# Aside from prop rotating your garden, supplement income?



## Backyardcreek (Aug 24, 2014)

We've bought our retirement property. Planted orchard, designated garden, marked our barn & etc. Now we're wondering about the bees.
I'm just getting started ... Have purchased two hives, necessary equipment & actually found several 'feral' colonies of bees that have been established for several years.
We're planning for 5 - 7 yrs done the road (with Our Father's blessings  and are contemplating if honey will supplement our projected income.
Any advice, experience would be greatly appreciated.
Please give honest, real experience...have had several folks advise us only to find they had no experience or exaggerated experience.


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

As for experience, I'm a newcomer. Only started keeping bees in 1976.
Don't even have 40 years in yet.

Give a more specific location and I can give more specific info.

Making honey can give you a few more cents in income.

Making bees can give you a few more dollars in income.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

A lot depends on how well you take care of them. I've had bees to 20 years or so and kind of lost interest so let them dwindle down from 14 hives to just 2. I haven't even opened a box in five years and still have 2 strong hives. Of course I haven't taken any honey off them either.If you learn the right things to do and have the interest they aren't all that time consuming.If you want to make money feed syrup all the time.
A big bee keeper I know and used to visit with had 80-90 hives and produced a bunch of honey and everywhere you went his honey was on the shelf.One day I pulled in just as he got back from pulling honey.About 50-60 supers. I stuck my finger into some running home and it had no flavor at all. I tried a few other places that honey was running out and same thing.He was force feeding his bees and all you were really buying was sugar water condensed down!

Wade


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## Backyardcreek (Aug 24, 2014)

Thanks for your honest responses. We're just starting with the bees mainly for the garden ( & security 

I've been reading quite a bit on the honey business & it's questionable ... As with a lot of home based businesses :/


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

There are a lot of income producing alternatives you can make from your bees.
Lotions and soaps made with a small amount of honey or beeswax could be a big hit if no one around you is doing it.You can look up all kinds of recipes and doing it from scratch is not Cheap, BUT a modest profit is assured if you have a yard sale or go to a local farmer's market to sell. Especially those carefully made to be vegetable based,non fragrance or "naturally" made(organic is very difficult depending on location)can give you a niche that commercial products don't give potential customers....essential oil fragrances are great for big production but I know a couple of homesteaders that have very dedicated customers for their home made items because they don't hurt their allergy-prone skin.You may have competition for "normal" lotion or soap.
Propolis tinctures are a healing remedy I haven't used but all you have to do is scrape off excess pure propolis and make it. It's helpful to some people and commercially expensive(sold in tiny dropper bottles) so you just have to advertise and let them find you.
If you have a lot of honey(a gallon) beyond your own use you can make mead,at least as gifts or to trade if you don't want the expense of whatever license may be required in your state for alcohol.A good mead start up kit is around $100. so that's not bad as most kits are good for many batches,not just the first 5 gallons.....and the equipment is for years or forever(like the big glass carboy).It's just the yeasts and cleaners that need to be re-bought. You can recycle sterilized wine bottles and re-cork them. 
I know you asked for Experience and I personally have top bar hives for my orchard and have not done these things.(except I make our own soap) But I do know Others doing these things in my area,that have some supplemental income coming in.They have Fun making these things,like projects with their kids, and use them themselves too instead of buying commercial lotion,soap,wine or tonics. One couple who has an organic farm opened a store in town and are doing well with all their produce,other local items consigned, and every bee product imaginable they make----Lots of candles....this could be a weekend "sale" at your place as well on your own timing. 
Selling nukes of bees in Spring is a sideline too! They are getting terribly expensive to folks who have to replace bees by mail order. Best wishes.


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