The HiveMoney Blog
Straight writing about the business side of beekeeping — what colonies cost, what honey and pollination should be priced at, and how to run the numbers on an apiary.
Beekeeping ROI: How to Calculate Your Return on Investment
Most beekeepers never calculate their actual ROI — they just hope the honey sales cover the costs. Here's how to run the numbers honestly, from startup costs to break-even timelines and net profit per hive.
Read the guideThe True Cost of Winter Hive Losses (and How to Budget for Them)
Winter hive losses are the single biggest financial risk in beekeeping. With national loss rates hitting 40% in 2024–2025, every operation needs a budget for replacement costs, lost production, and rebuilding. Here's how to calculate your exposure and plan for it.
September 21, 2026
Beeswax Products as a Side Revenue Stream: Margins and Methods
Most beekeepers treat beeswax as a byproduct. The ones making real money treat it as a product line. Here's what the margins actually look like — and how to build a beeswax revenue stream that pays.
September 16, 2026
Beekeeping Insurance: What You Need and What It Costs
Most beekeepers don't think about insurance until something goes wrong. Here's a breakdown of the coverage types you actually need, what they cost, and how to avoid the gaps that leave your operation exposed.
September 14, 2026
Selling Honey at Farmers Markets: Pricing, Permits, and Profit
Farmers markets are one of the best direct-to-consumer channels for honey — but only if you price correctly and control your costs. Here's what you need to know about permits, pricing strategy, and turning a booth into a profitable revenue stream.
September 9, 2026
Beekeeping Startup Costs: A First-Year Budget Breakdown
Starting beekeeping costs between $550 and $1,500 for a single hive in your first year. This breakdown covers every major expense — equipment, bees, protective gear, treatments, and the hidden costs most guides skip — so you can plan your budget before you spend a dollar.
September 4, 2026
Beekeeping Record-Keeping Apps: What to Track and Why
Paper notebooks get wet, lost, and hard to search. A dedicated beekeeping record-keeping app keeps every inspection, treatment, and harvest in one searchable place — and gives you the data to run a tighter operation.
September 2, 2026
Best Hive Management Apps for 2026: Features and Pricing Compared
The right hive management app can save you hours every week and give you the data you need to run a profitable apiary. Here's how the top options stack up in 2026 — by features, pricing, and operational fit.
August 31, 2026
What Software Do Commercial Beekeepers Actually Use?
Commercial beekeeping is a logistics-heavy, contract-driven business. The software you choose determines how efficiently you can manage hundreds of hives, fulfill pollination contracts, and get paid on time. Here's what operators at scale are actually running.
August 28, 2026
Wholesale vs. Retail Honey Pricing: Which Channel Pays More?
Wholesale accounts move volume but retail keeps more money per jar. Here's a data-driven breakdown of honey pricing across every sales channel — and how to decide which mix is right for your operation.
August 21, 2026
Beekeeping Profit Margins: What to Realistically Expect in 2026
Beekeeping profit margins vary widely — from 10% for struggling hobbyists to 40%+ for well-run commercial operations. Here's what the numbers actually look like, and what levers you can pull to improve yours.
August 19, 2026
How to Scale from 50 to 500 Hives: A Commercial Beekeeping Roadmap
Scaling a beekeeping operation from 50 to 500 hives is less about biology and more about business systems. This guide covers the capital requirements, revenue benchmarks, operational milestones, and software tools that separate thriving commercial apiaries from those that stall at the sideline stage.
August 17, 2026
Beekeeping Taxes: Deductions, Records, and Schedule F
Beekeeping is classified as farming by the IRS, which means your income and expenses go on Schedule F — not Schedule C. Here's what you can deduct, how to prove business intent, and what records to keep so you're not leaving money on the table.
August 14, 2026
Best Beekeeping Software for Commercial Operations in 2026
Most beekeeping apps were designed for hobbyists and stretched to fit commercial operations. Here is what to look for when you are running hundreds or thousands of hives as a business.
August 12, 2026
Beekeeping Software Comparison: Features, Pricing, and Fit (2026)
Every beekeeping app does inspection logging. The differences are in what happens after the inspection — financial tracking, voice entry, AI analysis, and how much it costs.
August 12, 2026
Spreadsheets vs. Beekeeping Software: When to Switch
Spreadsheets work surprisingly well for beekeeping records — until they do not. Here is how to know when the switching cost is worth it.
August 12, 2026
Pollination Contract Rates: How to Price a Placement
A pollination rate is not a price for bees. It is a price for moving, feeding, monitoring, and risking a colony during the most stressful weeks of its year.
August 12, 2026
How to Price Your Honey: Retail, Wholesale, and Bulk
Most beekeepers price honey by looking at what the person at the next market stall charges. Here is how to price it from your own cost base instead.
August 12, 2026
What Does It Actually Cost to Keep a Hive?
Startup cost and annual cost are two very different numbers, and confusing them is why so many beekeepers are surprised in year two. Here is every line that belongs in the model.
August 12, 2026
Is Beekeeping Profitable? An Honest Cost Breakdown
Most beekeeping profitability advice is either wildly optimistic or vague. Here is the actual structure of the math, the cost lines people forget, and the three thresholds where the economics shift.
August 12, 2026
The Complete Beekeeping Business Plan Template
A beekeeping business plan is more than a document — it's the financial roadmap that separates hobbyists from profitable operations. This guide covers every section you need, with real cost and revenue benchmarks.
August 12, 2026
HiveTracks Alternatives: 5 Options for Beekeepers in 2026
HiveTracks has been around the longest, but it is not the only option. Here is what each alternative actually does, what it costs, and which kind of beekeeper it fits.
August 12, 2026
Beekeeping Software: A Practical Buyer’s Guide
Most beekeeping software is built to record inspections. Very little of it is built to tell you whether the operation makes money. Here is how to tell the categories apart and pick the right one.
August 12, 2026
Get new articles by email
Practical writing on beekeeping profitability, pricing, and operations. No spam — just articles.
Run the numbers yourself
Free calculators for cost per hive, honey margin, and pollination profitability — no account required.