CaSCA Webinar: Efficiency in Beekeeping

Zoom Webinar held on Tuesday 24th March 2026

Karl Colyer

Karl has been running his own businesses since 1999 as his sole source of income. From 2017, income from bees has been his primary source of funds. Main income streams are from honey sales, nuc sales and bee rescues.

Keeping costs, time and effort to a sensible minimum to achieve an outcome are very useful when making money from beekeeping. Karl (and Roger) will share some ideas to open up a discussion about how they look after a significant number of colonies.

Key takeaways

Efficiency in beekeeping can be achieved through small incremental improvements of 0.5-1% that accumulate over time
Standardising equipment sizes (using brood boxes for both brood and supers) significantly reduces complexity and improves interoperability
Strategic hive placement and super-lifting techniques can reduce physical strain by nearly 50%
Repurposing materials like scaffold planks and pallets provides cost-effective solutions for hive construction
Proper storage methods for supers and frames prevent wax moth damage and maintain equipment quality
Small organisational improvements (tool storage, sterilization methods) compound to create significant time savings