advice on lending out my hives

goertzen29 · November 12, 2014, 11:49:21 AM

I love beekeeping but my time has become stretched thin with 3 kids and another on the way. I farm as well so the seasons of busy time don't line up well (ie I can't afford to spend time on the bees when the farming is what pays the bills.)

So here's my idea, I'd love to find someone locally to take care of the bees use my equipment in exchange for free honey. What kind of percentage sounds fair if this person would have very little monetary investment. I want to remain the owner because it has taken me 5 or 6 years to gather all the equipment and eventually I want back in, I just need a few years off.

What are your thoughts? Anyone do or hear of something like this?

thanks,
Jay

iddee · November 12, 2014, 12:21:08 PM

Whatever you decide, I have one VERY STRONG suggestion. Keep the bees on your property and let him/her come there to look after them. If you move them to their property, you will never see them again.

rookie2531 · November 12, 2014, 03:01:24 PM

That's a tough one. If said person don't manage them correctly, they build up in spring and swarm. You lose significant foragers, by way that means honey. If you don't have many hives, that don't add up to a whole lot of honey for neither party. I would think 50/50 would keep the person interested enough to invest their time in it. Otherwise you might get someone who really don't care too much. Personally, for me it would depend on how far those hives were and what my split would be, compared to what other investments I would have to put in. Maybe you could offer some splits as well. Many calculations, like I said, a tough one.

Put your mind set as if you were being offered to take care someone's hives. What would you deem fair?

BlueBee · November 13, 2014, 12:26:06 AM

There's a beek around me that does this. I believe he charges around $300 per hive per season to lease a hive and he manages the hive (hence the cost) and splits the honey with the leasee. The general public doesn't have the knowledge or the equipment to manage the hives. If you don't do it the hives will swarm and get taken over by pests. The beek retrieves the hives in the falls and winters them at his place. So there is time and money moving hives around.

Around here, the interest in leasing a hive usually comes from the suburban gardener. They like the idea of bees in their garden, for pollination and for a cut of the 'organic' honey.

I've had gardeners ask me if I would lease them a hive or some nucs. The problem I have with the plan is my time; driving around, inspecting, supering, and worst of all getting stuck talking to people! As I always say...if you're talking you're NOT working. :-D

troyin17331 · November 13, 2014, 01:19:24 AM

unless to own and control 10 square miles and have the bees in the center there is no such thing as organic honey

BlueBee · November 13, 2014, 02:38:41 AM

Hence the quotation marks. I know, you know, but the general public doesn't really know/care. It's just marketing to move product.

I suppose you could offer some kind of "crop share" program to the public and just keep the bees at your place. It would probably consume less time if you can find enough people to sign up.

Eric Bosworth · November 13, 2014, 10:15:55 AM

I like the previous suggestion of keeping the bees on your property and having somebody else come and manage them. When my parents kept bees my dad had bees at least 3 places other than home. One of them was a place he drove by every day. Another was about 5 miles away at a local farm and the third was about 15 miles away. I don't have enough bees to warrant that but for anybody keeping bees at multiple locations I would recommend having bees in locations that you will at least drive by on a regular basis. If for no other reason than stopping to check for the sake of mileage deductions on your income taxes. If I remember correctly all my father did for payment was give some honey to the land owner every year. As far as lending them out I would try and find somebody who wants to get into keeping bees and offer some splits that can become his or her own bees.

D Coates · November 13, 2014, 10:46:12 AM

When you're saying equipment, are we talking extractor, de-capper, settling tank, etc.? If you're talking hives only, how many? If it's only hives there's a point where you're going to be better off starting over. How long are you anticipating be on hiatus? If it's 3 years or over if it's anything like my apiaries the boxes will be mixed, the frames will be mixed, some of the boxes will be tired (dry rot, cracks, warping, etc.). If I was to take a serious hiatus, I would consider selling the bees and boxes but hold onto my harvesting equipment. Starting with new when I start things back up.

capt44 · November 13, 2014, 12:28:18 PM

I tried something similar to this.
I let a feller take 5 hives to his place to keep bees.
The bees and hives were mine.
Well 2 hives were said stolen, 2 left or died and I wound up with one hive that wasn't all that strong.
All I got was a "I don't know what happened"
I won't do that again, no one will take care of your hives like you can or will.

goertzen29 · November 13, 2014, 10:41:18 PM

Thank you all for the comments and thoughts. I realize no matter what I'm not really "coming out ahead" in any of my scenarios, but the last two years my management has been pathetic. My idea was to help someone else get started and get some good local honey out of the deal. And if some hives are still alive in a few years I can get some hives without going back to packages. If they all die....well that is a risk but they're likely going to die if I keep them here.

As to numbers I have 4 hives and I was talking about lending out the wooden ware only and whatever living bees of course. I have someone in mind so I'll approach her and try to talk something through.

If i decided selling would be better option what is the going rate for a double deep hive?

Thanks again.

Jay

BlueBee · November 13, 2014, 11:37:05 PM

Around me the going rate for a double deep seems to be about $300. Of coarse that depends on the time of year, the strength of the colony, supply and demand, etc. People are more interested in starting in the spring and hence the supply/demand curve is more in your favor then, IMO. Another option might be to winter your 4 hives and then split and sell as nucs in the spring.

johng · November 14, 2014, 01:02:23 PM

I would sell just the hives out right. Keep everything else, supers extracting equip. and all the odds and ends that go with beekeeping. Then you could buy all the local honey you want. When you are ready to start back up just buy some new deep boxes and bees and you would be good to go.

Not saying your idea would not work. If you could find just the right person it is possible your plan might work. But, if you try and find a brand new person to take over management of your hives it's quite possible in a couple years all your hives maybe dead. Or it may take you more time to try and teach the new person what to do v/s just doing it yourself. The best person would probably be someone that already manages his own hives and already knows how to care for bees. Someone like that may would manage your hives for at least half the honey produced. It would really take just the right person for this arrangement to work.