When a Hobby becomes a Job!!!

Eleven or twelve years ago, I decided to purchase a couple of Nucs to start on a beekeeping journey. This is also when I decided it would be fun to see what all this “blogging” was about and started a beekeeping blog (this site!). It was great fun that first year, dealing with two hives and reporting some of my insane conclusions in those early days.

Of course, two weren’t enough, so I expanded to 4 in year two and believe I may have caught a swarm or two. By years 3 and 4, I was experimenting with every type of “bee increase” you could imagine (nucs, splits, raising queens, etc…) As the years went on, those first two hives became 80 hives. As with all of my hobbies, I eagerly took beekeeping over the edge!!!

It was not until last July, as I once again spent most of my free time on the Summer weekends either extracting a seemingly never ended pile of capped honey supers or running down various tasks in a multitude of beeyards, that everything became clear – I had once again turned a great, fun-loving hobby into a daggone job!!!

As I write this post, it occurs to me that my activity on this blog also dropped off substantially as the hive count rose. I enjoy running on here, on this blog. But, just managing the hives (along with family, work and so on) was preventing me from really enjoying this small bit of fun.

So, I have finally wizened up and realize that an ideal number of hives for me runs at two dozen, not 7!!! Therefore, this year I will begin to sell both Nucs and fully operational hives. I am hopeful of reducing my count over the next couple of years to something that is more of an enjoyable hobby than a full-time job! I plan to update the site with the relevant information shortly, regarding how to reserve a hive or nuc, costs and so forth.

Hopefully this is also a sign of more posts here, and more dialogue with fellow beekeepers across Virginia (and elsewhere.)

Jones Tyler

An avid gardener and outdoorsman, I started beekeeping in 2009, give or take, and began using this journal as a way to document my trials and tribulations. Over the years, it has become a part of my hobby, recording events here.

Reader Comments

  1. Anna

    I went to the URL for reserving a Nuc but noticed it still says 2017. Can I still sign up there to reserve?
    What resources do you recommend for learning all I need to know about starting my own hive(s)? I live in Henrico County.+
    Thank you.

  2. Jones Tyler

    I apologize for the late response, Anna. I am having technical difficulties getting alerted when folks post. At the moment, I am not comfortable promising any more Nucs as the demand meets what I believe I can currently deliver. If the Spring goes really well, I may determine that I will have more (and you are welcome to check back in late April.)

    For learning about bees, I strongly recommend going to some of the local clubs. They all hold monthly meetings and you get a room full of beekeepers that would love to answer every question that you have. On the internet, I recommend finding information by Michael Palmer and Michael Bush – both of these esteemed beekeepers pretty much drove the way I keep bees today.

  3. Bobby Hucks

    Tyler,
    How much does a complete hive costs? I have a 70+ fruit tree orchard( like you it over took my life, I also started out with 6 trees, and it is a vicious circle) I have been considering buying 1 or 2 hives, to keep near the orchard. But I have no idea how to get started.
    where would you recommend buying a complete hive from
    Thanks Bobby Hucks

  4. Jones Tyler

    Hey Bobby,

    I sell complete hives and I know you can get them on Craigslist on occasion. This year, I am selling my full hives for $300, or $250 each if you get 2.

Write a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.