# can you really make any money at this?



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Just to bee a bit of a smarty pants, perhaps. If you do things right you won't make anything per hive. The trick is to not loose too much.


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

*my 2 cents*

you have to remember beekeeping is farming. Some years you can make good money. Other years you can loose. I dont look at time spent. It is more like a salaried job where the pay differs from year to year. I do it because I enjoy the bees. Farmers dont count time unless they are paying a hired hand. If you did count your time. You will find out your making about 3 cents an hour. Get discouraged and then go to work for mcdonalds


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

well I guess there are a number of possible outcomes..

1) it is a great hobby who's cost is fairly modest.
2) it is an excellent sidline job and provides you with the opportunity to write off money spent againist other income.
3) it is a brutal dangerous job that pays something less than minimum wage.


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

Bee keeping is farming, yes, but you still need to know if you make money or not. If you do not know that you can not change the methods or improve in ways to prevent the loss.
In some ways we do ourselves a disservice thinking "it's farming we are bound to loose some years and make other years". We need to know where we are loosing if we are going to make changes to show a profit.
Some times it's the little things that can save pennies which add up to less of a loss and eventually a profit.
Good management practices dictate that we know our profit/loss whether it be in farming bees, cows, pigs, computer programming, plumbing, food service, grocery, retail. If we do not we are no better than the government.

End result is...we need to make money. Sometimes it's easy sometime not so. This includes making hard calls


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Well, I know that's all true.

I put great stock in regards to the intangible things in life...never made much money, but I love going to work. I have no illusions about beeking exclusively...well maybe...but that's another matter...

But anyway, Can you gross...I don't know...say $300.00 a hive....?...when everything clicks right. 

I mean, I have to beleive that everybody has some kind of number, somewhere in the back of their minds, that they think they can make.

Just wondering, what's the number that your thinking? How are you going to make that happen?

Thanks


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

there is a lot of money in beekeping i just cant get it back out, lol


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

swarm_trapper said:


> there is a lot of money in beekeping i just cant get it back out, lol


LOL... LOL...LOL...LOL


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

mwjohnson said:


> I mean, I have to beleive that everybody has some kind of number, somewhere in the back of their minds, that they think they can make.


Well Mark, I don't know if anyone else does, but I don't. I just do my best to pay my bills and keep ahead of the creditors. Whatever "profit" there is goes to feed, house, clothe and transport the family. A good friend of mine says that after the kids are on their own I should start to see more money in the bank.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Talking it over w/ my friend just now. We come up w/ about $150.00 gross per colony. I did about $70,000.00 gross w/ about 450 colonies. And my friend did about 140,000.00 w/ about 1,000 colonies.

Does that give you encouragment? I guess I'd have to tell you my net to see if I made a salary last year though.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

A lot depends on where you are. Down here in Texas, I think if I wanted to make money I would make all the nucs I could and sell them. We just don't have the kind of honey crops you make up north unless you want to move your bees a bunch. In other words, a home yard won't produce much surplus most years. Some years you have to feed all fall to get them through the winter. A couple of years ago I made 9 pints and feed 400 pounds of sugar because of the drought.


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

*bee keeping is a lot like gambling*



honeyshack said:


> Bee keeping is farming, yes, but you still need to know if you make money or not. If you do not know that you can not change the methods or improve in ways to prevent the loss.
> In some ways we do ourselves a disservice thinking "it's farming we are bound to loose some years and make other years". We need to know where we are loosing if we are going to make changes to show a profit.
> Some times it's the little things that can save pennies which add up to less of a loss and eventually a profit.
> Good management practices dictate that we know our profit/loss whether it be in farming bees, cows, pigs, computer programming, plumbing, food service, grocery, retail. If we do not we are no better than the government.
> ...


