Boutique Beekeeping Without the Learning Curve
Designed for landowners who want to own their hives, bottle their own private-reserve honey, and meet 1-D-1 tax thresholds.
Managing honey bees requires substantial seasonal labor—preventing spring swarming, monitoring and treating varroa mite loads, supering for honey flows, and extracting comb. Under an Estate Apiary Consulting Agreement, Scheel Apiaries serves as your technical apiary manager.
We visit your yard between 8 and 14 times per year timed strictly to key biological milestones. You keep 90% of the honey harvest, and we ensure you have complete documentation for your local appraisal district.
Natural spring buildup requires making colony splits to prevent swarms. We provide complimentary Split Buffer hives (+2 to +4 above CAD baseline) managed at zero additional monthly charge, so biology never creates invoice shock!
Monthly Retainer Estimator
Calculates monthly base management (per CAD / owner specified target) + buffer hive allowances.
Emergency service callouts outside biological inspection cycles are billed at our standard field rate ($85.00/hr).
Estate Management Service Tiers
Predictable monthly retainers scaled to your colony volume.
6 to 8 Colonies
Perfect for 5 to 10 acre properties satisfying county 1-D-1 minimums.
- Includes +2 Split Buffer Hives over CAD managed at no extra charge (manage up to 8 hives at baseline rate).
- 8 to 14 scheduled biological visits per year.
- Queen laying evaluation & swarm management.
- Comprehensive pest management testing & treatment application.
- Annual honey harvest & super extraction.
9 to 15 Colonies
For larger acreage or multi-stand production yards.
- Includes +3 Split Buffer Hives over CAD minimum at no extra charge.
- Each hive beyond Hive 8 billed at $18/mo.
- Expanded super management & staging.
- Preferred replacement stock availability.
- CAD inspection log maintenance.
16+ Colonies
For dedicated pollinator estates and honey producers.
- Includes +4 Split Buffer Hives over CAD minimum at no extra charge.
- High-volume economies of scale ($14/hive beyond Hive 15).
- On-site extraction processing support.
- Volume honey buyback program access.
- Comprehensive genetic stock curation.
Scheel Apiary Duties
- Biological Labor: Managing spring buildup, performing timely colony splits, supering for honey flows, and winterizing.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Conducting pest management inspections and applying client supplied beetle and mite therapies and management.
- Extraction & Harvest: Removing capped supers and running mechanical extraction. Scheel Apiary retains 10% extraction fee; 90% is delivered to Client.
- Tax Documentation: Providing executed apiary inspection records for your County Appraisal District filing binder.
- Preferred Sourcing: Providing access to 10% partner discounts on Abeesolutely Custom sourced supplies and replacement live colonies.
Landowner Ongoing Duties
- Predator Fence Maintenance: Keeping 5,000V+ continuous power to the electric fence and clearing weeds beneath the bottom strand.
- Routine Supplemental Feeding: Keeping internal frame/bucket feeders stocked with sugar syrup and protein patties during summer dearth and winter buildup.
- Weekly Visual Checks: Monitoring the apiary perimeter weekly and alerting us to any storm damage, hive knock-downs, or abnormalities.
- On-Site Frame Freezer: Maintaining an operational chest or upright freezer on-site for freezing removed comb 48 hours to eradicate wax moth eggs.
- Restocking Expense: Assuming financial responsibility for replacement nucs or queens if natural winter losses occur.
Schedule an Initial Apiary Consultation
We provide a comprehensive on-site analysis ($250 flat fee) covering forage surveys, predator fencing layout, solar/wind orientation, and equipment audits.