per qt or $48.00 per gallon which is high but if you can get it then OK.
I think my main concern would be, how many hives would this area support (mainly trees not much farm or open land) but your figures will help.
Rick


----------



## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

rtoney said:


> In Branson being a tourist area there is one lady selling hers at @12.00 per qt or $48.00 per gallon which is high but if you can get it then OK.
> .
> Rick


Then she is getting about $6 a pint or $4 per pound retail which is actually less than average.


----------



## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

rtoney said:


> T
> I think my main concern would be, how many hives would this area support (mainly trees not much farm or open land) but your figures will help.
> Rick


This has been asked a lot on here. I would wonder how much swamp, marsh, bay land you have around there. Forests can also be good if they have so few honey producing plants that one can actually produce specific honey. For example... in the State Forest not far from here there are really only 2 honey producing plants.... Gallberry and Bay. And they bloom at totally different times, so it is possible to make 2 different specific honeys. We do not do this, but know someone who does.

As far as the size of the yard goes, no matter what the terrain is we start with 5 pallets (20). If it will not support 20 then it is not much of a yard. It is going to take a few years to get a good grip on what a yard can do.... then the weather will change


----------



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

I thought a pint would be about a pound, there might be room to go up on price if need be. There is no marsh, swamp, or bay land just hills and trees that is what makes me wonder about the sustainability of a number of hives.


----------



## Peaches (Jun 8, 2011)

A pint of honey is 1 1/2 lbs. A quart is 3 lbs. A gallon of honey is 12 lbs. 5 gallon buckets hold 60 lbs.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

hpm08161947 said:


> As far as the size of the yard goes, no matter what the terrain is we start with 5 pallets (20).


I like an even number of pallets so straping down on the truck works out best.

That old saying, "A pint's a pound the world around." wasn't refering to honey.


----------



## Bens-Bees (Sep 18, 2008)

> Branson being a tourist area there is one lady selling hers at @12.00 per qt or $48.00 per gallon which is high but if you can get it then OK.


I wouldn't take $12 a qt... I sell my quarts for $20, and I'm always sold out by winter... and I don't live in a tourist area. Of course, I only produce a few cases of quarts, but still... $12 is cheap.


----------

