A backyard beekeeper running 2 hives in temperate climates produces 40-80 lbs of honey per year. At hobby pricing ($8-12/lb), that's $320-960 in honey value. Direct annual cost of hive maintenance: $200-400. Net hobby income: $0-560/year. The hobby economics don't justify the time. The justification is the bees themselves — the satisfaction of keeping a colony alive, the local pollination benefit, and the eventual scaling potential.
Image: Two beehives in suburban backyard
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