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ocba - Re: [ocba] Split sale & land for your hive?

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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: John Rintoul <beecd AT icloud.com>
  • To: "Fadem, Bronwyn Elizabeth" <bfadem AT live.unc.edu>
  • Cc: "ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Split sale & land for your hive?
  • Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:04:32 -0400

Bronwyn,

I'm glad to hear that the Hope Garden bees are productive. I don't speak for all of OCBA and I don't want to discourage your efforts, but I will share my thoughts on your post.  Others may offer a different perspective.

1) Typically a split/nuc (whether created for sale or to increase the number of hives in your apiary) is created early in the spring ahead of the prime nectar flow in NC. That gives the bees time and resources to prosper and build stores. We are now coming up on the end of that flow. It is not the best time to split a hive, especially for a beekeeper who has never done it before. Creating a split also requires additional woodenware whether or not the garden plans to keep the split. As to the technicalities, there are several good books available on the technicalities of making splits and beekeeping generally.

2) The usual practice is for a landowner to pay the beekeeper to put hives on the landowner's property. What you are proposing is the opposite of that arrangement. Some landowners volunteer their property as a site for bees so your proposed rental option would be competing with "free." Beekeepers are traditionally a frugal crowd. Free usually wins. 

3) Selling the honey that you have harvested would be a great way to generate income for the garden. It is has an indefinite shelf life, unlike produce. So it could be sold over time. You may be able to sell/auction it at a premium to supporters of the garden as Hope Garden Honey or some other clever marketing.

John Rintoul
(919) 414-4071

On Jun 7, 2016, at 6:53 AM, Fadem, Bronwyn Elizabeth <bfadem AT live.unc.edu> wrote:

Greetings OCBA!

I have written before, but I am the new beekeeper for Hope Gardens, a UNC student run non-profit community garden at 2200 Homestead Rd. in Chapel Hill. I have two questions and would like input from some of the more experienced/knowledgeable beekeepers out there, as well as to gauge interest, in general.

As a non-profit, we are always brainstorming ways to fundraise. I have two ideas: selling a split (nuc?) and/or providing space for other beekeepers to keep a hive or two out at our garden for an annual fee. We do not have the funds to pay for a new hive setup to keep the split ourselves, so could anyone let me know how I would go about preparing to split it and create a nuc to sell? Or would anyone be interested in buying some brood frames and/or a nuc? (I don't really know the technicalities)

Also, does anyone have experience with "renting" space at their property to other beekeepers? I know some of you have mentioned obstacles with your neighborhood association restrictions, for example, and I thought maybe it would be possible and there would be interest in keeping a hive out at our garden. Similar to how we rent community garden plots, we could offer space for a hive at an annual fee. Our location has maintained extremely productive and resilient bees for the last four summers. I have already harvested about 4 gallons of honey from our two hives this year, with another flow ready for harvest soon! I'm not sure if this type of agreement is even possible or desirable, but please feel free to let me know your thoughts or ask questions.

Thanks so much!

Bronwyn Fadem

Hope Gardens Beekeeper

Co-Founder of Herban Garden, a community space that nurtures and inspires underserved youth through food cultivation


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