Bee keeping- can you make a profit?

[snoop]

How many hives to break even?

How many colonies would you need to cover your costs ?
Hives ,frames, sugar for the year , wax foundations, varroa treatment , getting a sample of bees from each hive tested every year, tools/ replacement tools etc.

 

[oliver90owner]

Rather depends on what one actually refers to as 'profit'. In my book it could mean the difference between buying and selling, if it were an item; with bees it might simply mean more than covering ones running costs (as a hobbyist) for the year, or it may mean a surplus after all income and expenditure, wages, capital depreciation, as in a balance sheet acceptable by all, including Inland Revenue.

As a hobbyist, one can cover one's costs quite easily with a small, static number of colonies in a single apiary - provided it is close to one's home.

If one starts a business and wishes to take a decent wage and still make a profit....now that is something different. Business plan comes to mind, before diving in the deep end.

Also, one needs to take into consideration that some seasons may not even produce a nett surplus of honey, let alone a profit.

RAB

 

[cat weazle]

im a total novice but from what ive seen you might make more profit selling nucs and packages


just a thought...

cheers cw

 

[chrismcd]

I remember hearing a member of the Bee Farmers Association saying that he thought that no more than 30 of the Bee Farmers were wholly dependant on beekeeping for their living.

He went on to say that they tended to have one or two full time staff and a number of seasonal helpers.

I have also hear that the Africanised honey bee is changing the statistics of world honey production and depressing prices. Apparently only professional apiarists have the kit to collect honey from African bees and it has done wonders for Brazil's honey exports and may well do so for other South American countries (not Argentina - they are having a soya bean boom instead)!

http://www.bee-hexagon.net/files/file/fileE/Honey/10HoneyTrade.pdf

Interestingly, I make it that the UK is the worlds fourth biggest honey importer, but that Germans have a serious sweet tooth.

So, if you want to make money from honey, buy a heavy duty bee suit and head off to Brazil!

 

[Black Comb]

From my experience of life and business so far it seems a lot of the thinking is the wrong way round - i.e. all about producing and nothing about the revenue.

I would start with an estimate of sales p.a. and in order to do that you need to establish the market price for honey (both wholesale and retail). work out how much you are likely to sell and how and then fill in all the other bits on your trial profit and loss account.

I expect you will need to put in your own labour charge as nil to make the figures look acceptable.

 

[Chris B]

Peter I think you are probably right in a general sense but there is a big demand for homegrown honey that makes it very easy to sell in bulk. So for now at least it's better to put all effort into production and let it sell itself.

 

[Dishmop]

How many colonies would you need to cover your costs ?

Initial outlay costs or running costs?

Outlay has to be spare money that you dont need for anything else, then after that you need to be able to recoup your running costs.

After you cover your running costs, you can if you wish, pay any excess back into the bank to replace what you used, or spend it down the pub.

Think of it in terms of your hives are earning the interest that the money would earn if it was sitting in a savings account. Which isnt a lot today...
Spend it and enjoy it.... Sod the kids inheritence....

Income from 2 hives should cover the cost of running 2 hives,

therefore 10 from 10 etc but more likely it would/should be that income from ? hives should cover the cost of running ?x? hives.

 

[Poly Hive]

The first thing is to check out the opposition which for Cornwall I would have thought was Quince.

How small is small? If you are looking at more then ten hives then premises of some sort is going to be needed... ie where do you keep all those wet supers after the season is over. Where are you going to make things, as you will have to to keep costs down, and with what kit? A good table saw is essential as is a router and table, and a dovetail jig served me very well indeed.

Which honeys are you going to chase and where to get them.

Heather? If so where from?

Hive type. A VERY major decision for anyone setting up commercially. Personally I would buy as many Langstroth poly broods I could afford and make everything else. And when I could afford it I would by poly supers until I had enough for the first sup on every hive to be poly as it gets the bees up faster than anything else I know.

Extractor? Now the choice here rather hangs on whether you are planning on working Heather or not as a commercial outfit can you afford to ignore the best priced honey in the UK?

Anything else just pm me. Oh buy and read Manleys three books.

PH

 

[mbc]

I think anybody who keeps bees well and sells any surplus products for their value will make a handsome product in most seasons

 

[victor meldrew]

I think anybody who keeps bees well and sells any surplus products for their value will make a handsome product in most seasons

Profit is the difference between out goings and returns ,yes?.
Be honest with yourself when reckoning out goings and you may be in for a shock

John Wilkinson

 

[Rosti]

Be honest with yourself when reckoning out goings and you may be in for a shock

There is a massive difference between an 'apparently' break even hobby and an 'accountably' profitable business

 

[Poly Hive]

How very true.

PH

 

[PaleoPerson]

I did the maths once.
I have stopped doing that now and I live happily in the fairy tale that the hobby pays for itself.

 

[mbc]

Profit is the difference between out goings and returns ,yes?.
Be honest with yourself when reckoning out goings and you may be in for a shock

John Wilkinson

I keep low maintenance local bees in a very relaxed manner and spend very little if anything on outgoings - a bit of foundation, diesel and my time are the major expenses not counting the jars which pay for themselves when the honeys sold. I havent figured out how much I could pay myself /hour and stay in profit after selling honey, queens and nucs but I can honestly say its way above break even

 

[victor meldrew]

I keep low maintenance local bees in a very relaxed manner and spend very little if anything on outgoings - a bit of foundation, diesel and my time are the major expenses not counting the jars which pay for themselves when the honeys sold. I havent figured out how much I could pay myself /hour and stay in profit after selling honey, queens and nucs but I can honestly say its way above break even

I would still revisit my calculations and factor in capital investments, sugar ,treatments ,subscriptions, education ,transport, depreciation of capital investments and unless you are full time and run an awful lot of colonies I think you will realise that as a hobby it doesn't even break even let alone show a profit .

John Wilkinson

 

[Poly Hive]

Of course no one is going to admit to making money in case HMG is reading avidly too....

I can well remember seeing fellow members loading up cars with boxes upon boxes of jars at the Aberdeen Association jar depot.

"Had a good year?"

"Nah it's been afa poor..." Aye right....

PH

 

[Midland Beek]

What sort of number of hives do you need to make a sustainable profit?

A couple of thousand colonies and another sideline to fall back on if your beekeeping goes really pear-shaped.

 

[Poly Hive]

Now that is just not true.

Arguably the most successful Bee Farmer in the UK runs 750. And exports to over 40 countries.

PH

 

[jimbeekeeper]

What sort of number of hives do you need to make a sustainable profit?

The answer is 1

 

[mbc]

The answer is 1