How Much Does It Cost To Start A Bee Farm?

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Bee Keeping is a lucrative business that can be a source of income to you and your family. It also helps the environment. Starting a bee farm can be slightly intimidating because of its initial requirements and the cost of purchasing equipment. To set up a bee farm you will need to get a hive, suitable gear or clothing, a smoker and hive tool. This video will help you find out all you need to know about the cost of starting a bee farm.

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What Does it Cost to Start a Bee Farm?

The approximate cost of beekeeping in the first year of business is between $500 to $700. The important cost when setting up a bee farm include:

1. Acquiring Bees: you need bees to set up a bee farm, and it is not easily accessible. There are 4 common methods of getting bees, and this usually determines their cost. They include: 
   1. Bee Package: this is the most common method of getting bees and it cost between $100 and $135. It is regularly available in the month of April.
   2. Nucleus Hive: available in or around April, but it extends to May or June when it is purchased locally. It costs about $125 to $175 to purchase a nucleus hive.
   3. Split or Full Hive: Available all round the year and costs between $150 to $350 to purchase it.
   4. Swarm: This method is free, all you need to do is look for where you can catch a wild swarm of bees. Although this method is the most stressful method of acquiring bees, it is cheaper. 
2. Equipment Cost: To run a bee farm you will need to acquire a hive and it`s cost ranges from $150 to $300. You will also need to acquire protective clothing and gear which costs about $150. You will also need to acquire some accessory equipment to properly care for your bees and it costs from $100 to $300.
3. Operational Cost: This cost includes the cost of running the farm effectively. A bee farm is prone to be attacked by mites, therefore, you are to constantly treat your farm using various options of mite control that works for your farm effectively. It will cost between $20 to $299 to treat your farm and the cost usually depends on the mite treatment option you choose to use. 

Also, there are additional things to purchase while beekeeping which your operational costs must be able to cater to. They include more bee boxes, hives, honey, smokers, etc. It is safe to budget about $250 for your bee farm operational cost. The cost of starting up a bee farm varies based on your preferences and choices. In conclusion, the approximate cost for starting a bee farm is about $500 for the first hive and about $300 when an additional hive is added to the farm.