I agree with you on some points. True you need to figure out if your making money only a fool would not. But in some years things happen we have no control over that affects our bottom line. The samples you give for dictating profit/loss is a little different than bees or raising crops. There is varibles from mother nature that affect the outcome of honey bees and crops. All of which we cannot control. Last year we had a late freeze, rain all spring, had no spring flow so had to feed. this was followed by a hot dry summer. Got a small crop but not what it could have been had the weather cooperated. What I am saying is you can estimate your crop but until its in the bin you have nothing. All the farmers burned there wheat fields around here last year due to factors mentioned above. You can plan for it all you want but in the end you can do nothing but set back wait watch and hope. That is why wheat is at $8.50 a bushel. It effected each and everyone of the farmers bottom line. Another year like last there will be a lot of farms sales. You just hope you put back enough from the previous year to get you thru. or you have a good banker and you hope for a better year next year


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## ScadsOBees (Oct 2, 2003)

I think beekeeping is part of the money equation, but marketing is perhaps a bigger part. All the honey in the world ain't worth a plugged nickel if you can't sell it for a reasonable price.

If you want to be small scale it is best to develop a way to get the most money out of your honey and bees, and figuring a retail scheme and a niche is perhaps the best way to do that.

Rick


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## Sarge (Jun 26, 2006)

Why are so many dead set against business?
I see several areas that produce money and are injoyable to do. And in each area there are hobbiests that seem to feel any attempt to make a dime is an insult to their hobby. Every question gets the response about how they do it for the joy of the activity and to seek money is some how vile.
Maybe we need a special forum some where for those with a business bent to exchange ideas.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Go ahead sarge. We don't need a special forum.


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## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

*Good idea*

Maybe we need a special forum some where for those with a business bent to exchange ideas.

Thanks Sarge I like your idea.

Jim


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

Sarge said:


> Why are so many dead set against business?
> I see several areas that produce money and are injoyable to do. And in each area there are hobbiests that seem to feel any attempt to make a dime is an insult to their hobby. Every question gets the response about how they do it for the joy of the activity and to seek money is some how vile.
> Maybe we need a special forum some where for those with a business bent to exchange ideas.



Oh, I dont think so, no more than we need a forum for some people who think their bees are pets as compared to livestock.

My experience this year as far as trying to sell my honey, by word of mouth has been fairly dismal . I have alot of people I know who want freebies, once they know I am a bee keeper : kinda like when I tell them I make my own beer and wine; they want a handout. 


I mean really , how popular is honey as a food stuff for a sweetner ?? I know some of you make a living at it , but dont most of you do it cause you really love it and dont want to work an average job, with a boss ????

I keep bees just to piddle with in the summer while I am in the garden. I would be happy with 200$ a year in sales 

I think mabye I should just go into the underground mead making business and sell it to the lushes at work


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

well it seem to me that sqrcrk gave you a good idea as to gross dollars and as ross suggested (I am near him geographically) much in terms of a honey crop will depend on where you are located. a lot of question as to whether you can make a go of it business wise is about 1) marketing and 2) proximity to pollination areas.

if you never have run 300 hives before I would suggest you take it slow.


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## NeilV (Nov 18, 2006)

You can make a small fortune beekeeping. . . if you start with a large fortune.


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Mark,
Yeah that's encouraging allright...maybe I shouldn't stop with the carpentry just quite yet? Your numbers are close to what others round here have told me.Thanks

But it has alway's seemed to me, that to maximize profit (or minimize your loses as everyone rightly points out), that some of the crop should be sold for retail.
Value added products, like candles or soap... could fluff up that hives bottom line more, and then some nucs maybe, but then, maybe none of you commercial guy's do any of that. That's why I was asking.

Now I know it might be real hard to sell all your honey at retail once your operation gets to a certain size, so that's kinda' why I was wondering about a rough kinda breakdown.

Tecumseh, the going slow part I already got figured out...

Thanks...

