Adopt-A-Hive: Quarterly Update

Quarter 1 - 2021


By Bear Country Bees

With 2021 already underway, your adopted hive is doing much better than we could have imagined!

Due to much more mild weather during the winter, your colony has had a much better chance at surviving than we typically expect. But despite this success, your hive isn’t out of the woods just yet. Anything can happen between now and mid-spring when foraging begins in earnest.

Constant uncertainty is one of the reasons beekeeping is such a difficult profession. On top of that, the costs associated with getting setup with even one beehive can make it quite difficult to get started and grow an apiary.

As a general rule, beekeepers need to plan on a bare minimum investment of $700 per beehive just to get going. Depending on the species of bees, the type of beehive, the tools, etc., that cost per hive can go up even further.

Many people are surprised to hear this cost per beehive (not to mention the ongoing maintenance costs). Why it is beekeeping so expensive? 

Did you know?

The queen bee lives for about 2-3 years on average, much longer than any other bees in the hive. She keeps busy during the summer months, when the hive needs to be at maximum strength, and lays up to 2,500 eggs per day!

The biggest reason we’ve observed is that costs of honey bees, bee suits, woodenware, and other beekeeping supplies are on a dramatic rise due to inflation, demand, supply chain disruptions, COVID-19 and more. 

When we got started in beekeeping 18 years ago, we could secure a standard 3 lb. bee package for just $17. 

Now, that same bee package is running at a minimum of $174 (often more). That is an astronomical jump of +924%.

The Steep Rise Of Beekeeping Costs

In the past 18 years, we've observed dramatic increases in the cost per beehive due to a inflation, demand, supply chain, COVID-19 and more.

+924% Increase

As you can imagine, it takes a world-wide effort to help honey bees thrive. Luckily, there are many who want to help even if they can’t or don’t want to be beekeepers themselves.

Our Adopt-A-Hive program is just one of many ways you and others are helping save one of the planet’s most important species. Thank you for being part of that journey with us!

Note: click here to learn more about the rising costs of beekeeping.

"

I like pulling on a baggy bee suit, forgetting myself and getting as close to the bees' lives as they will let me, remembering in the process that there is more to life than the merely human.

- Sue Hubbell, Author

Other Things You Can Do To Help The Bees

  • Plant a bee-friendly garden. Sowing bee-friendly seeds in a garden or even a planter box can be an easy and inexpensive way to provide bees with a safe haven. Try out a mixture such as this one: Wild Flower Mix - Honey Bee Mixture.
  • Report honey bee swarms to a local beekeeper. Most people tend to panic when they see honey bees but swarming is the time when honey bees are the most docile. Instead of spraying the bees or calling an exterminator, please contact a local beekeeper to help relocate the colony to a safer place.
  • Share your Adopt-A-Hive experience. One of the best ways you can help more honey bees is spread the word about our Adopt-A-Hive program. The more adoptions we have, the better we can care for the needs of the bees and the more honey bee research we can perform!
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