# Is beekeeping a viable source of income?



## lifehomestead (Apr 29, 2013)

Hi all,

Had this question show up on our latest round of questions over on Twitter (@lifehomestead).

We haven't gotten into bees yet but I told this fella I'd ask around and, honestly, kinda curious myself.

What does it take to recoup your money and begin an income stream from hives? Lots of details I realize, but in a few sentences, does it work?

Thanks!

Doug


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

:bouncy::bouncy: Good question I've been waiting for when all the equipment excludeing the honey house cost can be recovered. I bought a bunch used too.

 Al


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have had bees for over 10 years so far. The only folks I see who make money with bees are:
honeybee supply stores,
breeders,
folks who truck their bees and rent hives to farmers for short durations [1,500 to 2,500 colonies].


----------



## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

I have found that it can be a good source for a small scale supplemental income, IF you don't go crazy buying tons of equipment and stuff that you really don't _need._

It helps a lot if you have a source of really cheap or free lumber (I did for many years), and can make a lot of the woodenware yourself.

Even better is if you can hook up with another beekeeper who already has infrastructure and equipment, such as a honey house, who would let you use his/her space in exchange for labor helping with his/her bees. Or, maybe a club which owns the equipment and loans or rents it out.

You would also likely do best if you could bottle and sell your honey yourself, as opposed to wholesaling it, and if you are able to produce artisanal honey and command a premium price for it.


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I have a good friend that has been keeping them for years and years... He was also the president of the local club and heavily hooked up in the "industry"

He makes a little money from them, but said since CCD has become such an issue, he spends more time trying to make queens for himself to keep himself going, that he doesn't have the resources to be selling nukes like he used to, so that part of his income has dropped off heavily.

He does make a little from selling nukes, and selling what honey he can afford to harvest, but he said that CCD has really dented anything he could make. In this area, they are fighting CCD pretty hard evidently.

He said he never got into it for the money, but rather made what he could to keep the hobby going as cheap as possible. he said it just keeps getting more and more expensive and time consuming..


----------



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

Like all agricultural pursuits...it will end up costing you money.
The only way for a small time individual to make any worthwhile money in any agricultural pursuit is to do it by earning a government paycheck. for instance....be an ag inspector. You get good income, pension, health insurance...and you even get a vacation! Yes it's all true. 
Try to go it the way of the self-sufficient farmer selling your livestock or your crops or veggies or "honey" and find out the truth.. You can never earn enough to pay off your farm let alone put money in the bank. Look around, take inventory... the successful farmers either worked other jobs to supplement their income or they INHERITED. There is no way anyone in my area could make enough income from farming to raise a family and pay the mortgage on a farm without help. I'd like to hear from those who disagree.


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

CocalicoSprings said:


> ... Try to go it the way of the self-sufficient farmer selling your livestock or your crops or veggies or "honey" and find out the truth.. You can never earn enough to pay off your farm let alone put money in the bank. Look around, take inventory ... the successful farmers either worked other jobs to supplement their income or they INHERITED. There is no way anyone in my area could make enough income from farming to raise a family and pay the mortgage on a farm without help. I'd like to hear from those who disagree.


I see many start-ups that begin by share-cropping. Then later they pay cash to buy land.

To have a mortgage without a job in town, would make it impossible.


----------



## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

CocalicoSprings said:


> Like all agricultural pursuits...it will end up costing you money.
> The only way for a small time individual to make any worthwhile money in any agricultural pursuit is to do it by earning a government paycheck. for instance....be an ag inspector. You get good income, pension, health insurance...and you even get a vacation! Yes it's all true.
> Try to go it the way of the self-sufficient farmer selling your livestock or your crops or veggies or "honey" and find out the truth.. You can never earn enough to pay off your farm let alone put money in the bank. Look around, take inventory... the successful farmers either worked other jobs to supplement their income or they INHERITED. There is no way anyone in my area could make enough income from farming to raise a family and pay the mortgage on a farm without help. I'd like to hear from those who disagree.


Joel Salatin and Greg Judy disagree with you. 

I met/heard speak a guy from south Florida, 30 acres, a few years into farming, all organic, 15 employees, CSA. While I don't have first hand knowledge of his finances, he claimed to be running a profitable biz.


----------



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

Speaking engagements and book royalties aside.....let's see who could make it in Pennsylvania.


----------



## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Aren't you a bundle of optimism. Both JS and GJ made a success of their farms prior to writing books and speaking. JS told me he does $2M/yr in farm revenue and $400K in books and speaking fees. Yes, his experience is outside the norm, but several of his former interns are also making a living on the farm. 

As to PA, I don't know that much about it but if it is really as bad as you say, move if you want to homestead. Florida is relatively farm friendly.


----------



## Knoxen (Jan 23, 2009)

I made good money from beekeeping as a side venture to a day job, but that was in a place where honey commanded a premium price.

It depends on your yields (which depends on forage, weather, your skill, your bees' pedigree,not necessarily in that order) and your market. You can also make money selling wax, wax/honey products, courses, queens, and so forth.


----------



## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

It CAN be a viable source of income, but often depends on finding a particular niche. Let me give you three examples of beekeepers I know, just to consider as thought-starters.

1) I know a young couple who have less than 300 colonies, but beekeeping is their primary source of income. Although they do some local pollination, the majority of their income comes from selling honey and assorted related products: soaps, lotions, lip balms, etc. They are active in a number of Farmer's Markets, and also sell through a number of health-food stores.

2) I have a friend who provides beekeeping services to people who like the idea of having a beehive or two in the yard, but really don't want to become beekeepers. Most of his clients are in upscale neighborhoods where people already have gardeners, pool boys, etc. They get bees and any honey produced, he gets a monthly check.

3) Another guy I know has a retail store in a tourist town. To be fair, he makes living as a retailer, not a beekeeper. Although he does keep bees, maybe a few dozen colonies, his main skill is marketing, and he retails several TONS of honey each year. He buys honey from local beekeepers and sells honey, various flavors of creamed honey, barbecue sauces, etc.


----------



## johng (Feb 14, 2009)

Yes and No. You should be able to recoup your initial investment in a couple years if you can keep them alive. Then after that you could make some extra spending money. 

As far as making a living that's a lot more iffy. I takes such a large amount of knowledge to run a commercial apiary that it would take you quite a few years just to learn everything you need to know. Working for a commercial apiary for several years would put you way ahead rather than trying to figure it out all on your own. Then once you get some experience under your belt there's the initial investment. Everything in bees is expensive, bees, hives, extraction equip, truck, just to name a few. Then you have to have yards to keep the bees, and a customer base to sell all the honey. It takes most people quite a while to build up a commercial apiary. 

Buy a couple hives first and just see if you can keep them alive for a couple years. That will give you an idea of what's involved.


----------



## fireweed farm (Dec 31, 2010)

I'd suggest not quitting your day job, work your way into it before taking the big leap, it's expensive to set up and having to buy some replacement colonies after each winter (depending on your climate and maybe luck) is closer to breaking even.


----------