Where are those $500/ hive guy's?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

mwjohnson;28745
Where are those $500/ hive guy's?[/QUOTE said:


> Now I really think that that's expecting too much. If the guys you are getting your info from and the guys I'm getting my info from (me and one of the better commercial beekeepers in NY) are answering w/ similar numbers you probably aren't going to do a whole lot better than that. I could be wrong.
> 
> Do you know Chuck Kutik, Mark? Maybe you should ask him. Or the Rulisons or Allen Nirschl. Just a though. Since they are in your area.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

mr johnson ask:
Where are those $500/ hive guy's?


tecumseh replies:
hummm.... talk to keith jarrett (also notice his location) he is always talkin' about how much he makes (i am never certain whether he is talkin' net or gross) with the bees.

don't mean to dwell on the location angle... but the ability to sell large volumes of honey, pollen or wax products (which is often times the red headed step child of the bee keeper's product line) for a retail price REQUIRES large numbers of people within reasonable (time and dollars) driving distance. without this first requirement you will almost be forced to sell everything at wholesale price which will alter the $numbers quite significantly.

ps.... there use to be some enterprise budgets at almost all the state (land grant) ag schools that gave you some rough idea about the cost and income from various agricultual enterprises. you might want to check with the county extension agent who SHOULD be able to find out if an enterprise budget exist for beekeeper in your state.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

I like to take the road of offering a line of honey and honey products. But I have a little pocket of time to do so versus the bigger guys. It is a catch 22. You have the time, make the product lines, and sell them and make a profit. If you are the bigger guys, you sell a crap load of honey and wax to packers, make less money but drive volume.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

One thought I had is that I know a guy who consitently gets 100 or more lbs more than I do, year after year. He doesn't do any pollination. He runs about 80 colonies and he works them intensively. He makes creamed honey and won't sell his barreled honey for 
.90/lb. So, maybe one could do better than $150.00 per colony per year if you followed that method. But I doubt that you could gross $500.00.

Why aren't more of the better beekeepers of beesource chiming in on this thread? Is this another example of how people have a hard time talking about money in our culture, a cultural taboo? Are y'all afraid that someone will steal your market?


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## Everett (Feb 25, 2007)

Check out Grant's eBook, "Beekeeping with Twenty-Five Hives." Read the chapter on goals and also the chapter on marketing. Running a business of any type is all about three things. Two of the three are goals and marketing and the third is location. Get the book, "1926 Honey Plants Of North America," as it has a great section on location (source of nectar). Although the book is dated, you will learn quite a bit about your area, and you can use commonsense to extrapolate to present time.

http://www.25hives.homestead.com

http://www.beeculture.com/store/index.cfm?action=showproducts&CatID=89


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

Alright, I'll chime in. I've had bees since the 60's...not bragging by anymeans.
You can make a profit with bees IF you keep overhead down. Do everything yourself that you can. I make and built my own woodware (and I'll stop traffic to pick up a board in the road), I buy my lumber at a sawmill, try to keep supers around 2 or 3 dollars. Shop around for the best prices on EVERYTHING. Sell as much honey as you can retail, vegtable stands and farmers markets will buy cases of honey if you give them a profit margin, it isn't much but, its more than you get from brokers. You can sell nucs after your early flow, Give a good measure of bees and brood and you'll always be able to sell out. Beekeepers talk, you cheat one, you might as well have cheated them all. Start s-l-o-w , don't put all your eggs in one basket. If something new comes along, try it on a few, before you invest all. We were getting .80 a pound in the 1980's, prices go up and down. When you have a good year either bank it or put it in your bees. You will have a year you won't make anything! THE MORE YOU PUT IN YOUR BEES THE MORE YOU'LL GET OUT. Now, I could have made more money doing something else, but I wouldn't have had near as much fun. I guess you want a figure, hope for 
a hundred dollars a hive avg., and pray for two . Godd luck in what ever you decide.


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## fat/beeman (Aug 23, 2002)

*makeing big money*

well best advice is to go work for a small to large operation see how it works. even if you have to work for free. watch learn see what it takes. I haven't got rich doing this yet but still hopeing. do it because you love bees. then maybe you will make a liveing. only a thought.

Don


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## james115 (Jan 22, 2007)

*money???*

it is called agricuture, pay your money,and take your chances...
40 hive last year and i made more money doing cutouts than selling honey..
i'm the time of my life and that is priceless.....


