Money earning bees

[ElectricBlueBee]

Someone asked me yesterday how much money/profit do i hope to earn from my bees. I kinda just went

I have cats, fish, have had hamsters, guinea pigs... None of them earned me anything and i loved them all, now i also have bees.

So, getting to the point, as i've not even thought of what money comes in from beekeeping, i was wondering what you guys get. Not in terms of amount but if you could say that you make a big loss, mild loss, small loss, break-even, minor profit etc etc. I understand its all relative to your available funds but these terms can still be compared.

Cheers
EBB

 

[peteinwilts]

Main hive type:None

its because you have no hives!

 

[ElectricBlueBee]

*Ahem*

 

[Winker]

see this thread: http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11004

 

[Tom Bick]

I think its often a mistake to think of making money out of the bees especially if the beekeeper has both feet in the hobby beekeeper camp.

I often hear beekeepers talking almost obsessed as to the quantity of honey their bees have produced and how much they will get for it.

I also know that it is exciting at first but I often wonder if this is their sole priority and perhaps taking their eye of the ball as regards the bees.

If we get a surplus then that’s great, personally in 4 years I have never taken money for a jar of honey always given it away, although with just two hives I never get that much that I don’t know what to do with it, as I increase to 4 hives I may change my approach.

For me its all about trying to learn the craft and understanding the bees than figures and weight apart from the weight of the hive come December.

 

[djg]

 

[ElectricBlueBee]

Thanks for the link, i knew there'd be something already.

I'm not bothered about any profit. I have friends and collegues that would like to buy at least one jar of honey off me so its always more money back than the cat will offer!

Like others i think it would be nice to make a little back after the money spent on it but i'm just glad they haven't run off to find another wooden box!

 

[malawi2854]

Like others i think it would be nice to make a little back after the money spent on it but i'm just glad they haven't run off to find another wooden box!

I tend to think of it in terms of "minimising my losss". If I sell £10 worth of honey (about what I managed last year!), then I figure, well, that's £10 I've got back from my bees, that I don't get back from the cat - much the same as you.

That said - I do like to make something from most of my pets... the cat is useless - but I am able to claw something back from the chickens, ducks, fish, snakes, lizards, chameleons... and so the list goes on!!!

I really enjoy beekeeping (even when I am doing it hopelessly wrong - it is quite amazing to see them recover from even my worse cock-ups!) - so I figure it is money well spent.

 

[psafloyd]

That said - I do like to make something from most of my pets... the cat is useless - but I am able to claw something back from the chickens, ducks, fish, snakes, lizards, chameleons... and so the list goes on!!!

Snakes and lizards? Do you sell the offspring, then?

 

[malawi2854]

Got it in one...!

Last year was the first time I actually worked it all out properly - and was VERY impressed to see the baby snakes at least, sold and paid for all their food and equipment for the year - and then even more surprised to discover they paid for the adults food all year too!

This beekeeping business isn't nearly so profitable!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

The cat keeps the rodents down. Provided, of course, that you don't feed it so much that it doesn't need to find any more food (a bit like feeding nucs, swarms, etc, I suppose. )

RAB

 

[Chris Luck]

The cat keeps the rodents down.

I find that the snakes and birds of prey do that.

Chris

 

[drstitson]

pure bred poultry eggs are also a good bet on ebay - our muscovy ducks and sebright bantams paid for a good few sacks of feed last year.