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Note: This is the second part in a series of posts that will appear over the next few weeks attempting to answer the question, “Can hobby beekeeping be financially successful?” Be sure to go back and read the March 7th post before digesting this one.
Part 2 puts the numbers to the first-year plan outlined in part 1 (the last post). This is built around the purchase of start-up equipment for two nucs and all that is required to manage, treat, and feed those two nucs for the first year. There will be no splitting during the first year and honey harvest will be minimal. We assume that the two colonies will thrive with the management regimen that part 1 outlines. A half-hearted, minimalistic, hands-off, uninvolved approach will most likely result in much less financial success. Of course. You get out of it what you put in. Also keep in mind that time is not figured. After all, this is a hobby and hobbies are typically considered recreation—time and effort spent on non-income producing activity for the purpose of rejuvenating soul and mind. So, we will keep a little of that element in our figures.
There are at least three ways to minimize the expense:
· Find a couple of swarms. This is definitely a good way to start a beekeeping career but takes some effort. We can’t put out bee boxes and expect a swarm to fly in. Swarm lure increases the possibilities but having a couple of frames of drawn comb helps a lot. However, being a new beekeeper, we don’t have that commodity. And we run the risk of going through the whole season and not have the good fortune of a swarm looking for a home. We could put our name and phone number out for swarm calls. Again, we run the risk of getting nothing. But, if successful, we could save $370.
· Purchase unassembled and unpainted equipment. And while we are at it we will get mill run grade (more knots and defects but just as effective for good beekeeping). Since Beeline offers no unassembled starter and hive kits we need to figure in the full price for smoker, suit, gloves, book, and assembled bottom boards. We’ll drop the entrance feeders because we will be purchasing inboard feeders anyway. This could shave off approximately $229. Just remember that this will take time to assemble and paint and will require tools and work area that we might not have.
· Mixing our own syrup. Figuring $.80/pound sugar from Walmart and 40 pounds for a 5-gallon pail of heavy syrup it will cost about $32 instead of the $69 (or more) for Turbo from Beeline. This saves approximately $148 for the season but then we have all the work, mess, and electricity (to heat the syrup while mixing) plus we don’t have all the other benefits of Turbo’s formulated mix.
Don’t, DON’T, DON’T under any condition try to save on treatment and feed! Winter survival and successful beekeeping do not need perfect bee boxes and paint jobs. But it does depend completely on keeping mite loads down and heavy feeding.
So, here are the numbers straight out of my spreadsheet:
Part 2 puts the numbers to the first-year plan outlined in part 1 (the last post). This is built around the purchase of start-up equipment for two nucs and all that is required to manage, treat, and feed those two nucs for the first year. There will be no splitting during the first year and honey harvest will be minimal. We assume that the two colonies will thrive with the management regimen that part 1 outlines. A half-hearted, minimalistic, hands-off, uninvolved approach will most likely result in much less financial success. Of course. You get out of it what you put in. Also keep in mind that time is not figured. After all, this is a hobby and hobbies are typically considered recreation—time and effort spent on non-income producing activity for the purpose of rejuvenating soul and mind. So, we will keep a little of that element in our figures.
There are at least three ways to minimize the expense:
· Find a couple of swarms. This is definitely a good way to start a beekeeping career but takes some effort. We can’t put out bee boxes and expect a swarm to fly in. Swarm lure increases the possibilities but having a couple of frames of drawn comb helps a lot. However, being a new beekeeper, we don’t have that commodity. And we run the risk of going through the whole season and not have the good fortune of a swarm looking for a home. We could put our name and phone number out for swarm calls. Again, we run the risk of getting nothing. But, if successful, we could save $370.
· Purchase unassembled and unpainted equipment. And while we are at it we will get mill run grade (more knots and defects but just as effective for good beekeeping). Since Beeline offers no unassembled starter and hive kits we need to figure in the full price for smoker, suit, gloves, book, and assembled bottom boards. We’ll drop the entrance feeders because we will be purchasing inboard feeders anyway. This could shave off approximately $229. Just remember that this will take time to assemble and paint and will require tools and work area that we might not have.
