Make honey bees a part of your life, without becoming a beekeeper
How to get started After reading through the details of how the program works, contact us via our form or give us a call at 757-903-7816. We'll answer any questions and setup the process of placing hives at your location.
About Hosting a Hive Wondering what it’s like to keep bees but don’t have the expertise, equipment or time? Host a honey bee hive instead. Hive hosting is easy and FUN!! Back Forty Bees supplies and manages honey bees for businesses, homeowners, community gardens, restaurants, parks, and others in Hampton Roads. We are currently placing hives within 30 miles of Williamsburg. Hive hosting lets you experience what it’s like to keep bees without all the work! All you need to do is provide a bee safe location, free of pesticides, and we’ll provide the bees and everything they need. The bees and equipment remain ours but in return you’ll reap all the benefits without the training and hassle of opening a hive full of bees. To get started in beekeeping most people spend $1,000 to $1,500 – by hosting you get all the advantages of beekeeping without the investment of time and money that owning hives can require!
What do you get?
Two to four hives – of honey bees on your property
Busy bees – Bees working year round in your yard, pollinating your plants when they need it
Honey – Two pounds of honey per hive, delivered in the fall
Education – Informal educational opportunities from an experienced beekeeper and the satisfaction of observing honey bees at work.
Kept bees – The bees will be serviced on a regular basis by an experienced beekeeper.
Emergency response – If needed, we’ll be there to help. Don’t worry, it does not happen often!
Awesomeness – You are now a hero by helping to save the honey bees – congratulations!
How does it work?
Site Visit – We’ll come by and help you select the best location for your hive
Bee Delivery – The bees will be delivered on an agreed upon date in April or May. We can place a smaller number of hives later in the summer.
Give them something to drink – You will need to provide a nearby water source – a bird bath, small pond, kiddie pool, or anything similar is fine
Enjoy – You can now spend endless hours watching your bees busily pollinating your plants!
Hive Hosting Costs
For two hives: $500. This covers the rental costs of the bees and the wooden hives, tools, time, and insurance. Please note: two hives is the minimum hosting set-up, $500 covers both hives.
For three or four hives: $575 (three hives) or $625 (four hives). Note: four hives is the maximum we provide at sites, unless there is significant land available.
Brand your hives: For a $250 one time fee, you can add a unique look to your hives! We will provide the three bottom boxes (brood nest) of the hive, primed, and ready for you to customize! We’ll need to approve your materials to make sure it is safe, but after that you are free to be as creative as you’d like! After you are done, we'll bring the equipment back to our apiary and load up the bees. We do ask that all designs are tasteful.