Renting hives

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normaly who every supplies the hive, gets to keep the honey harvest but the renter can use the bees to bread a new nuc from it,

I do a version of it with my newbeeks.
rather than then going out in the first year a spending loads of money on equipment and bees etc etc.

I give them a small nuc in a wbc or national hive and then when they have started to learn from me at the bee shed they then go home and play with the nuc. at the end of the season i will come along and treat the hive and clear the suppers i have supplied and the newbee feeds and winters the hive. in the following year and only if they want to commite to being a beek do i either sell or help them build/buy/assemble there own set up and we transfer the nuc across to them with a small fee for the bees
 
Thats an excellant idea.
I am sure there are a lot of New Age Bee Keepers that take up the hobby after watching one of the Bee Documentaries on TV.
And then want to quit within 12 Months.
Renting a Hive of Bees not only brings in an income, but assures they dont get destroyed should the new Bee quit.
 
Slightly different version here. I am planning to rent the hive, buy the bees and then for a small monthly fee the beek comes along and looks after them. This is great for me as I get to learn as I go along with expert advice, have not spend vast amounts of money if it all goes wrong and get a honey crop at the end of the year.:cool:
 
Guess it may depend on how much you are renting the hive for, and if the monthly fee also depends on this.

But otherwise a brand new cedar flatpack with all the trimmings can be bought for £135ish and second hand and other woods even less, so more than a tenner a month for the rental will be costing you.
 
Guess it may depend on how much you are renting the hive for, and if the monthly fee also depends on this.

But otherwise a brand new cedar flatpack with all the trimmings can be bought for £135ish and second hand and other woods even less, so more than a tenner a month for the rental will be costing you.

Yes but you need to take into account the cost of the learning, which I would have to buy. The alternative is to go on a course at between £30-300 and then find a mentor or pay for tuition at £25 per hour (as one rate I have been quoted).

What is the most cost effective way to learn beekeeping as a new beekeeper?
 
1) Read all of the bee books

2) Get a decent nuc from a proper supplier

3) Join the local association (now) and go to the winter meetings.

You don't have to have a mentor, but if you are in the local association there will be someone to help if it all goes wrong. Most of the time it doesn't go wrong.
 
Join your local association say £30 year max and all the lessons are free
 
Yes but you need to take into account the cost of the learning, which I would have to buy. The alternative is to go on a course at between £30-300 and then find a mentor or pay for tuition at £25 per hour (as one rate I have been quoted).

What is the most cost effective way to learn beekeeping as a new beekeeper?

You could still let the guy tend your hive for his monthly fee. Was just suggesting that it may be cost effective to own the hardware rather than rent it. It would also have a resell value if you then decided it wasnt for you, with or without bees.

As far as cost of learning is concerned, personally I did a 10 evening course at local uni for £150, which was well worth it, plus about £40 (so far) on books and much time online. But if you're intending a hands-off approach with your supplier doing the work, then that's probably not necessary.
 
1) Read all of the bee books

2) Get a decent nuc from a proper supplier

3) Join the local association (now) and go to the winter meetings.

You don't have to have a mentor, but if you are in the local association there will be someone to help if it all goes wrong. Most of the time it doesn't go wrong.

:iagree:

Quote Tom Bick , Join your local association say £30 year max and all the lessons are free

:iagree:
 
1) Read all of the bee books

2) Get a decent nuc from a proper supplier

3) Join the local association (now) and go to the winter meetings.

You don't have to have a mentor, but if you are in the local association there will be someone to help if it all goes wrong. Most of the time it doesn't go wrong.
Totally agree with Rea, I started in May of this year, have 3 hives that are doing really well. I went on a weekend course, joined the club and have plenty of people to call (just in case) like the time I caught my 3rd swarm of the season and didn't have a hive to put them in. Plus you need an interest in beekeeping, it's a bit like having an allotment, you have SO many people with good intentions, BUT, when the work gets a bit hard, or they can't be bothered, then it all goes to pot. Keep a look out in the future for hives full of bees going cheap (Not Cheap, cheap!).
 
whilst everyone has all argeed on the asso or club route can we try another?

yes the heratic is BACK.

firstly the person who wrote the starter text is abroad and not uk based so the idea of a club can be a little out of his depth of travel.

so lets start the other way!

everyone wants money and only the poor work for nowt so if this person has found a way to get some skill training and it works for him and his wallet then i say go for it, a rate of 10 euros per hour for the beek and say 50 euros for the hive for a year is pretty good to me.
 
whilst everyone has all argeed on the asso or club route can we try another?

yes the heratic is BACK.

firstly the person who wrote the starter text is abroad and not uk based so the idea of a club can be a little out of his depth of travel.

so lets start the other way!

everyone wants money and only the poor work for nowt so if this person has found a way to get some skill training and it works for him and his wallet then i say go for it, a rate of 10 euros per hour for the beek and say 50 euros for the hive for a year is pretty good to me.

So why does location say Rye, Wext Sussex????? It makes no sense to pretend you live somewhere you don't, at least to me it doesnt!
 
firstly the person who wrote the starter text is abroad and not uk based so the idea of a club can be a little out of his depth of travel.
So why does location say Rye, Wext Sussex????? It makes no sense to pretend you live somewhere you don't, at least to me it doesnt!

Actually I do live in Rye in East Sussex and have joined the Sussex Beekeepers Association. :willy_nilly: So far so good. This way of gaining experience seems to me to be quite a good way to learn quite quickly and to deal with all those odd things that crop up.
 
Members of our club get free training, from April to August (weekly) at the out-apiary. You may wish to consider travelling further, to get better tuition.

Adam
 
Der Alte Fritz, sorry i was miss read your location, so you i am sorry ,to any the parrotsafter just me that kept reprinting my mistake i am not .

there is one point that almost every one has missed and evan i cant get it wrong and that is most of the replies have mentioned going to the local bee group, whilst i strongly agree with most of the princibles. i dont belive that the bee asso, is the best option for everyone and whilst many here are members of say the bb there are many that are not nor are they menbers of any club nor are they on the bee list either so please look at both sides of the equation for and against memberships.

if you find a mentor , whever or not they are in a club is a much better route to follow. and if cash has to cross plams and you dont mind then do it
 

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