Adopt a hive?

[Spear]

Hi,
I had a crazy idea that would like to run past you all.
I thought that there are many people who care about bees but don't have the time, space or energy to take up beekeeping themselves.  So I says to myself "Why not offer these people a chance to 'adopt' a colony for a year & receive photo updates as well as some honey from their hive?"
I don't know, is this a stupid idea or might it actually work?
Thanks in advance...

[Anybrew]

Yo Spear,its not a stupid idea at all. A lot of people like you say don't have the room etc. I actually put Hives in friends yards for them to enjoy and for me to rob. Its great for their gardens and allows me extra places to put hives. Of course I give them some honey to.

Cheers
Steve

[edward]

Here is a link to some beekeepers in Sweden that are doing this, they have an English page http://www.beeurban.se/?lang=en


mvh Edward  :-P

[Haddon]

Your not the first I built a page on my web site for people to adopt a hive but never published it. I had tons of ideas on it setting them up personal hive tracks accounts doing videos of their hive all that but I just dont have time either maybe if I was working bees as my main income and could give the bees the 40 hours a week I spend at a desk it would be do able. What I finally decided is it would just be a really cool way to way over charge for honey. Think of it gifts for the tree hugers pictures with there names on the hive all that cool stuff.

Problems what you do if the darn thing just dies!!!! It happens we all know that do you lie tell them it died what. Then I was going to put a set amount of honey they would get say for 3 years then you would need to buy a new one. But seeing I dont raise bees for honey I couldnt be sure I would have enough honey if it boomed and say 100 folks bought them then all of a sudden your raising 100 hive for someone else.

Anyway I wasnt the first either fatbeeman had it on his site I stole the idea.

[Spear]

Thanks Now I don't feel so crazy after all :D

[ozebee]

I have been looking at the various bee related web sites and came across the British Beekeeper's Assn - http://www.bbka.org.uk/
that do just that. Looks like they treat it as a revenue raising exercise and looks like it is well organised!

http://www.bbka.org.uk/shop/adopt-a-beehive-and-enjoy-armchair-beekeeping/