· Mixing our own syrup. Figuring $.80/pound sugar from Walmart and 40 pounds for a 5-gallon pail of heavy syrup it will cost about $32 instead of the $69 (or more) for Turbo from Beeline. This saves approximately $148 for the season but then we have all the work, mess, and electricity (to heat the syrup while mixing) plus we don’t have all the other benefits of Turbo’s formulated mix.
Don’t, DON’T, DON’T under any condition try to save on treatment and feed! Winter survival and successful beekeeping do not need perfect bee boxes and paint jobs. But it does depend completely on keeping mite loads down and heavy feeding.
So, here are the numbers straight out of my spreadsheet:
(That red profit number is negative.)
The honey harvest and amount of income from that is a bit nebulous. This all depends on pasture (flowers to gather nectar from) and weather (will the bees have fair weather to fly in?). It depends on how fast the bees build up from nucs. It depends on what we can sell honey for. In some localities we could get as much as $15 per pound and others might be less than $10. And maybe we will want to keep the honey for our own use and enjoyment which, I guess, is income because we don’t have to spend that money to buy it.
So. Not too bad for first year hobby. In the next two posts (yet this week, hopefully) we will do the same things for second year beekeeping and see where this thing goes.
-Jonathan Showalter | Beeline of Michigan
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Our products are priced for material, labor, overhead, and profitability. On our website, all product prices include a percentage to cover shipping costs in order to provide “free shipping” on most orders over $150. In our catalog, we do not bury the shipping expense in our product prices, and shipping costs are passed on in addition to the product costs. Due to fluctuating raw material costs, prices are subject to change without notice.
Payment Methods and Terms
Online checkouts accept all major credit cards through Stripe. A printable order form is also available. For mail-in or phone orders we accept US currency cash, money order, checks drawn from a US bank, or Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards. Please make checks payable to “Beeline.”
PRINTABLE ORDER FORM LINK
For mail-in and phone orders up to $500, we expect full payment before shipping. Over $500 we require 50% down payment before shipping, with the balance due within 30 days of the invoice date. After 30 days from the invoice date, the bill will be subject to a finance charge of 1.5% per month.
A fee of $25 will be charged for returned checks.
If an overpayment was made, we can either refund you or credit your account.
State Sales Tax
We are required to collect sales tax in the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Washington. If you are exempt from sales tax, we are required to file a signed tax exemption certificate. Please call or email us for that form.
Turn Around Time
Orders will be processed as quickly as possible. We will try our best to fulfill online orders within 2 business days and will notify you of any delays. Orders received after 12 noon will not be processed until the following business day. Skid-sized orders over 200 pounds may require up to a week or more, especially at peak season, which is generally January through June. Order early to ensure timely delivery.
Backorders
If your order contains out-of-stock items, we will contact you by phone or email with several options. We can ship your order without the backordered item and send the backordered item(s) separately, with additional shipping and handling charges. We can hold your order until the backordered product is available. Or you may choose to cancel that part of your order. We also have the option of filling your order in part or entirely from one of our other branches.
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We will be liable only for the purchase price which customers have paid for an item. We do not offer warranties, either expressed or implied, for products which we do not manufacture. Customer purchases glassware and wax foundation at their own risk. We cannot offer refunds on or exchanges for the following; Beeswax Foundation, Medication, Containers and Glassware or Bee Food. See shipping policy for further information for damaged and returned items.
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We reserve the right to correct or adjust any price or product due to photographical or typographical errors.
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We ship online orders to all 50 states of the USA from the appropriate branch. Canadian customers may place orders by phone or email. We do not ship outside of the USA and Canada.
Free Shipping
On our website only, Free Shipping applies to most orders over $150 to the USA.
Pick Up Orders
Orders can be picked up at the nearest branch within store hours or by appointment. All orders picked up at a Beeline Branch receive a 10% discount from the website prices.
