Top Tips for Saving Money in this fairly Expensive Hobby ??

[BrianO]

Hi

Thought it might be a good idea and useful to hear of useful ways to save some cash in this hobby.

Any input welcome

 

[Fritillary]

Tips as to which things people have found turned out in the end to be false economies, could also be very useful!

 

[BrianO]

Indeed .... words to the wise... that would also be a big help

 

[For want of a better word]

Buy one of Flow's Hives and sell every thing else.


Simples!

Yeghes da

 

[Teemore]

Make as much of your own kit as you can.
Make group purchases to get quantity discounts and free delivery where appropriate.
Work with your bees, sell the surplus honey and use that to negate your costs.

 

[B+.]

Plastic frames with foundation (Pierco)....I thought it was a great idea at the time

 

[Finman]

.
Harvest better yields and sell honey

 

[For want of a better word]

.
Harvest better yields and sell honey

AND sell it a a price that will make you a profit!!

Yeghes da

 

[BrianO]

Cmonn try and keep it helpfull !

Those, crap jokes.. aint so !

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi

Thought it might be a good idea and useful to hear of useful ways to save some cash in this hobby.

Any input welcome

Make a plan and stick to it...
I can fully understand why some find this a thread to make some humorous comment..... makes one feel better about buying the latest fad gadget!

Yeghes da

 

[madasafish]

Make as much of your own kit as you can.
Make group purchases to get quantity discounts and free delivery where appropriate.
Work with your bees, sell the surplus honey and use that to negate your costs.

+1

Take up being a registered swarm collector and charge for every callout (£20) whether honey or bumbles or wasps or nothing.

Your initial choice of hive type can cost a lot of money. Big brood boxes mean fewer boxes to buy so cheaper. You don't have to lift them to inspect. Place hive on a stand and lift out BIG frames - less time.

Edit: poly hives or pine are cheaper. Cedar hives cost a lot more than pine and paint

Buy cheap insulation with a Followed Search on ebay. Insulation reduces need to feed.

Buy in advance at sales. Purchases in season are at least 25% dearer.

Leave some honey for bees to winter on -saving feeding costs.

Borrow /hire extractors.

Raise your own queens..

 

[alldigging]

Buy in the sale and buy more than you think you'll need.

 

[JWF]

Don't buy ready assembled frames of hives - even if you're pants at diy the cost differential is huge and they're pretty simple to assemble, even frames. Just make sure everything is square!

 

[Finman]

AND sell it a a price that will make you a profit!!

Yeghes da

With few hives you cannot make profit, but you can get some costs back.

You know, the selling price comes from open markets. You cannot order it.

 

[Finman]

.
If you have polyhives, you need not to insulate boards. You may do your own floors and covers.

With £ 100 table saw you make miracles.

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

buy second quality frames - bees don't mind the fact they're not nicely sanded.
Don't waste your money on gimmicky gadgets like frame holders to hook on to the side of your hive etc.
Keep an eye on freecycle for bits of plywood for hive roofs and crown boards.

 

[Finman]

.
Good quality queen can bring its price 10 times back as honey yield.

.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Saving money on making Nucs

I now use bought and pre ordered 15m ply for my nucs, but the first 40 or so i made , I made them entirely from scrap wood.
Every time I went past my local dump, i was in the skip scrounging what i could. Occasionally i got a sheet of ply, may be a couple of pieces for roofing or side supports. Its quite incredible what you can make out of nothing! I am not brilliant at DIY but i get by. I cut up most of my sheets with a skill saw, or hand saw and work from that. It all takes time, but is very satisfying when you make a good nuc for free!!
You use what you have!!!

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12373&stc=1&d=1442525900

 

[TBRNoTB]

I now use bought and pre ordered 15m ply for my nucs, but the first 40 or so i made , I made them entirely from scrap wood.
Every time I went past my local dump, i was in the skip scrounging what i could. Occasionally i got a sheet of ply, may be a couple of pieces for roofing or side supports. Its quite incredible what you can make out of nothing! I am not brilliant at DIY but i get by. I cut up most of my sheets with a skill saw, or hand saw and work from that. It all takes time, but is very satisfying when you make a good nuc for free!!
You use what you have!!!

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12373&stc=1&d=1442525900

At first glance I thought it was a coffin! ;-)

 

[Plenty of honey]

At first glance I thought it was a coffin! ;-)

Yes but prefer to be buried in that!!!