thoughts on how much time it takes to manage a couple hives

[tandemrx]

I get asked this all the time when I am advocating for beekeeping and talking to people about backyard beekeeping.

"how much time does it take".  It is a good question from someone contemplating taking up beekeeping.

Obviously this depends on many factors regarding management style, etc., but I never really come up with a solid answer for keeping 1 or 2 hives in ones backyard.  A realistic number for people that are on a time budget (like most of us are).

I generally say it takes a couple hours once a week for about 6 weeks in the spring, then summer less intensive or little work, then again about 2 hours a week for 6 weeks in the fall (mixed in with maybe a weekend for extracting and clean up as part of that fall work time).  Winter is mainly off except maybe a day or 2 for making up new equipment.

I am not sure that this is an adequate representation.  I have about a dozen hives at 2 different bee yards a few miles away plus my backyard hive and my observation hive and do other activities like help new beekeepers or friends that keep bees and some advocacy work, a lot of reading, a lot of building (building a honey cart right now for selling from my front yard),  visiting with other beekeepers, spending too much time on forums  :). . . it really starts to add up after a while.  But, I realize that if I would just keep it to 1 or 2 hives in the backyard it would be much less time intensive - I just can't remember or put together some solid numbers for how much time it takes in a years time for keeping 1-2 hives in one's backyard or on your roof.

What you'all say?

[Kathyp]

probably depends on level of experience.  new beekeepers will spend more time and that's usually by choice.  more experience will not spend 2 hours a week on two hive at any time of the year unless something is going wrong.  extraction can take hours but it can be done when it's convenient and again, depends on method. 

i think it's the perfect hobby for someone who travels or doesn't have a lot of time.  almost everything that needs to be done, can be done, within reason, as time allows....weather permitting.

[Vance G]

The question should be,  How much time do I GET to spend working my bees!  I could spend hours sitting and studying frames of brood and bees.  But it is not good for them so I don't.  I need a dozen hives to spread the wear and tear on the lids around.  But as the lady said, An hour irregularly goes a long way in doing what needs done, but to keep well developed colonies from swarming, you need some regular actions I think.  The alternate to that is split them down to nucs and stack boxes on.  That only works for those of us up north on the tundra who don't know the joys of small hive beetles and wax moths.

[Michael Bush]

One nice thing about bees is they can pretty much take care of themselves.  You can spend as much time as you like if you're really interested or as little as you like if you just like having them around.  It's not like horses where you have to feed them twice a day.

[tandemrx]

I guess I didn't phrase the question well, - although I like the horses comment and will use that at my next talk.  I am really looking for numbers . . . number of hours in a year with some distribution of when those hours will be used - understanding that there is flexibility with exactly when you do these chores and how in depth you want to get into it.

People like numbers . . . they want a reasonable idea of what the time commitment is as you start out with 1-2 hives . . . to get an idea if they can fit it into their lives.

I certainly understand that things change with experience and that you get faster with more experience and that it can vary a great deal depending on whether you micromanage your hives or you are a hands off person.

When I say 2 hours in a week, I don't mean with just an inspection, that might include putting together some equipment, making some syrup, ordering some supplies, washing your bee suit, whatever . . . an inspection plus all the ancillary stuff (or maybe JUST ancillary stuff).

What I am looking for I guess is a description of the number of hours one would put into those first couple years starting out with 1-2 hives and a simple description of where that time is divided over a year.

[FRAMEshift]

If someone is taking up beekeeping as a new hobby, most of the time they spend will be optional.  The actual necessary time will be a tiny part of what they will actually spend.  

Of the necessary time, I actually spend more time getting my bee suit on and lighting my smoker than I do in necessary manipulations of the hives.  

If you just need a bottom line on necessary time, I would say 2 hours a week in spring, 2 hours a month for summer and fall and nothing in winter.  

This does not include the time spent reading bee books and posting on Beemaster.  :-D

[Michael Bush]

Over the years I've spent as little as 2 hours a year per hive and as much as 2 hours a night...

[yockey5]

If they ask this question they probably do not have the required desire, nor the time needed to be a beek.

[L Daxon]

I think I read somewhere in the last week that a hobbyist beekeeper with just one or two hives could count on spending about 40 hours a year based on something like 5-8 inspections a year per hive, plus putting equipment together, and harvesting a super or two of honey. 

Of course that number can go up considerably if you are inspecting every weekend, building your own equipment from scratch, siting outside the hive daily just watching the girls come and go, feeding heavily, reading lots of books and magazines, attending club meetings, etc.

Doesn't have to take a lot of time but you can put a lot of time into it, if you want.

