Cost of producing honey

[bpmurray]

I extracted around 5kg last week and the vultures started to turn up. They seem to think that the cost of producing honey is zero - after all, it's the bees who do all the work. As a consequence, I decided to calculate what it really does cost to produce a pound of honey for the hobbyist. My consumables for this year are below (I will probably be able to reuse most frames & foundation):

• Sugar & fondant - €45
• Foundation & frames - €285
• Jars/boxes - €50
• Treatments - €80
• Others - €50

This gives €510 and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten stuff. On top of this I purchased 8 Apideas and three hives, a couple of buckets and some tools, etc. but at least I'll be able to reuse these. Of course, this doesn't included my time, so I suppose this is slave labour.

Anyway, if I end up with 100lbs (I lost 2 swarms so that doesn't help the honey production), that works out at over €5 to produce each pound of honey!

 

[enrico]

If you are in it for the money.......Cheerio!
After 35 years I am just about making headway....maybe!
E

 

[bpmurray]

If you are in it for the money.....

No - just ranting about the folk who expect to get a jar of honey for very little or even for free,

 

[madasafish]

No - just ranting about the folk who expect to get a jar of honey for very little or even for free,

Tell them as a favour you will sell it to them at cost price..

 

[psafloyd]

I extracted around 5kg last week and the vultures started to turn up. They seem to think that the cost of producing honey is zero - after all, it's the bees who do all the work. As a consequence, I decided to calculate what it really does cost to produce a pound of honey for the hobbyist. My consumables for this year are below (I will probably be able to reuse most frames & foundation):

• Sugar & fondant - €45
• Foundation & frames - €285
• Jars/boxes - €50
• Treatments - €80
• Others - €50

This gives €510 and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten stuff. On top of this I purchased 8 Apideas and three hives, a couple of buckets and some tools, etc. but at least I'll be able to reuse these. Of course, this doesn't included my time, so I suppose this is slave labour.

Anyway, if I end up with 100lbs (I lost 2 swarms so that doesn't help the honey production), that works out at over €5 to produce each pound of honey!

It will take you some years before you see much in the way of profit, unless you can make your own kit.

 

[madasafish]

It will take you some years before you see much in the way of profit, unless you can make your own kit.

The Total expenditure on my hives - 8 langs +several TBHs and 4 lang 5 frame nucs - is less than £500..The majority of that is paint and aluminium tape. I exclude frames and foundation from those numbers.

 

[For want of a better word]

Last accountancy trail I did the selling price could be no lower than £ 4.80 for 227g (1/2 lb)

and that did not account for any time to facilitate the packaging or processing.. let alone the beekeeping!

Small production for the hobbyist is not cost effictive... enjoy your few hives and use the honey as gifts.

Amazes me how many beekeepers and would be beekeepers expect you to give away queens and colonies to... afte rall they just swarmed in.. did they not!

Yeghes da

 

[bpmurray]

The Total expenditure on my hives - 8 langs +several TBHs and 4 lang 5 frame nucs - is less than £500..The majority of that is paint and aluminium tape. I exclude frames and foundation from those numbers.

I know that folk who are handy make their own, but I have no skills in that department. If I was to try, what kind of timber should I use?

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Polyhives perhaps? They will outperform wood and the cost is reasonable. Buy the boxes and make the floors and roofs yourself.

 

[madasafish]

I know that folk who are handy make their own, but I have no skills in that department. If I was to try, what kind of timber should I use?

I use plywood - 18mm, cheap s/h - and 50mm Celotex (or equivalent) -s/h of course- insulation jackets . Or used 18mm pine boards.

You need a modicum of tools - router and table saw (diy possible). And some care.

I make langs which are simple to make unlike nats which were designed by a muppet and much more fiddly.

 

[Poly Hive]

Good to see the penny dropping and the realisation that honey from the UK should be a decent price to reflect all the above.

PH

 

[beeno]

No - just ranting about the folk who expect to get a jar of honey for very little or even for free,

If I give away any honey it is a special gift to someone that I think deserves it and appreciates it. Not many of them about and I don't work that hard for nothing.