Does the hum of bees and the sweet nectar of honey tempt you into the world of beekeeping? It’s a great hobby. But how much does it actually cost to become a beekeeper? From setting up your first hive to managing your hives for years to come, we’re here to give you an outline of the how much you’d need to spend to start your life with these remarkable little pollinators (and trust us, once you’ve started, you’ll love it so much it’ll become a life-long hobby).
Like many hobbies, the costs will depend on many factors - the quality of items you want, whether you want to complete any training courses, and how many hives you want to manage. The costs in this article are based on 2023 UK price ranges and may change slightly over time.
Essentials
Although there’s a huge selection of optional beekeeping products, there are some things you just can’t do beekeeping without. So let’s begin with these essential products (and essential costs) to get you started.
Beehive
The first and one of the main items you need for beekeeping is a beehive. Hive are made from a range of woods including pine, fir, and the most popular - western red cedar. With beehives, you pay for quality. Although fir and pine are great options and will create a safe and secure home for your bees, Western red cedar is the one that will last you the longest.
One of the reasons many people start beekeeping is to help the environment. So it makes sense that your beehives should be sourced in an environmentally-friendly way. This is why FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) wood stands out as a superior choice for beehives (even better if it’s FSC western red cedar). By opting for a beehive wood sourced from responsibly managed forests, you’re helping to protect nature around the world, as well as supporting the local communities who live and work near the forests.
That’s all great to know, but how much do they cost? Here’s the general cost of a beehive in each wood type:
- Standard fir beehive - £124.99
- Standard pine beehive - £149.99
- Standard western red cedar - £249.99
- FSC western red cedar - £399.99
At these prices, hives tend to include most of the basics like a brood box, 2 supers, a crown board, and a queen excluder. However, to complete the hive, you’ll need to also buy frames and foundations. So let’s go there next.
Frames and foundations
Depending on where you buy your beehive, you may be able to get a deal to add frames and foundation sheets to your purchase as a bundle. This is available at Hiveology and reduces the cost of frames and foundations by 30%.
But unlike your hive, which will last you years, frames and foundations aren’t just a one off purchase. Instead, you’ll need to buy them every year. Buying a short or deep frame costs £19.99, short foundations cost £9.99, and deep foundations cost £12.99.
Bee suit
The bee suit is a crucial piece of beekeeping equipment to protect you from any potential stings from defensive worker bees. Suits also make many beekeepers feel more confident and comfortable around their buzzing companions. But bee suits aren’t all the same. Their differences include veil shapes, whether the suit is full-body or just a jacket, and whether the suit is vented (ideal for summer).
Bee suit prices vary depending on quality and its features. Single pieces like bee suit jackets cost around £30-40. Whereas the average cost of a full body bee suit is between £50 and £130. Like anything, there are higher priced items available, with some bee suits ranging up to £400 and beyond. Cheaper suits tend to be thinner, giving you less protection from stings. Therefore, you might prefer to get a thicker, better quality suit from the higher end of this price range.
Gloves
Gloves come in different materials, ranging from leather to latex. The different materials create different abilities to feel what you’re doing when inspecting the hive, with many people finding latex gloves easier. Some people even just use washing up gloves. Although, if you do this, you should use new ones to ensure there are no chemicals on them that could harm the bees or the hive.
Most beekeeping gloves cost up to £15. However, if you’re looking for some extra thick gloves, they range from £15 to £50.
One important thing to note about bee gloves is that you need to make sure they’re long enough to prevent bees from going up the sleeves of your bee suit or jacket. However, most gloves designed for beekeeping, from the cheapest to the most expensive, should have this feature.
Hive tool
A hive tool is a seemingly simple implement that plays a multifaceted role in the beekeeper’s toolkit. It’s essential for opening the hive, prying apart sticky parts of the hive, lifting frames, and removing excess wax and propolis. Made from different materials and in different designs, there’s lots of choice when looking for the right hive tool for you.
But how much are they? Your basic hive tools tend to cost between £5 and £15 with some premium tools costing closer to £20. Whatever kind of tool you opt for, you’ll be getting an essential piece of kit at an inexpensive price.
Smoker
If you’re going to work near bees, you’re going to want to take measures to avoid being stung. This is where a smoker comes in. The smoke calms the bees and helps to mask the alarm pheromone that guard bees give off, meaning you can work in the hive with a lower chance of being stung. To buy a smoker, you’ll need to spend around £25-75 depending on its size and make.
As well as the smoker, you’ll also need to buy the pellets to go in the smoker. Different types of pellets are available including wooden and lavender pellets costing around £5-7 for a 1kg bag.
Bees
Without bees, you’re not going to get very far with beekeeping. It’s important to get your bees from a reputable bee breeder. Although this costs slightly more, you want to ensure you’re getting healthy bees, free from disease, with a good temperament.
When buying bees, you have 2 options. You can buy packaged bees or you can buy a nucleus colony (nuc).
Packaged bees come as they are, without any other supplies. They’re more economical and more readily-available. However, as they come with nothing, you’ll need to provide them with food until they’re able to forage and build up their own resources. Buying packaged bees from a bee breeder will cost you around £200-250.
On the other hand, when you purchase a nuc, you don’t just get the bees, you also get frames of comb which can be slotted into your hive. This means the bees have had time to start building their nest with brood and honey stores, giving them a good start in their new hive. However, it also makes nucs more expensive and more difficult to transport. Nucs from a bee breeder tend to cost around £280-350.
Popular extras
Bee brush
A bee brush tends to cost around £4-7 and is a useful tool to use when you want to gently move bees out of the way. This could be to brush them off the comb when you want to harvest honey or to brush them off a piece of the hive you’re trying to inspect.
Bee feeder
When honey stores get low or run out during the cold winter months, you will need to provide food to avoid your bees starving. Bee feeders can be attached to your hive and are a place you can provide your bees with extra food when their resources run out. Most bee feeders cost around £3-15 with premium feeders ranging up to around £75.
Education
Finally, if you want to spend more time learning about bees and beekeeping, there’s a large range of books and training courses available from education for beginners all the way to resources for experienced, advanced beekeepers. Here are some examples:
- Annual local beekeeping club membership - £30-35
- Haynes Bee Manual by Claire and Adrian Waring - £20
- Collins Beekeeping Bible - £30
- BKKA Guide to Beekeeping - £15
With so many books and courses out there, it would be impossible to give an estimate of how much this aspect of beekeeping could cost. You could spend nothing or you could spend thousands. It’s really up to you.