Linda D

[yockey5]

Good answer Linda.

[LoriMNnice]

If they ask this question they probably do not have the required desire, nor the time needed to be a beek.

I think it is a good question to ask so people can get an idea how much time it will take. So they can decide if they have enough time to keep bees.

[yockey5]

If they ask this question they probably do not have the required desire, nor the time needed to be a beek.

I think it is a good question to ask so people can get an idea how much time it will take. So they can decide if they have enough time to keep bees.

To me it (beekeeping) has always been a passion, so it is hard to relate to any other motive for beekeeping.

[lenape13]

Too much time.  I think they should stay out of it and leave more bees for those of us who are addicted to bees.... :-D

It really all depends on the amount of time to want to devote.  Some of my hives pretty much take care of themselves, while a couple are really hands-on.  There are just too many variables to consider.

[tandemrx]

I like that answer Linda.  It kinda confirms what I have been saying (2 hrs/wk x 6 spring, some in summer, 2hrs/wk fall, a day in winter = mid-30's-ish hours a year), but I like the way you describe it better as it is more concise yet descriptive.

I am giving a very brief backyard beekeeping discussion intro to a "Queen of the Sun" community movie screening in a couple weeks and no doubt this question will come up with 50-100 sustainability folks who will likely get their interest pricked.

I think I read somewhere in the last week that a hobbyist beekeeper with just one or two hives could count on spending about 40 hours a year based on something like 5-8 inspections a year per hive, plus putting equipment together, and harvesting a super or two of honey. 

Of course that number can go up considerably if you are inspecting every weekend, building your own equipment from scratch, siting outside the hive daily just watching the girls come and go, feeding heavily, reading lots of books and magazines, attending club meetings, etc.

Doesn't have to take a lot of time but you can put a lot of time into it, if you want.

Linda D

[AliciaH]

As a new beekeeper I found I spent up to 1/2 hour inspecting each hive and had to plan for that.  I don't spend nearly that long now, but I think it's better for beginners to plan for the extra time and not need it than the other way around.

I am finding that the more difficult concept for new beekeepers is planning for the inspections.  Having to watch for "weather windows" seems to be a difficult concept to grasp for some folks.

[annette]

It also depends if there are problems. I have had years when I had to do more hands on due to problems with the hives. If you have to feed a lot well then there is more time involved. This year I did not have to feed at all so that made life easy. But then the bees made crazy comb in the honey supers this year and I had to go in and fix all that mess. This took a lot of time. Several days of cutting out the combs and extracting the honey.

Every Spring it is hectic with the bees while I try to stay on top of keeping the brood nest open, which is every 10 days inspecting and inserting frames into the brood nest. I do this at least 3 times, so about 1 month of time there.

Once swarm season is basically over, I can relax more and do not inspect much, just watch that they need another super.

I think you cannot put a time frame on this hobby. When the bees need something, you have to take care of them. I tell people that it is a commitment and you have to be there to do what is necessary.

I do not plan any long vacations in the Spring because I like to be around in case the bees need something. I do like to take my vacations in the winter.  Thats just me. I feel extremely responsible for them and want to make sure they are ok.

But on the other hand, A new beekeeper here went on vacation in July for 4 weeks and never placed a super on top of his hive. The bees were living in 2 mediums during a great honey flow. When he returned, many of the bees had moved out and were living under the hive. When he finally placed another super on top, they moved back in and continued to make more and more honey. I did an inspection with him about 1 month ago and they are doing great. He may get about 40-50 lbs of honey off this hive.

[Bsweet]

I would say 2 hrs/wk for 6-8 weeks in the spring, 1 hr/wk until late summer/fall then 2 hrs/wk for 4-6 weeks, time for extraction may not be a factor the first year or two.
BUT that would depend on what type managment they wanted to do and if they were beehavers or beekeepers.
In a hobby we often don't think about the time we spend in persuit of the enjoyment we receive,we that fish don't count the time we spend shopping for lures,rods and reels and other needful things muchless the time fishing. I do muzzle loaders in the winter and don't think about the time spent moulding round balls, cutting patches, maintaining the firearms or shooting and DON'T even count the time on forums :-D. Jim

[Larry Bees]

If they ask this question they probably do not have the required desire, nor the time needed to be a beek.

I think it is a good question to ask so people can get an idea how much time it will take. So they can decide if they have enough time to keep bees.

If somebody really wants to keep bees, then they will find the time.

[Shanevrr]

Im going to say an half hour a month per hive in summer, which doesnt count honey harvest,  less in winter im sure