Number of Colonies Needed to Make a Living
In deciding on beekeeping as a life work, one should have some idea of the necessary amount to invest and the work entailed. There are many persons in the country who earn a livelihood almost or entirely from bees, and the number is increasing every year. In the Eastern States, where the weather during the summer may interfere with the work of the beekeeper, a skilled man may care for perhaps 600 colonies. In the West, however, where the weather does not so greatly enter into the beekeeper’s calculations, this number may be increased to 1,000. In giving these figures, it is assumed that the beekeeper is able to put in a full day’s work, is capable of considerable physical effort, and is a good manager. If he does not possess these qualifications, he may be much behind in his work at critical times, which necessarily means loss of honey, perhaps a total loss of the year’s work.
During and since the war, prices for honey have been high, making the returns larger than one may ordinarily expect. Perhaps the safest plan is to use figures which applied before the war, although in all probability honey prices will not for a long period, if ever, drop to their former level. With honey figured at prewar price of 25 cents a pound retail, the good beekeeper may confidently expect to average $10 a colony. This is on the basis of extracted honey, which will probably be produced by those about to engage in the business, certainly after the first year’s experience. The expense in addition to labor per colony will not average more than $1 a year. Income may be greatly increased by selling honey locally at retail.
For one whose physical condition does not permit regular and hard work, the number of colonies must be correspondingly smaller, at least at first. When one has thoroughly mastered the business, the actual physical labor may be greatly reduced and by the proper hiring of unskilled labor the beekeeper may be saved much of the hardest part of the work. Women have made a success of commercial beekeeping, and while unable to do the hard physical work, they have had it performed under their personal supervision by hired labor. Comb-honey production is lighter work and not so many colonies are necessary to get the same financial returns if the beekeeper retails his comb honey at the apiary. However, with large apiaries composed of hundreds of colonies the conditions change and comparison of financial returns are favorable to the production of extracted honey. The large commercial beekeepers follow extracting.