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

I like mr hodges slant on things... buy it right and you can sell it rigth.

much of anyone long term success it seems to me depends on your own expectations... I for one picked back up the hive tool (after many years doing other stuff) as a retirement gig. I didn't expect to get rich doing this, although I had hoped that over time I could produced an income stream about equivalent to the amount of money I spend on fuel (well that went south when fuel hit $2) sugar, supplies and queens. primarily I set my sights on producing a small honey crop (I have now added pollen) that I could sell locally... no wholesale, no middleman. secondarily to sell a few nuc and over time a few of my own home raised queens.

much like fat bee man I really do enjoy workin' the bees and I also enjoy building the equipment and making plans for the seasonal management of the hives. like sqrcrk I would think $500/hives might be setting your expectation up a bit high.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

tecumseh said:


> mr johnson ask:
> Where are those $500/ hive guy's?
> 
> 
> ...


Ah gee Tecumseh..... you mean net & gross aren't the same.


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

I think Don has the attitude of most successful commercial beekeepers. The problem with beekeeping is that very little capital goes into land. Most rich farmers got rich by selling real estate to developers. Also, the food industry seems to treat honey like it is a high quality version of HFCS. Its hard to support yourself selling honey.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

mr jarrett writes:
you mean net & gross aren't the same. 

tecumseh replies:
ah don't I wish they were the same...

not totally on topic here but.... as aspera suggested a lot of 'farmers' that appear to be well healed are living off credit associated with appreciating land values. or as one of my old working chums suggested when I asked him how some folks could afford $75000 tractors and $150000 combines with commodity prices at 1970 levels....'the way it is and the way it appears from the highway is not the same thing'.


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

*farmers are like ducks on a pond*



tecumseh said:


> not totally on topic here but.... as aspera suggested a lot of 'farmers' that appear to be well healed are living off credit associated with appreciating land values. or as one of my old working chums suggested when I asked him how some folks could afford $75000 tractors and $150000 combines with commodity prices at 1970 levels....'the way it is and the way it appears from the highway is not the same thing'.


 
Got to agree with tec on this one. A lot of farmers are like ducks. They look cool and calm out on the pond. But underneath the water there paddling like heck to stay afloat. Come to think of it beekeepers may be the duck at times.


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## Kieck (Dec 2, 2005)

I'm not a commercial beekeeper, so I can't really speak for how much could or would be grossed for beehives.

Seems to me, though, that some of the figures are pretty public.

$150 per hive for almond pollination in California.

$65 to $75 per nuc sold.

Let's say 80 pounds of honey at 90 cents per pound: $72.

Pollination of one or more other crops: ??

Queens produced and sold: say, $15 per queen times however many queens you produce per hive.

Wax, royal jelly, propolis, pollen: probably incidental, but I don't know.

I have a hard time seeing where you could gross $500 per hive and still have anything left for the next year. And that doesn't include anything for the costs associated with completing all of this.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Aspera said:


> The problem with beekeeping is that very little capital goes into land. Most rich farmers got rich by selling real estate to developers..


Well this is a thought to ponder......

Most of my capital goes into land and I'm a keeper. Some keepers get rich by keeping bees ( and land) next to developers land so developers has to buy out keeper in order to get the entilements from the county planning comission in oder to develop.

Also, keeper can rent out his bees to developers as watch/guard dogs to keep out unwanted pest's as the old vacant building are in transition for new development.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

After finishing the income side of the equation... I GROSSED $260/ overwintered colony in 2007. I didn't pull any honey from splits started in 2007. I haven't yet determined my net as it is more difficult to come by since I bought sumps, tanks, uncapper, and doubled the number of hives... the equipment will be depreciated over a number of years... I spent more$$ than I brought in due to expansion.

Anyway... that was my revenue avg$/hive this past season for what its worth.


