![]() ![]() ![]() How Long Until a Beehive Pays Itself Off? Beekeeping can indeed be quite the money pit, especially when starting out. In fact, we're probably estimating this one low as it could be possible all of your colonies die over winter, and without a surviving hive to split in the spring, you may have to buy even more nucleus colonies- so consider this one possibly being as high as $500/year for two hives if not significantly more. Note the emphasis on base, as your spending could be far greater- it just likely won't be much lower. There are obviously many caveats here, as all of your hives may die in the winter or you could face even more challenges that need to be addressed, but this should be a base level of annual operating cost that those with one or even two hives will have. Replacing a failed colony with a new nucleus colony: $150/year (one per two hives per year).Replacing a failed colony with a new queen: $40/year (one per two hives per year).Mite treatment, hive beetle traps, other treatment: $20/hive/year.Looking to buy a beehive or equipment? Use discount code HIPSTERHOMESTEADERS to take 5% off your order at Galena Farms.We are not thinking of these products with this evaluation. Modern hives, like a Flow Hive, cost significantly more and some have the capacity to produce a whole lot less honey on average. This assessment assumes you will be purchasing a conventional Langstroth hive of reasonable quality. ![]() So, all told, two hives would be looking like a total cost of about $975. Likewise, as most seasoned beekeepers recommend having a minimum of two hives so you can compare and contrast what is going on, you'll likely want a second bee hive and colony at a minimum for another $400 (thankfully equipment and your beesuit can be re-used). Nucleus colony: $150/hive (buy locally if you can).These prices can vary substantially, so these should be considered to be mid-range prices all around: sugar, medicine, etc.) to really get into what possible payback periods could be.įirst up, you'll have a huge number of upfront expenses to get into beekeeping. buying a hive) and then annual operating expenses (e.g. As such, we have to break down spending on both upfront capital expenses (e.g. So in this one, we thought we'd share the numbers on how long it takes a beehive to pay itself off, but then jump into an even deeper analysis about why a hive may never actually do that at all!īefore getting into the cost of purchasing a beehive, we have to admit that this is a hobby that requires long-term upkeep. When we decided to launch this homesteading project of ours, our main goal was to be as self-sufficient as possible with our little plot of land in the city.Ī secondary goal of ours was to try and offset spending that we had for items, particularly around food, that we could grow/make/ferment ourselves as opposed to buying at local markets and stores.Īs such, we always love to take a look at how much value our purchases bring to the table, and if we find something that could pay itself off in short order (read: months, not years), we know we have to buy it for our property as soon as possible.īut when it comes to my drive to get into beekeeping, the analysis became tricky. ![]() Please check out our Terms and Conditions for more information. Disclaimers: Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. ![]()
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