Is it expensive to keep bees with the goal of making your own honey?

**veggiechicken** · 12-12-2013, 05:24 PM

Unless you can make a hive from scratch or buy one 2nd hand, it will cost you several �100s to start up.
You need at least a hive, frames, a beesuit, hat and gloves and a smoker.
Here's a link to a beginner's kit Standard National Beginners Kit Flat.
Other suppliers are available

Contact your local beekeeping society as you will also need to know what you are doing - and they always welcome new beekeepers.

**Two_Sheds** · 12-12-2013, 06:13 PM

Originally posted by Samuel1988 View Post

I love sustainability, insects, gardening etc

But do you love honey? How much, realistically, would you eat?

You can "save the bees" without going to the expense of investing in the whole honey bee experience. Just allow some plants to flower, all year round, on your allotment

**Bill HH** · 12-12-2013, 07:02 PM

That leads me to the question, would bees take up residence in a simpler construction (such that I could hang in a tree) If i dont want to harvest the honey? They must like certain places to make a hive naturaly.

**RedThorn** · 12-12-2013, 07:38 PM

Google skep's

**Veggielot** · 12-12-2013, 09:13 PM

I considered,getting a hive on my plot as well,the economics on there own don't really add up for me, particularly when you add the cost of third party insurance, but neither does growing veg in my opinion. However it was lack of time that made me decide against it.

**planetologist** · 12-12-2013, 09:13 PM

No, you can keep bees pretty much for free: build a hive from scrap wood (Phil Chandler, the barefoot beekeeper writes: bees are very forgiving of poor carpentry. And I've found this to be true. They fill any holes with propolis). You can find plans on the internet, but pretty much any box of very roughly 100L internal volume and an entrance of a few square centimeters will do. Put the hive entrance about 2m above ground level and if there are any beehives within about a mile, a swarm will arrive in due course (most likely in May or June).

If you want to look in your hive/ take honey, sew your own beesuit (I bought one on ebay). Any sturdy gloves that you don't mind getting propolis on will work.

**Veggielot** · 12-12-2013, 09:38 PM

Not saying it is necessarily expensive, like most things you can do it cheaper with a certain thought. It is just I can buy all the honey I want for less than it would cost me to produce my own. Having said that I would probably still have some if I had more time.

**bearded bloke** · 12-12-2013, 09:47 PM

Samuel,have a look around this site .... LBKA: Home .... maybe go to a meeting & have a chat,I seem to think some beekeepers will put hives in allotments/gardens & give a jar or two of honey as rent

**veggiechicken** · 12-12-2013, 10:10 PM

Originally posted by planetologist View Post

If you want to look in your hive/ take honey, sew your own beesuit (I bought one on ebay). Any sturdy gloves that you don't mind getting propolis on will work.

My beesuit is a white cotton boilersuit with a zip-up front, legs tucked in my wellies, an old pith helmet with a veil over the top and a proper pair of beekeepers gloves. I look like a cross between a Victorian woman on safari and a nuclear plant worker. Did the job though and wasn't expensive.

**veggiechicken** · 12-12-2013, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by bearded bloke View Post

Samuel,have a look around this site .... LBKA: Home .... maybe go to a meeting & have a chat,I seem to think some beekeepers will put hives in allotments/gardens & give a jar or two of honey as rent

Beekeepers are often looking for sites for their hives but, Samuel, do check that your allotment rules allow you to have a hive on your plot. Some don't.

**bearded bloke** · 12-12-2013, 10:29 PM

Good point there VC,never thought about permissions

**alldigging** · 12-12-2013, 10:34 PM

Find local bee group or beekeeper who doesn't mind showing you a hive next spring. See if you like that. You can be a member of a bee keeping group without keeping bees - it'll cost you less too!

**vegboi** · 12-12-2013, 11:37 PM

Originally posted by Samuel1988 View Post

Evening all,

I have an allotment and was thinking of trying to make my own honey.

I love sustainability, insects, gardening etc so this would be an additional feature to my allotment which I wish to have.

I recall that buying a place for them to live cost a few hundred pounds and I was wondering does one have to invest a lot of money (I don't mind time but im a bit short of money atm) in order to keep these fascinating beautiful critters on my plot?

Many thanks,

Samuel

Like you I wanted to do the same but a work colleague who has a hive said set up costs would be �600 so it put m e off. But I was considering renting space to someone. Good luck

Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

**Feral007** · 13-12-2013, 01:12 AM

I'm a cheater. I've got 3 pots of honey and the bees haven't even arrived yet!

I have trees, and atm some blue weed which the weeds inspector hates, but the beekeepers love. So as soon as the cold mornings have departed the bee hives will miraculously appear overnight and in 2-3 months, they will disappear in an evening. There will be ongoing honey deliveries for the duration.

I do like beekeepers

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