I would like to be a commercial beekeeper I only have 100 hives right now but next year I want to buy 50 extra hives and make around 300 hives next year after the almonds any advice? I have plenty of help (i have 6 teens). All My hives are migratory already and I need some advice of what to do i guess.
How are you set financially? Do you have the equipment necessary to expand? Do you need to make income from your bees after almond pollination?
If you have the money, you can buy equipment and queens and split everything not intending to make a crop of honey. Split after almonds and let them build up a cpl rounds of brood and split again. You'll probably have to feed them syrup and protein patties to help them build brood, bees, and comb. And then get them built up for next Winter. I'm sure there are others who could advise you further.
R u planning on putting the skidsteer on the same trailer as the hives? Do you double stack the hives on the trailer?
I don't know what affordable is to you. You'll have to shop around. There are Bobcat's and Swingers and other kinds that all work. If you can afford to I would concentrate on quality over affordability. You are going to have this machine a long time.
Are your teens keen on beekeeping? Is it high on the list of what they would like to do with their teenage life? If they are teenagers they will be off to college before you know it...and you will still have 300 hives and no teenagers.
Sharpen that pencil a bit more,
here is a good start, how about you tell us how much money its going to take you to get to 600 hives in your predicted time frame, then we will tell you what you have missed
I WOULD NOT DEPEND ON TEENS, THEY WILL FOR SURE REACH A POINT WHERE THEY WILL WANT TO GO THEIR OWN WAY. :ws:
IF YOU WANT TO GET RICH WITH TEENAHERS, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. BUY THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE WORTH, AND SELL THEM FOR WHAT THEY THINK THEY ARE WORTH. :lpf:
I have heard that Oregon is over run with bees and is hard to make a honey crop. It is going to be tough to have good bees if they are under nourished. And if your bees make one paycheck per year: almond rental, then why bother. One major die off and it's over. If you are in good honey production area, I think you would be better to lease bees for honey production to increase your capitol with out having to keep them alive in the winter.
With 6 sons who needs a forklift? Seriously, though, the best suggestion I could make is to emulate (that's a better word than copy) an operation near you that has a successful business plan. All beekeeping is local, different flows and buildup in different areas. What you are suggesting is certainly doable but the costs to get from where you are to where you want to be are significant and should not be underestimated. Build up at an affordable and sustainable pace. Spending much money on a forklift at this point would seem to be putting the cart before the horse I would think.
The heavy equipment side of the business is really down the road for you. If You do have a labor force that you have under your control, then moving, lifting and working the hives will not be an issue at this point. Now you need a business plan! I would first work your cost and monies structure. Like the guys said, this will determine how large and how fast you can afford to go. There are hundreds of Apiary Business Plans online, just google and you will find.
A good easy guesstimate is to structure your immediate needs, then wants. Breakdown your first year goals into real costs and write a short term plan based on your five year goals. A business plan will help keep you focused and on track. It will also help you if you need to borrow monies from a lender (be it a bank, family or friend). A plan will show that you are thinking things out, it will help you think ahead and will help you recognize weak areas.
Fail to plan, plan to fail.
There is going to be a 2-day conference "on every aspect of migratory beekeeping" called the "Miles to Go - Program" October 5th and 6th, 2013 at AI Root, in Medina Ohio.
They are having Dave Hackenberg, (John Miller) Miller's, (Jim Doan) Doans Honey, Hummerbee and Paramount Farms there.
They are going to be practicing loading and unloading trailers with Bobcats and swingers and discuss every other practical aspect of commercial beekeeping.
$100 for first person, $50 for second in group. Call Kim Flottum at 800.289.7668 X 3214 or Amanda at X3255 or email Kim or Amanda.
Do you suppose they will be using hives w/ live bees in them? I woulkd expect iyt to be harder tgo load a semi load of empty hives. All of those loose boxes.
Lol ask any of my grown children about hand loading hundreds of hives in and out of orchards in the black of night.
And its true , they will grow up move away and you will still have all those hives to move. By then, if you are still in it, you will have your trucks and forklifts.
My first time into the bee business I bought in with loans and when a bump in the road come I could not make the payments. This time I am pay as I go. So first I would say, stay out of debt. What a great resource to have your boys. I had two teenage sons helping me back then. It was hard work but we had fun, also after working in the bee yard or extracting honey all day they did not play on the computer much, they just wanted to get to sleep. I know a beekeeper with 4 teenage sons. He was migratory operating without a forklift or large truck. I went with them to move bees one night, well, I was in the way, each son and dad had a hand truck, they were all racing each other loading the gooseneck trailer up a ramp and double staking the hives. It was no time and there were 150 double story hives loaded!
I like Jim Lyon’s idea; all beekeeping is local so emulate a successful local beekeeper. And loggermike; by the time they are gone you will have your trucks and forklifts.
Yes a lot of hand labor can make up for a lack of moving equipment. Though if I had to do it over again I would have got a forklift earlier on.You will use it every day , loading all kinds of stuff, not just moving bees.
And I would have jumped in full time sooner, rather than carrying on a sideline.But with a large family to raise, and low honey and pollination prices for many years, it seemed impossible. You can only grow your business as fast as funds are available.
You're welcome. I agree w/ loggermike. There have been a lot of tough descisions made these last 20 years.
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