As you suggest in a previous comment it is easier in this era to make money from selling nucs than in selling honey.  It is also much less risky.  As a business strategy it can also produce an income stream when there is none (ie it can act as a bump to firm liquidity at a time when there is money going out and none coming in).  

I do a lot of splitting here but at least initially this was done to resolve the math of loss defined by varroa and it disease vectors... which is to say this splitting was to replace ahead of the curve hives that I knew (via experience) that would be lost over the season.  





While fully understanding the above,  the question is does that really make you a beekeeper,  or are you just playing a middleman's money game?

Splitting ahead of the mites,  and then selling them off to newbies/others as TF seems to me at the very least to be deceptive.  The goal as a serious beekeeper is to have TF stock capable of honey production/ pollination.  Without the constant manipulation and selling to newbies.  I followed the Mel Dissloken plan for a couple of years,  at some point it dawns on you that it’s a pyramid scheme. I don't sleep well at night when I realize I am fooling myself.  After understanding that,  I realized  TF was not something I can claim,  despite having hives that have not been treated.


JMO.


Charles

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html