How many hives?

[rookie2531]

How many hives does one need to get approximately 100 lbs. Of wax per year and not be dentrimentral to bee growth?

[jayj200]

Good question. wax is far lighter than honey

[Rurification]

Linda just had a post on a similar topic.  Here's her link:  http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2014/10/fun-and-facts-about-wax.html

She estimates 2 lbs of wax per medium 10 frame box.  For 100 lbs of wax, you'd need to pull 50 medium 10 frame boxes.  That number of frames would hold about 2000 lbs of honey [figuring 40 lbs of honey per medium 10 frame box.]

[Michael Bush]

Depending on the pastures you have and the flow, a ton of honey is probably between 50 and 100 hives and you harvesting all the wax...  I'd say 200 is a better bet if you are going to count on it...

[Rurification]

Thanks, Michael, for that follow-up.    I could do the math on the boxes and frames but had no idea how to put that in terms of colonies.   

And by then I was really curious.   Ya know?  :)