How much it costs to start beekeeping as a beginner
How much does it cost to start beekeeping?" It's a question we're often asked by those interested in joining the fast-growing community of backyard beekeepers. In this article, we'll break down the basic requirements and costs of starting your first swarm.
Once upon a time, I thought beekeeping was cheap. A decent hive, basic equipment and a packet of bees can be bought for a few hundred dollars. But all that has changed.
So what is the base cost by 2022? I happen to have a bunch of new catalogs on my desk. Let's make a list.
Beekeepers argue about everything, so what beginners need is a point of contention. Anyway, I had to start somewhere, so here's a list based on a typical starter kit:
- Two ten frame incubators, including frame and plastic base
- Two ten frames in super, including frame and plastic base
- The telescopic cover
- Inner cover
- Bottom plate including inlet reducer
- Queen eliminator
- The bee brush
- The bee suit
- gloves
- Hive's tools
- smokers
- Beginner's book
According to the catalog, this simple list will set you back around $550, depending on the quality of the product, such as bee-repellent suits, fumigators and gloves. Of course, the beginner's kit doesn't include bees.
These consumables aren't very expensive, but you may need mite treatments, sugar, smoked fuel, and maybe pollen supplements. Of course, the need for all of these things is variable and depends on your personal situation, but keep all of these possibilities in mind if you're budgeting for beekeeping.
The problem is you still don't have enough equipment. On the first day, you need to put in a feeder for each hive and a few things. You may need to treat mites as soon as your bees arrive -- or at least be prepared, just in case. Everyone seems to like oxalic steam these days, which requires oxalic acid ($45), at least a half-face respirator with a cartridge ($60- $90), a carburetor (up and down, between $130 and $500), and usually a 12-volt battery or portable generator (?).
Yes, choices exist. There are many types of mite treatments you can buy, and each one has a list of pros and cons. But anyway, you should calculate your mite load, which may require a sticky plate or some type of test kit. You probably spend more on mites each year than you do on bees, so don't overlook mite eradication in your financial calculations.
If you do harvest a crop of honey, what happens next? If you were to extract it, would you buy, rent, or borrow an extractor? Each option has pros and cons. Then you can strain the honey and put it into the jar. If you're going to sell it, you might need a label. And so on and so on.
There are plenty of other things you might want to buy along the way, like more beehives and honey extractors, but that's what you need to get started. The total start-up cost of beekeeping is between $400 and $650.
When we started, we knew there would be additional costs, but I don't think we got the full picture.
Knowing what to expect, you can better budget your costs and make smart choices about where your money is best spent. In addition, as you gain experience and knowledge, you will find ways to reduce costs without harming your apiary.
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