Charles
You handle bees in a way that I can understand.  Now last year, I started with three and ended the year with eight and then see all these threads that ask how was your honey production or your loss rate and I wonder, now how can you really count that if you take everything that happened.  I think trying to collect numbers Like bee informed tries to do is almost an impossible task to get numbers that really mean anything.  I lost a hive this year.  I thought it was dead almost from the minute I hived it due to me killing a bunch while hiveing it and starting a robbing frenzy with a leaky feeder right off the bat but the thing just kept living (though not growing) and so I counted it but it didn't count for much ever.  There was a member on another forum that said the best way to count was to add up how much time and money you spent and compare it to how much was left above that that you could put in your pocket was the only real way to know what your gain or loss was.

I have tried to look at the numbers that bee informed collects and the only real thing I can get from them are maby trends that show some states seem to be harder to raise bees in then others.  Even then for those moved through several states, it seems like it would be hard to really define the real picture.

Kind of an interesting thought pattern, but if you took your numbers (I relize it is just an example) and if those 200 packages were sold to first year bee keepers who kill thier first hives, you would be having a survival rate that closely matches seeleys unmanaged bees though you do get the honey and the polination money.

If you are keeping up with that with out having to hire 3 people, you are a busy man.
Cheers
gww

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