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

If you all are talking about income from hives based on honey sales. Off of my best hive I grossed about $1500. Even with expensed taken out this was a substantial part of my honey sales for this year. I have come to the idea that one can make money producing honey, if they have motivated bees of a good stock. Others of mine did not produce as well. But out of 10 hives I relied on 5 to make honey. This year these 5 made close to 100 gallons.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

*Do it yourself!*

My gross is right in line with Dan's for 2007.
I wanted to add a few points to the discussion.
It is my opinion that many of my fellow beekeepers have a WAY TOO HIGH labor ratio.
Some of them see fit to pay someone to do every little chore.
They pay a mechanic, welder, electrician, carpenter etc...............
I prefer to have a few less bees and do my own work. Add to this that I am usually dissatisfied with the quality of other's work; I prefer to do it myself.
Secondly, I see far to much lackidaazical, standing around BSing in the field or in the extracting room. This with too many helpers to begin with.
I run a lean and MEAN show.
Per hive gross income is just one side of the equation.
The more you can trim from the other side leaves more for you to work with.
Do it yourself!
And when you hire, hire someone with some get-up-and-go. Pay them and treat them well.
My $.02


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

Obviously the key question here is can you MAKE any money... sure you can MAKE money... but how much are you spending to make it?

I think its important to avg the revenue and expenses across the hives when looking at the big picture. Some hives will make a large sum of honey/income individually while another sitting right next to it will cost you money.

Everyone has the boomer and the dinks. What is the overall picture? Even the net income per hive at my $260 doesn't really matter if I'm spending $300/ hive to get that.

I guess I don't know how one can look at whether or not you can make any money without looking at startup costs. It might cost one person 10K to start up a nice business because they are shrewd or lucky or both in finding great deals.... Another person might spend $20K to get the same setup... 

Then you have the mgmt decisions and risk/reward decisions to make going forward. Theoretically, two people starting out with the same set-up, same location, same cost....many times wouldn't have the same return on their investments. A myriad of choices along the way will ultimately determine success or failure... Even though both may succeed. There are likely to be different levels of success.


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*



fat/beeman said:


> well best advice is to go work for a small to large operation see how it works. even if you have to work for free. watch learn see what it takes. I haven't got rich doing this yet but still hopeing. do it because you love bees. then maybe you will make a liveing. only a thought.
> 
> Don



I did work for three large commercial beekeepers, so I feel that i have a little experience in this area. Of course being a relative newcomer to beekeeping (43 years) I would say that it very much depends on how that beekeeper manages his hives. One of the beekeepers that I worked for (I prefer not to name any of them as I think that is rude, my first job as a bee manager) produced both cattle, hay, and honey. He barely made 50 or 60 lbs a colony and was deeply indebt against his cattle and bees. In not so many years he was broke. He had 1200 hives

Now to contrast this I worked for a beekeeper a few years later, who had 3750 hives I managed 1750 with two workers. We managed 750 hives of the 1750 as two queens. He consistently produced 250-500 lbs per colony(depending upon if the colony was a two queen or single). We had step ladders to take off supers. We would kill off all the bees except the 750 two queens and ship to Texas (something I have sworn that I will NEVER do again, I love bees to much). I overheard a conversation while I was loading a truck with hives one day and he said he was expecting a gross of 1.5 million (remember that may not seem like much today but remember that was in 1977 and honey wholesale was perhaps around 50 or 60 cents a pound though my memory of the price back then may have failed the 1.5 million has not). 

In 1981 I also worked for a beekeeper, 25,000 colonies and though he made around 5 million a year gross, frankly his operation was not as efficient or clean as the beekeeper with 3750. 

Since in the last few years I have only been a sideliner and don't have the time to do it the way I did with the two queens I still produce regularly 135-200 pounds per colony and most of that is because of the years of experience with a commercial beekeeper. Cheers everyone! Les


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## Kieck (Dec 2, 2005)

If and when planning for business, I believe you should avoid assuming that you can average more than 100 pounds of honey per hive. While some exceptional instances might produce that much, the commercial beekeepers rarely seem to get the kinds of yields that are sometimes bandied about.

Here's a link with average production per hive for each state in 2006. Notice that none of them are greater than 100 pounds per hive.

