P4136

Honeybee Hive Establishment Costs

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Beekeeping is a growing industry in Mississippi and across the United States. Whether the desire is to consume locally sourced/home grown honey or to sell at local farmers markets, many Mississippians are interested in beginning beekeeping.

Several research-based resources are available to help current and future beekeepers. Mississippi State University Extension Publication 3594 Beginning Beekeeping in Mississippi outlines the equipment needed and provides many factors to consider when starting colonies. Oklahoma State University, the University of Missouri, and several other land-grant universities have excellent publications on honeybee production and budgeting. This publication provides some cost estimates for Mississippians who are interested in getting started with honeybees and honey production.

Costs are separated into six categories: hive costs, hive accessory costs, bee costs, equipment costs, supply needs, and miscellaneous costs. Costs may vary depending on the desired setup. To demonstrate the potential costs, an example budget for the establishment of one honeybee hive has been created, and the estimates are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The budget is based on a Langstroth 10-frame brood box and the necessary equipment for a beekeeper to have a full hive setup by the end of the first year.

With only one hive, significant honey harvesting is unlikely to occur in the first year, but some cost estimates for the needed honey harvesting equipment are discussed later in this publication. An annual operating budget with annual cost and return estimates will be developed in a forthcoming publication.

You can also contact state Extension specialists or your local Extension office for answers to specific questions.

The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and that no discrimination against other products or suppliers is intended.

Publication 4136 (POD-10-25)

By Steven Martin, PhD, Extension Professor, Delta Research and Extension Center, Curt Lacy, PhD, Professor and Head, Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Esmaeil Amiri, PhD, Assistant Extension/Research Professor, Delta Research and Extension Center, Jeff Harris, PhD, Associate Extension/Research Professor, Agricultural Science and Plant Protection, and Brian Mills, PhD, Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics.