How do people afford multiple hives?

[Angularity]

Halve your expected income and double your expected costs. If you can still see a margin it might be worth a shot.

An excellent way to test any business plan.

 

[Finman]

An excellent way to test any business plan.

Sure, but first you must learn beekeeping skills.

My advice for business plan is, that find a beekeeper, who knows what go do.

Go to help a heavy class beekeeper for free. So you know what is beekeeping.

Take first beekeeping as a hobby, and then one day look, is it able to get earnings from it.

 

[MadAnt]

And how do you know, that beekeeper, which you found, knows what to do?

 

[Finman]

And how do you know, that beekeeper, which you found, knows what to do?

You use your brains.

Count at least the boxes of hives. More boxes, more brains.

Change the adviser when you find better.

 

[B+.]

You use your brains.

You need more than just technical skills to run a successful business. You need good business skills too.

 

[sipa]

You need more than just technical skills to run a successful business. You need good business skills too.

 

[Finman]

You need more than just technical skills to run a successful business. You need good business skills too.

Really. Lots of beekeepers sell their crop to reseller with half price without any business skills.

But first you need technical skills. Marketing does not work, if you do not have anything to sell.


.

 

[Finman]

Oh dear... You believe that man!

B has told to me many times that money is not everything. What is that then?

The most valuable business act in beekeeping is that keep your wife in steady work.
.

 

[Finman]

.
I do not know many, who run succesfull beekeeping business.

 

[B+.]

Oh dear... You believe that man!

You often tell us that we should listen to what you say because of your university education Finman. Allow me to tell you that this is an area I have studied quite intensively.

 

[Fusion_power]

It shouldn't matter how big the colony gets. If they are calm bees, they are calm bees, no matter how big the colony gets.

This ignores known bee behavior. A colony of 3 or 4 frames is much easier to work than a fully expanded colony. Part of this is because the beekeeper is in the colony less total time with a small vs large colony. Part is because the number of potentially aggressive bees is much higher in the large colony. While I agree with the overall sentiment that non-aggressive colonies should always score well, my experience has been that colonies must be just a tad aggressive to survive varroa sans treatments. I cull any queen that can't be worked in a t-shirt and veil in August when there is a nectar dearth and colonies are very large. This ensures a range of defensive behavior while culling any that are too hot.

 

[B+.]

A colony of 3 or 4 frames is much easier to work than a fully expanded colony. Part of this is because the beekeeper is in the colony less total time with a small vs large colony. Part is because the number of potentially aggressive bees is much higher in the large colony. While I agree with the overall sentiment that non-aggressive colonies should always score well, my experience has been that colonies must be just a tad aggressive to survive varroa sans treatments.

This is usually true. However, a colony that is docile can be managed much quicker than one which shows aggressive tendencies. Especially so if they are stable on the comb. You can do what you need to do so much faster if you don't have to spend all your time searching for a queen that runs around (or even workers that run for the corners).
In Beebreed-NL, candidate breeder queens have to over-winter well without treatment. This queen has already gone through one winter without treatment so I am hoping she does as well this winter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGZ0ZmN-W8M). I believe she is a strong contender and have already raised 114 open mated daughters this year.
I don't agree that aggression is necessary to survive varroa. This queen proves it. Her colony is probably the most docile I have ever seen.

 

[Finman]

.
Evil colonies become more irritated the more handling continues. And big colonies are slower to handle. But angry colonies must be handled slowly.

Calm bees stay calm. But in the evening even calm bees become bad.

 

[For want of a better word]

This ignores known bee behavior. A colony of 3 or 4 frames is much easier to work than a fully expanded colony. Part of this is because the beekeeper is in the colony less total time with a small vs large colony. Part is because the number of potentially aggressive bees is much higher in the large colony. While I agree with the overall sentiment that non-aggressive colonies should always score well, my experience has been that colonies must be just a tad aggressive to survive varroa sans treatments. I cull any queen that can't be worked in a t-shirt and veil in August when there is a nectar dearth and colonies are very large. This ensures a range of defensive behavior while culling any that are too hot.

A tad overdressed

Unless you live in Finland where thay get someone to dress up in a bear costume to distract the nasty bees whilst the accomplice steals the honey away!!

Yeghes da

 

[Beefriendly]

A tad overdressed

If you can't inspect wearing nothing more than speedos and flipflops in hot weather you have aggressive bees.
How do you dress for inspecting your Cornish Amm's?...suspect Arthurian armor is more appropriate.

 

[Fusion_power]

If you can't inspect wearing nothing more than speedos and flipflops in hot weather you have aggressive bees.
How do you dress for inspecting your Cornish Amm's?...suspect Arthurian armor is more appropriate.

Seems someone got Hoppy's beekeeping figured out.

Also seems this is pretty far off topic from the original request.

The way to pay for equipment is to sell products to generate revenue. The fly in this mug is that you have to prime the pump meaning enough equipment has to be purchased to start generating revenue. It is not easy to generate enough profit from 10 colonies to fund expansion. Twenty colonies can do it up to a point.

One person I know here in the U.S. borrowed $12,000 U.S. with his father's assistance and used it to expand from a few dozen to a few hundred colonies. Given the increase, this was relatively cheap. He learned a lot of lessons along the way.

 

[B+.]

.
Calm bees stay calm. But in the evening even calm bees become bad.

Calm bees stay calm.
Tthe returning foragers ( which are usually the most aggressive) shouldn't make a difference in truly docile colonies .
Don't make excuses for them if they aren't up to the required standard !

 

[Finman]

Calm bees stay calm.
Tthe returning foragers ( which are usually the most aggressive) shouldn't make a difference in truly docile colonies .
Don't make excuses for them if they aren't up to the required standard !

I have different standards with them.
I do not breed them. But I know enough bees what I do with them. And I never nurse them im T shirt. Or in short pants and when to change the Queen.

Calm bees can use their stings. I am not their only enemy.

 

[Beefriendly]

Calm bees stay calm.

You could try a Test, just as there is enough morning daylight to see what you are doing go and split your calmest hive into two half's, as if you were going to move them but they were to too heavy to move as a single box. Have a travel screen ready to cap the bottom box and a floor to put the top half on.
Then tell us if calm bees stay calm.
I know the answer to this....it's called a hive lifter so I don't have to split the boxes of bees!

 

[B+.]

You could try a Test

I have been testing them all year. That's why I said this is the calmest colony I have ever seen.
I wont do stupid tests that serve no useful purpose though.