Ask them what they want. Maybe they don't want any honey from you. Maybe they don't eat honey or like honey. Maybe they just like having the bees there because they have heard how all the bees are dying. Does it really matter what others do or what is traditional? Your landowners don't know what others do or what is traditional. Maybe they would like a nice basket of fruit w/ a jar of honey and a squeeze bear in it. Or a bottle of mead. Or a chunk of comb honey right from the bees on their own property. Something personal.
People like to be appreciated. Get to know your landowners as people and find out what they would like.
Or just give them a 5lb jar of honey or two.
Mark I do have to say that yours is one of the best answers on beesourece all year long....
Perfect answer. One needs to be flexible and be willing to fit the land owners needs and wishes.
To give a great example.... I have a yard that is currently owned by three cousins. This fall will be my 25th year there. Its my best location hands down. Before one of the old uncles died a few years back he would ask for just a few jars of honey a year. He would open them up and put them on the edge of the back porch and enjoyed his final days as a 95 year old gentleman watching the ants coming and going from those jars while he was sitting in his chair staring at the woodlands behind the ants as they marched to and fro. When I first saw this it drove me nuts but I soon realized its was what made his happy clock tick.
Merv was as guy who was a multimillionaire but lived very contently as would any happy pauper. He loved watching the bees and felt the same way about those darn ants... Lived a life enjoying people and the tiniest critters in Gods great creation. A few jars of honey feeding the ants fit his bill. Nothing more and nothing less.
The current owners all live the same way.
Since this yard has been so invaluable to my operation ( would rent for over a thousand bucks a month on the open market considering its location) and they have never asked for nearly a red cent for the whole 25 years there I recently offered them an all expense paid trip to "visit" some of our Alaskan bee yards and the associated nearby hot springs)
Like the humble folks they are they said it was way beyond to generous of an offer from me and that they would rather have me jump for a nice dinner out at the local steakhouse as a token ( small one at that) of my appreciation. The trip to AK is still on the table as an offer as far as I'm concerned but
the steakhouse is what they'd like so the steakhouse is what they will get.
:shhhh: