🐝 Beehive Honey Production Calculator
Estimate annual yield and potential revenue
🍯 Factors Affecting Honey Yield
Honey production is never guaranteed. It depends on three main factors:
- Forage Availability: Are there millions of nectar-producing flowers within a 2-3 mile radius? A "dearth" (lack of flowers) means no honey.
- Colony Population: You need a boiling workforce (60,000+ bees) right when the nectar flow starts. Weak hives eat honey; strong hives make it.
- Weather: Bees don't fly in rain or high winds. A rainy spring can ruin an entire honey crop.
"The biggest mistake new beekeepers make is expecting honey in year one. Your bees need 60-80 lbs of honey just to survive winter. In the first year, they are building comb (wax), which takes huge energy. Don't rob them. Take only the surplus. If you take too much, you'll be feeding them sugar water all winter, or worse, they'll starve."
⚠️ Common Mistakes
1. Harvesting too early: Honey must be capped (sealed with wax) before harvest. Uncapped nectar has high water content and will ferment (spoil) in the jar.
2. Leaving too little for winter: Depending on your climate, a hive needs 40-90 lbs of honey stores to survive winter. Always prioritize the bees' survival over your harvest.
3. Not accounting for jars: Honey is heavy! A "pint" jar holds 1.5 lbs (24 oz) of honey by weight, not 16 oz. Pricing by volume instead of weight can lose you money.
Mark Davis
Master Beekeeper, 20 years experience