>
>  Not many jump at the chance to work like a dog for little pay and getting
> stung a lot.   Most that do drop out when it comes time to put their own
> money on the line....
>
> I'm not sure I blame them.

Unlike most business ventures, banks aren't often enthusiastic about
lending money for beekeeping start ups. Especially not for the bees
themselves. There's considerable risk there, i.e. they'll die and there
goes your collateral. So you're talking cash, not debt for most of the
start up. And by putting in cash YOU'RE taking the risk the bees won't die.

The ROI, at least from what I've calculated, is not good. You can make a
living, and a decent living at that. But for the cost of most of the start
up operations I've seen being offered today you could buy a number of other
businesses that produce better revenues for the investor than beekeeping.
For most start up businesses, at least from projection stand points, you
should be able to provide a profit on paper if income is halved and
expenses are doubled. Most beekeeping ventures can't survive one of those
events, let alone both.

Add to that the fact that the future of your income is questionable (who
knows where honey prices will go, where pollination costs will go, from one
year to another), your expenses may skyrocket (gas prices, labor prices
could go through the roof, and usually don't track honey/pollination
costs), or new diseases that are just around the corner (when will
Tropilaelaps be here?). Income could drop and expenses could increase at
the same time, which doesn't happen in all industries.

The disconnect between income and expenses, coupled with cash up front and
a fairly low projected ROI, LONG work days and getting stung all the time .
. . . why isn't the youth pouring into this field?

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