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics...tions/Statistical_Reports/03mar/honey0307.htm


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*

I am familar with the Government averages and of course the averages are based on a huge sample base. As always averages are based on statistics and I guess you need to have some level of belief in the basis of statistics versus the individual capacity to produce honey. I do know that the honey production varies significantly by geography, moisture conditions, *management*, and I would say that management is by in far the most significant. As to the questions as to whether the honey was really produced one only need to know that one of the beekeepers that I worked for had a 100,000 lb. tank that I saw filled many times, and that was just one of his four operations. Having said all this I *totally agree* that you should only plan on between 75-100 pounds per colony, with all conditions that can happen, it is best to be safe than sorry. Cheers, Les


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

yellow: why not run two queens now? I was thinking of doing this but just cant decide.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

CSbees,

How much do you sell honey for?


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

{I believe you should avoid assuming that you can average more than 100 pounds of honey per hive.}

Good Point Kieck. Like alot of farming it's feast or Famine. We expect to get between 125-150 lb/ hive per year but we have the advantage of working 2 flows, spring in the South, an earlier jump on the NY spring flow and usual fall flow. We also run a percentage of 2 queen units (which produce to the extreme in good years but crash and burn in years like 2007). We also manage for honey production. The incredible years are few and far between and the recent droughts have impacted production notably.

We Gross 50K part time but figure we pocket half. One thing I learned early on was to not focus on making money but work on finding my niche. It cost me money many years before we found our place in the sun. It's clear the smart money is in pollination, with declining hive numbers that will continue. We don't enjoy moving bees so our focus was on producing and direct sales of honey and related products. I do this because I enjoy it and I believe if you can make a living doing what you enjoy getting rich is about that.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

"yellow: why not run two queens now? I was thinking of doing this but just cant decide."

The timing of 2 queen units is the single biggest factor in success. You want to have the population peaking during a major honey flow> We look at our target flow, go back 4 weeks and start our 2 queen units then. Anything else will be less than maximum efficiency and often will result in huge populations eating lesser flows for buildup.


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Money and beekeeping*

There are two reasons I do not run two-queens now. First of all the season here in Mississippi is too long. The whole purpose of two queens are to build up as quickly as possible to optimize the honey production that is coming in, particularly in short season areas (read P. F. Thurber about short season 1979 ABJ). When I kept bees in Colorado many years ago I used two-queen production and it worked seamlessly. But here in Mississippi I use a different procedure and I would rather not describe it as it has been the best success here in the south. 
Second I don't do two-queens here for the reason that I am a scientist and have a full load of research that I have to do. It is just too time consuming. Cheers! Les


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## suprstakr (Feb 10, 2006)

Yellow-bee Not Gona Share Your Method ???????? Wahhhhh!!!!!


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Money and beekeeping*



Joel said:


> "yellow: why not run two queens now? I was thinking of doing this but just cant decide."
> 
> The timing of 2 queen units is the single biggest factor in success. You want to have the population peaking during a major honey flow> We look at our target flow, go back 4 weeks and start our 2 queen units then. Anything else will be less than maximum efficiency and often will result in huge populations eating lesser flows for buildup.


Joel that is absolutely right! If you don't maximize the timing to coincide with the blooming period it will not optimize the production from the buildup. When we did two-queens in Minnesota, we timed them to be made the end of April to allow about 6 weeks to build up then we would unite the two-queens and that would allow the newly hatched bees to discover that there wasn't as much brood to feed and they will become foragers early. Robert Banker has a great chapter on it in the yellow book (can't remember the year or version) of the "Hive and the Honeybee" by Grout. I worked for Banker back in the late 70s and he had by far the most successful two-queen system. I think Farrar's system is great too but it is really pretty complicated and with Bankers it can be duplicated across many hives with consistant managment.
Here in Mississippi it would not be of much benefit as two-queen is optimal for short season and intense short flows. Cheers everyone! Les


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*



MichaelW said:


> CSbees,
> 
> How much do you sell honey for?


Hey I love your website! I too have nubian goats, they are great. Anyway, we sell both retail, soft wholesale (grocery stores, quick stops, natural food stores). We have not sold in the big 55 gallon drum level since we are just sideline. My days of thousands of colonies are probably all behind me.......just too old to do all that. Our 1 pound bottle sells this year for $4.10 and our 5 lb. sells for $13.50 retail. We have other sizes but that gives you an idea of the prices. Cheers! Les


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

"It is just too time consuming. Cheers! Les"

A defininate consideration!