Michigan
Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 P.M., EDT. We are closed for most major holidays.
Address: 20960 M-60, Mendon, MI 49072
Email: sales@beelinewoodenware.com
Phone: 269-496-7001
Washington
Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., PDT, Saturday pickup by appointment only. Hours are subject to change August through December. We are closed for most major holidays.
Address: 19019 Moon Road SW, Rochester, WA 98579
Email: beelineofwa@norcell.us
Phone: 360-280-5274
Shipping Charges
For online orders, all shipping costs are covered with product costs, providing “free shipping” for most orders over $150. For all orders under $150, and for all phone and mail-in orders, shipping and handling will be calculated and charged at checkout based on weight and zone from our nearest branch.
For pallet-sized orders placed by phone, email or mail, all freight costs will be calculated with LTL carriers, either directly with the LTL carrier or through an LTL broker, to find the best price. Miscellaneous additional shipping charges may occur for the following reasons:
Shipping Estimates
When providing a shipping estimate for small or large orders, we will do our best to accurately calculate. However, in some situations, the shipping costs can change. If the cost increases significantly from the cost you were originally quoted for the same product, we will contact you before shipping.
We accept returns on eligible items within 30 days of the original order date. All returns must be approved in advance—please contact the branch from which your order was shipped for verification. Returned items must be unused and in the same condition as when purchased. Products must be returned to the original branch and must include the invoice number. Return shipping must be arranged through FedEx or UPS or delivered to your local branch.
For merchandise returned due to a change of mind, customer error in ordering, or no longer being needed, the return shipping cost is the customer’s responsibility. For replacements involving damaged items or shipping errors, Beeline will cover the return shipping costs.
Please note: No returns or exchanges are accepted on Beeswax Foundation, Medication, Containers, Glassware, or Bee Food.
All products shipped from our facilities are shipped F.O.B. and become the customer’s responsibility upon shipment.
Missing Parts
With the best of efforts in our stock-picking, we can still miss parts. Please check all orders immediately. If something is missing, contact us within 10 days of the invoice date or we cannot be responsible for errors or discrepancies.
Call or email the branch nearest you to determine location eligibility. Visit our Locate a Dealer page to view a map of current Beeline dealers. If you are outside of 60 or 80 miles of an existing, protected Beeline dealer, you are likely eligible. Your nearest branch will be able to tell you if your nearest Beeline dealer is protected or not. If you are eligible, read our policy here thoroughly before deciding which level you would like to enter. Once decided, fill out the application form found in the policy document, and submit to your nearest branch. As soon as they accept your application, you are free to place your initial order. The total of this initial order will determine which level you are entering, and which discounts you receive.
To maintain your level, your total invoiced sales within 12 months (or if you have begun mid-season, we extrapolate your total based on your total sales in that time period) must exceed the Annual Total in the chart above. To move to the next higher level, your total invoiced sales to date must exceed the Annual Total of the higher level. For example, if you are a Worker Level Dealer, and wish to become a Queen Level Dealer, your total invoiced sales to date must exceed $30,000, to become a Queen dealer. This can happen anytime within the 12-month period.
Not able to reach the Drone Level, but still want to buy and resell? Sure! We will give you quantity pricing and you can resell as much as you want!
Please remember, all dealer discounts are taken off our low-volume pricing. Catalog quantities and discounts are disregarded. This pricing is usually the same as our catalog pricing, unless prices have changed mid-year.
Every year on November 1st, we will assess your dealership level, based on your total invoiced sales to date, and determine which level you will be in for the next year.
Read about pricing, advertising, production, shipping, placing orders, and dealership perks in our policy here.
We also strongly recommend associations, clubs, bee schools, etc. to pool their order for a “dealership” status. A primary objective of our dealership network is to cut shipping costs for the end customer, so any of these “dealership” methods helps everyone. Can you or someone you know fill a spot in our Dealership Map?
