Matching Beekeepers and Landowners for the Good of the Bees
Questions and Answers about Placing Bees
Please read through the following information and if still intrested in hosting hives, fill out the form below:
Question: How much property will I need?
Answer: Ideally property for keeping bees has a quiet location, free from human and animal interaction and at least 50 foot setbacks in all directions. It is a bonus to have pollinator gardens or home/land owners that will help to plant pollinator friendly plants.
Question: Are there any special considerations that beekeepers will be looking for when considering my property?
Answer: Yes, quite a few and here are a handful that hive hosts should be aware of:
Question: Do beekeepers charge to put bees on my property
Answer: It depends. There are two types of requests made by those wishing to host: 1) I'd simply like to have bees on my property, and 2) I'd like to have bees on my property for a purpose that includes something akin to pollination. Typical beekeepers keep bees as a hobby but some are in business and they receive payment for pollination services. If your intent to engage a beekeeper is to pollinate beyond the aspect of simply having bees on the property, then consider that a beekeeper may request fees for their services.
Question: How do these arrangement work?
Answer: The arrangement is between the home/land owner and the beekeeper. This association is simply facilitating the message of availability and is not involved in any of the private arrangements between beekeeper and you the land owner. Arrangements are verbal or written - that is up to you.
Question: I have bears in my area, will a bear fence be required?
Answer: Yes, it is a fact of life that if you are in an area where bears are prevalent bear fences are unavoidable. Ideally the home/land owner will fund the system for the beekeeper in exchange for having the benefit of bees on the property but again this is a matter that can be worked out between the land/homeowner and the beekeeper.
Question: Can I expect honey out of the arrangement?
Answer: It depends. Every beekeeper does these arrangements in their own way and you can discuss that as a matter of agreement to place bees. Most beekeepers are willing to work with land/homeowners to provide honey in exchange for placement but making honey is not always an iron clad guarantee as beekeeping is sometimes fickle so manage expectations and be fair to what the beekeeper will tell you about this.
This is just a very basic overview ... if you have questions that we didn't include please let us know (email ccnybees@gmail.com). Every situation is different and you can of course ask any questions of the beekeeper who contacts you.
Question: How much property will I need?
Answer: Ideally property for keeping bees has a quiet location, free from human and animal interaction and at least 50 foot setbacks in all directions. It is a bonus to have pollinator gardens or home/land owners that will help to plant pollinator friendly plants.
Question: Are there any special considerations that beekeepers will be looking for when considering my property?
Answer: Yes, quite a few and here are a handful that hive hosts should be aware of:
- Bees need good nutrition to survive. Optimally beekeepers will look for larger areas of forage when considering a location for bees and not simply someone's home with a garden. That is a welcome bonus but they will also consider the surrounding areas.
- Access.... Management of bees requires access to hives for upkeep and being able to bring a vehicle into a hive is ideal. Beekeepers will also need to have permission to access.
- Costs, Fees, Stipulations for use. Honestly beekeeping tends to be a loss for beekeepers. Being charged by the host to place bees on land or living with stipulations to have access to land is up to each individual beekeeper; but many tend to stay away from property offers that come with complex arrangements. Please be sure to discuss all details up front with a beekeeper before arrangements are made.
- Liability. Typical beekeepers are not insured unless they are running a commercial operation. Insurance for anything that arises typically falls on the land owner. Please review concerns before making any arrangements and we would recommend that you consider checking your homeowners/land insurance policy.
- Pesticides, Insecticides, and other Chemical use on your property. Bees are susceptible to chemicals and property owners have to be considerate in practices when hosting bees. Many request to have bees for apples, or vegetables but expect that they will do routine spraying. It is very important that the beekeeper know your intentions and understand your practices. Beekeepers will tend to shy away from locations that are near golf courses or places that are known to use chemicals in the upkeep of their properties
Question: Do beekeepers charge to put bees on my property
Answer: It depends. There are two types of requests made by those wishing to host: 1) I'd simply like to have bees on my property, and 2) I'd like to have bees on my property for a purpose that includes something akin to pollination. Typical beekeepers keep bees as a hobby but some are in business and they receive payment for pollination services. If your intent to engage a beekeeper is to pollinate beyond the aspect of simply having bees on the property, then consider that a beekeeper may request fees for their services.
Question: How do these arrangement work?
Answer: The arrangement is between the home/land owner and the beekeeper. This association is simply facilitating the message of availability and is not involved in any of the private arrangements between beekeeper and you the land owner. Arrangements are verbal or written - that is up to you.
Question: I have bears in my area, will a bear fence be required?
Answer: Yes, it is a fact of life that if you are in an area where bears are prevalent bear fences are unavoidable. Ideally the home/land owner will fund the system for the beekeeper in exchange for having the benefit of bees on the property but again this is a matter that can be worked out between the land/homeowner and the beekeeper.
Question: Can I expect honey out of the arrangement?
Answer: It depends. Every beekeeper does these arrangements in their own way and you can discuss that as a matter of agreement to place bees. Most beekeepers are willing to work with land/homeowners to provide honey in exchange for placement but making honey is not always an iron clad guarantee as beekeeping is sometimes fickle so manage expectations and be fair to what the beekeeper will tell you about this.
This is just a very basic overview ... if you have questions that we didn't include please let us know (email ccnybees@gmail.com). Every situation is different and you can of course ask any questions of the beekeeper who contacts you.