"of the "Hive and the Honeybee" by Grout."

That's what we based our system (and yes I recall the book was yellow) on and it has worked out well. I think that version of the book also had the stats for 2 queen production from the Powers Studies which was a big deciding factor for us.


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*



Joel said:


> "It is just too time consuming. Cheers! Les"
> 
> A defininate consideration!
> 
> ...


I think so I would have to look at the book again. I worked for Bob Banker who wrote the article and I can assure you that is claims are correct. We had a staggering 200-700 lbs of honey with small step ladders to stack and unstack the supers. A terrific system but timing is crucial. Cheers, Les


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*



suprstakr said:


> Yellow-bee Not Gona Share Your Method ???????? Wahhhhh!!!!!


Well sometimes something’s are best kept to the company’s management. Hence, why many companies keep their secrets. I will share a great deal of what I know, and I don’t bend or obscure the facts I do relate. I think that the two queen system works terrific given consistent, timed management. Cheers, for secretive Les


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

YellowBee said:


> Well sometimes something’s are best kept to the company’s management.


You mean because YOU earned it through trial / error and expence $$ that it should be kept to the party that payed the price.

Wow what a concept.


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*



Keith Jarrett said:


> You mean because YOU earned it through trial / error and expence $$ that it should be kept to the party that payed the price.
> 
> Wow what a concept.


Well intellectual information can be just as valuable as durable goods and yes that is why I am a little guarded. After all success is its own proof of the pudding. Cheers all! Les


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## John Gesner (Dec 17, 2005)

Les, I'm intrigued by your comments about two queen colonies. I've been wondering, as a fairly new beekeeper and hopeful sideliner, about how to maximize the early and short honey flow I have in Central Ohio. There's just not enough agriculture near my main yard to support much of a honey crop after the black locust and basswood blooms. Clover can be hit or miss, depending on who's letting what fields go in the area. Last couple of years have been heavy on the goldenrod and aster in the fall, but it's hard to sell stinky honey that crystallizes fast.

So anyway, I wonder if two queen hives would be the way to go for me here?

Oh, and as for making money, I hope to break even this year (year three of my official "business")...


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## YellowBee (Jan 22, 2008)

*Beekeeping and making money*

Yes I think that the Ohio area would really work well. If you do not have the old "Hive and the Honeybee" that Bob Banker wrote the article you could PM me and give me your address and I will send you the article. I also would need to know your bloom dates to help you with the timing as that is crucial for success. Cheers, Les


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

I think one of the most overlooked management tools is "location,location ,location', I've had hives average 2 to 3 suppers more in yards 30 miles apart. Sure I knew one location was better than another, but I didn't realize how much different. Then one year a yard will do great and then next year not so good. I'm migratory here in FL and work three flows,
and year to year I still can't guess which will be the strongest.

Double Queens will out produce single queens, but IMO they're also twice the work.


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## CSbees (Aug 7, 2007)

Michael W,

I sell wildflower for $11 a quart, mountain and specialty honeys(mountain berry, bamboo, sumac) for $12 and only top grade white sourwood for $13.


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## Ruben (Feb 11, 2006)

I have been keeping bees for two years. I have about $3000 investested in equipment and 17 hives. The first year I made about $450 for the small about of honey I got. This year with honey sales and an extraction or two I made about $2000 after buying jars and such. That does not count my time or gas money and such. I am currently down to eleven hives at the moment with two more I feel sure to loose. I think with good luck you can make money beekeeping and with bad luck could loose money.I have to say that 50% of the money I made beekeeping this year came from cut outs and not my bees or honey. If I were paying myself minimum wage and calculating gas and what not then I would not have made anything yet and I need to re-invest in more bees to get my hives back. I want to get up to 20 hives the season and 50 next season and then play with that for a year or so. I would call it a hobby that I can make some side money from.


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