No fun being a bee farmer

[itma]

100 hives is not bee farming just playing we can't make a living with 800

Whatever you do, don't mention that in the sauna ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[pargyle]

Oh dear ... that was very funny though ...

 

[Limousin Lass]

Anyone who wants to just be a bee farmer would need a min of 400 hives

AND 400 strong colonies of bees fit for the environment they have to forage in!

My bank manager advised me strongly about spending my pension fund on beekeeping... specifically honey farming.....
However a hobby like beekeeping can become a bit like little Topsy and keep growing.

At what point does a hobby become another job?

IF you want something to pour all your hard earned cash into either marry some lass less than half your age or buy a boat!

I have a friend who is an actor, he has been married a number of times, he reliably (I am told) informs me that if it "Flies, Floats or FFFFs you are only happy on 2 days, the one you get it on and the one you get rid on"

 

[pargyle]

I have a friend who is an actor, he has been married a number of times, he reliably (I am told) informs me that if it "Flies, Floats or FFFFs you are only happy on 2 days, the one you get it on and the one you get rid on"

 

[Chris B]

Anyone who wants to just be a bee farmer would need a min of 400 hives
QUOTE]

That's probably about right if it's you're only income. I have over 300 and it's not enough and I've taken some alternative winter work last year and this year. I was grateful I hadn't jumped to 400 last season as my financial losses would have been even worse.

 

[Tdf]

Compensation- this would be to compensate for not being able to farm your ground (that you pay a mortgage or rent on ) as it should be.
Subsidies; in reality tax payers subsidise the supermarkets and those that fall below the tax threshold, by providing a base payment to farmers , so when the vagaries of the weather destroy the crop, the farmer will plant it again. This ensures the supply of food to one of the most heavily populated parts of the planet (Europe). We are loaded down with regulations and employment laws, which would be fine if only food produced to these standards could be sold here. But no, cheap food from countries paying workers as little as a dollar a day, with no regulations and controls is imported and sold next to ours. It costs over a Thousand pounds an acre to grow Potatoes for example, this is seed , fertilizer, sprays ,labour and sundries. You haven't bought or rented the ground, put a tractor on it and fuel in it or included any other fixed cost yet .
This is going off topic so I best desist before a mod sends me to the naughty step.

finally someone talking sense

 

[Chris Luck]

finally someone talking sense

Oh dear, you're not another farmer living on the backs of the taxpayers are you?

Chris

 

[oliver90owner]

One previous thread included a post from someone who said 'If you want to make a small fortune from beekeeping, start with a big one.'

RAB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh dear, you're not another farmer living on the backs of the taxpayers are you?

Chris

Hmm ireland, france...................

 

[Chris Luck]

One previous thread included a post from someone who said 'If you want to make a small fortune from beekeeping, start with a big one.'

RAB

Sounds about right.

Chris

 

[biggles]

Just an update
We didn't sell off many hives and now in fact have more. The wife is helping me much more so we have more time. We've totally stopped putting our bees on farms and haven't lost any to sprays. Honey is coming in fast and also selling fast. Life as a bee keeper is better this year. Thanks for all the nice comments and yes we now have a small fortune from a larger one.

 

[Tom Bick]

Great good for you. You have gone through a couple of bad years and wishing you many good ones to come.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

So where in Tunbridge Wells are you hiding that many hives?

 

[REDWOOD]

So where in Tunbridge Wells are you hiding that many hives?

Cheeky

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Cheeky

Serious q; sorry if it looked cheeky. I am aching for apiary space and looking for ideas.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Just an update
We didn't sell off many hives and now in fact have more. The wife is helping me much more so we have more time. We've totally stopped putting our bees on farms and haven't lost any to sprays. Honey is coming in fast and also selling fast. Life as a bee keeper is better this year. Thanks for all the nice comments and yes we now have a small fortune from a larger one.

well done . best of luck to you.

 

[BeeBus]

Good effort, glad you stuck at it, being a farmer I can understand the highs and lows especially grafting hard for a year just to make a loss

 

[ebee]

I'm soooo pleased it's now working out for you and thanks for letting us know. It would be interesting to know your thoughts on how you've turned it around.

 

[jimmybee]

What's the numbers looking like biggles ? Still swarm collecting or just breeding good stock?