It all Cost Something!
In the end really anything in life is going to cost you something. Money, Time, Effort. Without a cost it lacks value. Beekeeping is no different. There are ways to reduce your cost, but this is about being honest that there will be cost. Bee keeping ain’t cheap
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This post does contain affiliate links, should you chose to make a purchase I will get a commission, no matter how small. I included them mostly because I was too lazy to find pictures of each item and wanted to show examples.
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Equipment
Obviously you are going to need a hive box of some kind. You can Google the different types, but there are similarities. All hive bodies will have an entrance for the bees, a top or opening for you to do inspections, and removable frames for you to harvest the honey!
Purchased hive sets can cost from $150-$500 dollars for a simple setup with little room for growth.
Check out the variations and cost available here on Ebay – bee hive
Frames
In addition to the hive body, you will need frames. While they are relatively cheap at $1-$4 each, you need a bunch of them. A standard langstroth hive has 10 frames per box and you need at a minimum two boxes to over winter the hive, plus another 10 for the honey super – so $30 – $120 minimum in frames.
Check out the variations and cost available here on Ebay – bee hive frame
Tools
There are miscellaneous tools you will need. A bee suit or at least a veil, unless you like getting stung in the face. No thanks! A hive tool to help loosen frames and stuck hive tops. A smoker just in case you run into some cranky bees. Plan to spend between $25-$100 in total for these items.
Check out the variations and cost available here on Ebay – bee keeping tools
Bees
DUH!
Yes you will need bees. A package can cost between $125 and $200, while a five frame NUC (which is frames and bees) will cost somewhere between $150-$300. I dont have a link here, but google “bees for sale” and add your location if you would like to find a local dealer.
There are times and circumstances where you may also need to purchase a new queen. These can cost between $85-$125, Again Google it to find sources.
Feed
It is somewhat of a secret to beginner beekeepers, but sooner or later you will have to feed your bees. New packages need to be feed, splits need to be feed, depending on your location most hives could use some sort of winter feed.
Sugar
Typically this means sugar. Either mixed with water and served as a syrup or using less water server as sugar bricks in the winter months.
There are other feeds like pollen substitutes, but those are pretty situation specific.
Part of the additional cost is you need a way to supply the feed, especially syrup, to the bees which means a feeder.
Check out the variations and cost available here on Ebay – bee feed and bee feeders
Alternatives Since Bee keeping ain’t cheap
Although nothing is ever free. There are some alternatives to commercial items that can save you some money.
If you have a little bit of skill (and I mean very little if I can do it) you can build your own equipment. Hive bodies are 4 pieces of wood nailed or screwed together. The bees don’t care what it looks like as long it meets their needs.
The one item I have yet to tackle personally is frames. I still buy those pre-assembled. They take a lot of wear and tear and it is more important the bees have a stable comb structure than I save money on this item.
With bees there is obviously swarms to be captured in the spring instead of buying them. You will need some equipment, see my previous point, but it can be done. I prefer to get permission from family and friends and set out swarm traps. This is a set and forget approach.
If you are more ambitious you can get added to the local bee keeping club swarm hotline. They will call when someone finds one in a tree. Then you have to drop everything and go get it before someone else does or it flies away. Having a slight fear of heights I am not considering this option.
The feed gets a little harder to avoid cost. You can watch for sales on sugar and pollen patties. The other option is to harvest less honey from your own hives. Hold out frames as the bees fill them and give them back when needed. Sorry just not a lot of options on this one.
Final Thoughts
While this can be a little depressing, my final thought is this. After the initial invest of equipment, if you can get ahead of the bees they will supply things you can sell to support your new bee keeping habit. You can sell nucs, queens, pollen, and obviously honey. Then plow the money back into more hives, equipment, and bees.
Comment below on ways you have found to save a few bucks on the road to honey!