Setting Up an Out Apiary...

[Moobee]

I'm at my limit of hives in our garden so was thinking of looking for an out apiary. Our local plumber expressed an interest in having bees in his large garden, about a mile away. Not sure if he wants his own hives and I look after them (initially he thought he could leave them alone and just take honey....., I put him right on that one!) or I can put my own hives there.
Planning to meet at his place in a few weeks to discuss but what should I be asking? What's the going rate for 'rent' if it's my own hives?
If he wants his hives and I manage, i'm not even sure how you would charge for time to do inspections and management etc?
And what if he then needs more kit?

Seems like it could either be really easy or a total minefield....

Would love some advice from those who've undoubtably been through all this.

Thanks so much.

 

[Hachi]

All will be revealed if you use the search option

 

[enrico]

I'm at my limit of hives in our garden so was thinking of looking for an out apiary. Our local plumber expressed an interest in having bees in his large garden, about a mile away. Not sure if he wants his own hives and I look after them (initially he thought he could leave them alone and just take honey....., I put him right on that one!) or I can put my own hives there.
Planning to meet at his place in a few weeks to discuss but what should I be asking? What's the going rate for 'rent' if it's my own hives?
If he wants his hives and I manage, i'm not even sure how you would charge for time to do inspections and management etc?
And what if he then needs more kit?

Seems like it could either be really easy or a total minefield....

Would love some advice from those who've undoubtably been through all this.

Thanks so much.

I would be loathe to put my bees into someone else's garden. Any problems become yours.teach him how to keep bees and sell him your bees.

 

[Boston Bees]

I'm at my limit of hives in our garden so was thinking of looking for an out apiary. Our local plumber expressed an interest in having bees in his large garden, about a mile away. Not sure if he wants his own hives and I look after them (initially he thought he could leave them alone and just take honey....., I put him right on that one!) or I can put my own hives there.
Planning to meet at his place in a few weeks to discuss but what should I be asking? What's the going rate for 'rent' if it's my own hives?
If he wants his hives and I manage, i'm not even sure how you would charge for time to do inspections and management etc?
And what if he then needs more kit?

Seems like it could either be really easy or a total minefield....

Would love some advice from those who've undoubtably been through all this.

Thanks so much.

Your beehives in the garden of someone who doesn't understand bees will end in disaster. He'll invite his friends, his granny, his neighbours with their dog, etc etc, to come have a look. They'll get stung (especially the dog). You'll get blamed.

Ditto if they are his hives but you look after them.

As Enrico says, send him on a course and tell him to get his own. Find an out apiary you can control access to (not easy).

 

[Amari]

I did this many years ago but never felt comfortable entering my friend's property without notice. I now have two out-apiaries on pieces of derelict /fallow land where I can come and go at will.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I've had about a dozen of my own hives in 4 different gardens for the last 5 years with only one problem. A neighbour decided to cut down a hedge between my hives and his garden and he was stung while using a chain saw. I moved the hives to the other side of the garden and when he was shown the new position by the proud land owner he was stung again. (I think the bees were pissed off with him for having to move)
As far as rent is concerned I give my landlords 2-5 jars per hive/annum depending on the harvest
I also maintain 30 odd hives for other people. I sell them the hives and bees and they pay me to maintain them and extract the honey for their use. Again I've only ever had one client stung but she did insist on talking to me without protection while I was inspecting. She now always gets kitted up!

 

[Moobee]

Some interesting replies thank you. The main issue is that he runs his own very successful business and doesn’t have time to learn about or keep bees himself but really wants them in his garden.
I guess a first meeting might sort things out, especially if I give him the set up, warts and all and impress on him that it’s highly likely that bees will sting his family and dog at some point.
He lives in the next village, surrounded by farmland and close to a nature reserve so good amount of forage. I haven’t seen his garden yet but he says it’s huge, so providing access isn’t an issue and the bees can be tucked away or fenced off, it might work……
I turned down an offer from another friend who has a field next to one of her rental properties but it was too visible from the road and too risky with paying guests.

 

[enrico]

Some interesting replies thank you. The main issue is that he runs his own very successful business and doesn’t have time to learn about or keep bees himself but really wants them in his garden.
I guess a first meeting might sort things out, especially if I give him the set up, warts and all and impress on him that it’s highly likely that bees will sting his family and dog at some point.
He lives in the next village, surrounded by farmland and close to a nature reserve so good amount of forage. I haven’t seen his garden yet but he says it’s huge, so providing access isn’t an issue and the bees can be tucked away or fenced off, it might work……
I turned down an offer from another friend who has a field next to one of her rental properties but it was too visible from the road and too risky with paying guests.

Put them in an area enclosed with wind break so he can wat h them through that but they have to fly above headheight to get out. You can overlap one side so that you have an easy entrance . It works quite well.