Cost of Beekeeping
One of the first questions to come up at Beekeeping classes is, “How much does it cost to keep Honeybees?” This is a very good question. Most hobby or back yard beekeepers will keep one or two hives their first year. I always suggest keeping two hives so you can compare the difference. You will gain more knowledge and experience with two hives.
The following is a breakdown of cost for your first year based on purchasing all new equipment:
One Hive Setup ———————————– $229
(Includes bottom board, 2 Deep supers, 20 Deep frames, 2 Honey supers, 20 Honey frames, Queen excluder, Inner cover, Outer cover, and entrance reducer.)
Frame Feeder ———————————– $10
Package of Bees———————————– $180
( 3lbs of bees with a queen)
Clothing and Tools ——————————–$125
( Veil, gloves, smoker,2 hive tools, bee brush)
Bee School—————————————— $100
(School sometimes includes a text book)
Extraction —————————————– $15
(Some clubs rent extraction equipment)
Total First year with one hive——————$659
Total First year with two hives—————-$1108
(Additional hive setup, package of bees, medication and feed.)
