I was introduced to beekeeping about 7 years ago and we have only bought honey once since then...and with our honey-eating family, we go through a bunch. Beekeeping is catching on like raising chickens. I have four other friends locally that are now with a hive in their yard and unlike chickens (or other pets) bees can pretty much take care of themselves even when you are taking a vacation!!
My bees have been really busy lately and I figured that I needed to add some space. Boy was I right!! In one hive I could barely lift the top super...that means that there is a whole heck of a lot of honey in there. Typically one can expect about 2 gallons a year (8 quarts @ $20 per quart for local honey = $160) from a hive. Last year I may have taken too much, but we extracted 7 gallons. Some is given away to neighbors and as gifts that are always well received, but we do eat a lot ourselves.
So, I added a super to each of my two hives and expect to harvest sometime in July, leaving whatever they can make the remaining part of the season for surviving the winter. I will have to say though that there seems like a flower for all seasons in our town for the bees to forage.
The harvest for today:
1) One aprium ($0.50)
2) Kale ($3.00)
3) Pint of blueberries ($4.00)
Total (Year-to-Date): $30.00
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I expect you'll be a vendor at the Farmer's Market before long. I've always wondered what you do about swarming, if anything. And I guess since you give away your honey, your neighbors don't mind too much, if and when they do. Yes, instead of hush money, you have hush honey.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a swarming issue but have found that I can add space early enough to keep the girls happy in their own boxes. I have thought about expanding the beekeeping operation, but for now I think I will keep it local to my own back yard...and with that I cannot really make it worthwhile to sell at the Farmers Market.
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