Are you unsure if bee keeping is really for you, too much work, too expensive to get started?
Do you have a yearning to learn about keeping a bee hive but you don't know where to start?
Would you like to be eating honey that your own bees have made from the flowers in your garden and your surrounding area?
Setting up costs can be expensive, so here is a way to get involved for a year before shelling out your hard earned cash to set up. You will also have the opportunity to interact and observe with Brian when he checks your bee hive regularly.
Terms of Hiring a Bee Hive (Plan 1)
*Lease is for 12 months.*First visit to your property to discuss and plan where to position your hive.
* Delivery of the hive in late winter/early spring for best chance of summer honey production.
*Minimum of 12 maintenance visits per year.
*You may observe and ask questions at each visit. (Bee suit is provided for you to wear)
*You will receive a "brood box" followed by a "super" when the time is right to extend the hive.
*Extraction of the honey is performed by us here at Jembella Farm where we have the equipment.
*You will receive 10% of honey extracted from your hive. (Average 2-4kgs)
*Some hives will perform better than others, so some of your honey may be given to other hive renters who's hives have not been as productive. Or the opposite situation may arise with your hive.
Bee keeping is a year round project, but here in South Australia the honey flow season is from mid spring, (October), until late summer (February).
Some honey flow seasons are better than others. The 2014/2015 season was a bumper, but the following year of 2015/2016 was dismal. We collected no honey during that season.
Bee hives can only provide honey where there is an abundance of floral growth in the area.
Pesticide usage in your area will kill the bees.
If you are keen to rent a hive, we need to have your hive in place, in your garden by August/September to give you the best possible outcome for honey in the first year.
Enjoy watching your bees pollinating the plants in your garden.
Eat some of the honey from your garden and surrounding area.
Learn the art of beekeeping in your own backyard with one on one lessons with the "bee Guru".
Grow better vegetables and flowers.
After 12 months, you will be armed with the knowledge and confidence to purchase and manage your own hive.
Cost... $40 per month. Minimum hire is for 12 months = $480 per year.
To be paid at time of delivery or
in two installments of $240 on delivery of the hive and $240 six months later.
Bond of $100 is refundable at end of lease term.
Terms of Hiring a Bee Hive (Plan 2)
Smaller breeding hive "Nuc box" for pollinating orchards or gardens.Minimum term of 2 months
Includes all of the above service but excludes honey share.
Minimum of 1 maintenance and observation visit per month.
This service is for gardeners and small orchardists who require bees to pollinate their orchards and vegetable gardens. Most will hire the Nucleus box for 3-4 months during the Spring and Summer growing season.
Cost... $30 per month
Bond of $50 is refundable at end of lease term.
Happy beekeeping, and we're hoping for a good honey flow for this coming season.
Bee hive rental is available to properties situated within the Barossa region.
Sally, we have bee hives in the back yard (along with everything else) that my hubby used years ago when he kept bees. Someone wanted to buy them but he wants to keep them 'just in case' so who knows, perhaps he will keep bees once again 'one of these days' :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Sally!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Liz what a great idea. That system would encourage people who are ready to keep bees but are unsure how to go about it to take the plunge.
ReplyDeleteDo you receive any of the honeycomb at all or just the honey.
ReplyDeleteWhen extracting the honey we take extra care not to damage any of the wax in the bee's framework. If the bees are forced to repair any wax damage, this slows down the honey production. So no, we don't take honeycomb.
DeleteWhat a brilliant idea. If it weren't for the air fare costs of Brian and the bees to Wales (UK) I might have taken you up on this. We should be getting our own hives in the next couple of years and a year of practice would have been really good.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a few takers, our bees and their keepers are things to be treasured ... and of course there's the honey :-)
I'm interested to know if this service is available to folks in the UK Sue. Your bee association might be able to put you onto a beekeeper who leases hives. Let us know what you can find out.
DeleteSuch a wonderful idea Sally. I would love a hive here, and would try not to stand on it as I did as a child! Please keep us informed as to the popularity of your hive renting. xx
ReplyDeleteThis is so tempting, but I'm concerned at this time our garden does not have enough flowers and plants to warrant it yet. It was very bare when we moved in apart from the fruit trees and bare ground. I have a little more then that now, but still lacking in flowers. Perhaps in the future! :)
ReplyDeletexx