Hobby Beekeeping in Australia - Not so hidden costs

Bee keeping can be cheap to get into but once you start adding it all up then you realise it quickly becomes pricey. As I plan on using flow hive flow frames I don't expect to ever need to purchase any frame extracting equipment such as centrifuges. Not to say flow frames are cheap but they are more cost effective for a small operation.

Updated costs: April 2023

To get me started I was gifted.

• Langstroth Full depth Brood/Super (10 frame) + Frames x 3
• 10 Frame Flat Cover/roof
• 10 Frame escape board
• Flow Hive Classic Super (8 frame size)
• Flow Classic vented baseboard (8 frame size)
• Wax foundation
• Frame Wire

Purchased - Hive

• Flow Key - $25 AUD
• Flow Classic Gabled Roof - (8 Frame size) - $130 AUD
• Flow Inner Cover - Classic (8 frame size) - $30 AUD
• 10 Frame Size Crown Board / Feeder Board / Inner Cover - $12 AUD
• 10 Frame Ideal Super Box - $23 AUD
• Ideal Size NZ Pine Timber Frames x 20 - $35 AUD
• 8 Frame Ideal Super Box - $23 AUD
• 10 Frame Beehive Base - Mesh Vented Bottom Board With Drawer Trap - $40 AUD
• 10 Frame Queen Excluder - $16 AUD

Purchased - Hive Building

• Structural Treated Pine for building base/legs x 3 - $75 AUD
• Structural Treated Pine for building W3 frame - $25 AUD
• Pine to replace one side of the Flow Classic Super which was cracked - $25 AUD
• White Paint - Exterior low sheen - $60 AUD
• Coloured Paint x 2 - $50 AUD
• Ant Proof Feet x 8 - $64 AUD
• Misc screws and nails - $50 AUD

Purchased - Feeding

• Top feeder - $20 AUD

• Bottle Feeder - $20 AUD

• 8 Frame Top Feeder (7.5L Capacity) - $44 AUD

• Bee Feed (Prosweet 6.75kg) - $38 AUD

• Bags of Sugar - $8 AUD

Purchased - Clothing and misc

• Bee Suit Cotton - $100 AUD
• Bee Jacket Cotton - $95 AUD
• Leather Gloves x 2 - $60 AUD
• Hive Tool - $12 AUD
• Smoker (good quality one) - $95 AUD
• Queen catcher / marking cage - $24 AUD
• Marking pen - $9 AUD
• Entrance Closuer / guard x 2 - $18 AUD
• Custom Hive Brand Tool - $70 AUD
• Star pickets x 3 - $20 AUD
• Galvanised Wire - $15 AUD

Purchased - Electronics

• BroodMinder-T2SM internal hive temperature × 2 - $95 AUD
• BroodMinder-TH2SM internal hive temperature x 2 - $190 AUD
• BroodMinder-W3 DIY weight scale kit - $167 AUD
• BroodMinder-SubHub - $160 AUD

Purchased - Electronics 2023

• BroodMinder-Cell (Thingy91) - $400 AUD # I caved after multiple issues with my phone solution and decided this would be easier long term.
• Tactix Box IP68 - $15 AUD
• Voltaic V50 - $180 AUD
• Solar Panel - $40 AUD

Total: ~$2560 AUD

Buying bees and queens:

Purchased - Bees

• 8 Frame Hive - $200 AUD
• 5 Frame NUC x 2 - $520 AUD
• New Queen - $60 AUD
• 4 Frame NUC (FbMP Caught Swarm) - $110 (Mar 2023)

Total: ~$890 AUD

Purchases April 2023

• 10 Wooden Frames built w/wax foundation - $82.50 AUD
• Second full suit - $190 AUD
• Second smoker - $115.50 AUD
• Smoker fuel - $5.50 AUD
• Marker (red) - $5 AUD
• Hive entrance restrictor (metal) - $9.35 AUD

Total: $408 AUD

Purchases End of Year 2023

• 50 Full Fepth Frames (unbuilt) - $110 AUD

• 30 plastic foundation (black) - $81 AUD

• 10F Full depth painted waxed box - $54 AUD

• 8F Full depth painted waxed box - $53 AUD

• 8F Escape board - $33 AUD

• Crown board vent - $5 AUD

• 500g Jars + Lids x 54 - $80~

Total: $416

Overall Running Total: ~$4294 AUD

Broodminder Ongoing Costs

Per year, includes:

• Cell Hub Token - for one remote device
• Wifi Token (free)
• Premium Membership

Total: $160 AUD