Subject: Re: Question: Can I make a living via bee hives?

From: [email-masked] (Ooffy)
Date: 20 May 1996 15:22:34 -0400

Like anyother business, if you approach it in a professioanl manner, you
can make a living at it.

Dr Burgett at Oregon State University will again publishi his Pacific
Northwest Pollinator survey (ten years now). His data indicates that
professional pollinators are receiving around $30 per hive per cycle and
NW beekeepers are renting about 3 times per hive. That, coupled with
$1/pounds honey is making beekeeping in the Northwest a profitable
business.

There are about 50 large operations in the NW and several hundred 25-300
colony operators. All of the large and most of the serious beekeepers go
to California for the almond crop and this reperesent a good portion of
their income. 

Dr Burgett's latest paper will be published in either ABJ or Bee Culture
(I forgot which one hes said) next month. You should check it out.

You should consider joining the Oregon State Beekeepers Association
($15/yr c/0 P. Shoemake, 1874 Winchester, Salem, OR 97304) and the
Washingto State Beekeepers.

There are two efforts in the NW to organize commerical operators into a
professional (some think that phase is an oxymoron if applied to
beekeepers, but that's another story), one in Oregon and one in
Washington.

Any question, fell free to contact me. 

Ron Bennett, editor
OSBA "The BeeLine"