Every figure on this page is the template's own, an extension estimate and not a measurement of any farm. Your own hours and harvests calibrate it once you log them.
Where the numbers come from
- MO · University of Missouri Extension, Beekeeping Planning Budget (G692), 2025 primary
- NH · UNH Cooperative Extension, Honey Production Budget, 2020
- PA · Penn State Extension, Beekeeping - Honey Bees, 2024
- US · USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Honey, 2025
- TN · University of Tennessee Extension, Beekeeping in Tennessee (PB1745), 2017
Figured at 10 hives, the size of operation the primary source describes. Full production from the first season.
Hours by week
10 hives of Honeybees in 2026, week by week. The dashed line is 40 hours, one person's week. The busiest week holds 132 h (Jun 15 to Jun 21).
Weeks that cannot move
Biology or a booking sets these; nothing can reschedule them.
- Honey extraction and bottling: Jun 15 to Jun 21
Where it lands on a mixed farm
Each pair of templates is run together on a made-up farm of one person at 40 hours, the way Farm Draft runs a plan. A week is listed when the scheduler finds work that cannot move, at least 8 hours from each, adding up to more than 40. The weeks are computed, not written: change a template and they change.
| Collides with | Weeks | Worst week | This template | The other | Fixed work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberries | 1 (Jun 15 to Jun 21) | Jun 15 to Jun 21 | Honey extraction and bottling, 121 h | Raspberry picks (summer), 88 h | 297 h |
| Blueberries | 1 (Jun 15 to Jun 21) | Jun 15 to Jun 21 | Honey extraction and bottling, 121 h | Blueberry picks, 48 h | 218 h |
| Blackberries | 1 (Jun 15 to Jun 21) | Jun 15 to Jun 21 | Honey extraction and bottling, 121 h | Blackberry picks, 12 h | 157 h |
| Market garden (mixed vegetables) | 1 (Jun 15 to Jun 21) | Jun 15 to Jun 21 | Honey extraction and bottling, 121 h | Market day (shared by every bed), 5 h | 129 h |
Not checked, because their sources state no size of operation: Cut flowers (bunches, direct), Hair sheep (pasture lambs), Pastured feeder pigs (whole and half hogs), Stocker cattle (summer grazing).
Tasks
| Task | Hours fixed | Hours per hive | When | Rigidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring inspections | — | 1.1 h a hive | every 10 days, Apr 1 to Jun 30 | Floating |
| Swarm management / splits | — | 2.7 h a hive | once, Apr 15 to May 31 | Flexible, 5 days |
| Honey extraction and bottling | 11 h | 11 h a hive | once, Jun 15 to Jul 31 | Fixed |
| Fall feeding and mite treatment | — | 0.8 h a hive | every 14 days, Aug 15 to Oct 15 | Flexible, 4 days |
| Winter prep | — | 1.4 h a hive | once, Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Floating |
Costs
| Line | Amount | Schedule F |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement bees (30% winter loss) | $50.00 a hive | Livestock purchased |
| Jars and labels | $57.00 a hive | Supplies |
| Feed and mite treatment | $38.00 a hive | Veterinary, breeding, medicine |
Revenue
| Line | Price | Yield | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey (40 lb/hive) | $400.00 a hive | 1 hive a hive | 40 lb a hive |
Farm Draft records the tax category of each line and leaves the choice of treatment to your CPA.
Run it on your own farm
Add Honeybees next to the rest of what you grow and raise. Farm Draft puts every enterprise in one weekly calendar against the hours you actually have and names the week they collide.
The other templates
- Beef cow-calf
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cut flowers (bunches, direct)
- Hair sheep (pasture lambs)
- Hay (tall fescue, custom baled)
- Laying hens
- Market garden (mixed vegetables)
- Meat goats (pasture and browse)
- Orchard (apple and pear, semi-dwarf)
- Pastured broilers
- Pastured feeder pigs (whole and half hogs)
- Pick-your-own and event days
- Raspberries
- Stocker cattle (summer grazing)