How to use the calculator

Pick a starting setup. Budget uses an unassembled hive, package bees, and a jacket. Standard uses an assembled hive, a nuc, and a full suit. Premium uses an all-in-one starter kit that includes the smoker, hive tool, and feeder, plus a nuc and a ventilated suit. These are the same setups as the three sample budgets in our breakdown of first-year costs. The calculator uses the full price ranges we found, so its high end can run above the guide’s sample totals.
Set the number of hives. Most extension programs advise beginners to start with two. Protective gear, the smoker, the hive tool, and the mite kit are one-time costs, so a second hive costs less than the first.
Tick what you already own. If you’re adding a hive or restarting after a loss, check “I already have protective gear” or “a smoker and hive tool” to price just the new colony.
Add your registration fee, if your state or city charges one. Many charge nothing.
Adjust the expected colony loss. The default is the latest national figure for backyard beekeepers (see below). If your local club reports lower losses, or you’ve kept bees successfully for a while, lower it.
Copy or print your list. The shopping list links to our guides for each item. Prices aren’t included in the copied list, so you can compare current prices yourself.

Each line shows a low-to-high range rather than one number. The low end assumes the cheapest prices we found, and the high end the most expensive.

What the totals include

Year 1 includes the hive and a second brood box for each colony, the bees, protective gear and gloves, a smoker and hive tool, a feeder per hive, a mite monitoring kit, sugar for spring feeding, and, if you leave it checked, a first mite treatment in late summer. Most colonies need that treatment, so it’s included by default. Our cost guide’s sample budgets leave it out, which is why the calculator’s totals run a little higher.

Year 2 and later covers what most beekeepers pay every year: one or two mite treatments per hive, sugar for feeding, and the cost of replacing colonies that die. Replacement cost is your expected loss rate times the price of a package (or a nuc, if you chose nucs) for each hive. That turns an average loss rate into a yearly budget line.

Not included: shipping and tax, honey supers (you’ll want at least one per hive by early summer), a hive stand, an extractor, and your time. Most beekeepers don’t need an extractor in year one, because first-year colonies rarely produce a harvest, and many clubs lend one. A swarm is free, but you’ll need a swarm trap or a spare box to catch it.

Where our default prices come from

Every default comes from a named source, checked in October 2026:

Item	Default range	Source
Unassembled 10-frame hive	$150	Mann Lake complete hive kit with foundation ($149.99)
Second brood box, unassembled	$80	Mann Lake 10-frame deep with frames and foundation ($79.99)
Assembled 10-frame hive	$227–$237	Mann Lake 10-frame complete hive kit combo
All-in-one starter kit	$440	Mann Lake Premium Starter Kit ($439.99)
Package bees (3 lb)	$135–$230	Spring 2026 listings from Carolina Honey Bee Co., Lappe’s Bee Supply, The Bee Supply, and others
Nuc	$205–$275	Spring 2026 listings from Sierra Honey Farm, Lappe’s Bee Supply, and The Bee Supply
Mite treatment, per hive per year	$10–$50	One to two treatments, e.g. Formic Pro 2-dose ($19.99, Mann Lake) or Apivar 2.0 4-pack ($24.99, Betterbee)
Expected colony loss	54.8%	Apiary Inspectors of America 2025–2026 survey, backyard beekeepers’ annual loss
Protective gear, gloves, smoker, hive tool, feeder, mite kit, sugar	Varies	Approximate US retail ranges

Package and nuc prices are from spring 2026, because 2027 prices aren’t posted yet. We’ll update them when they are. The assembled second brood box is an approximate figure. Prices vary by region and supplier, so treat every result as a planning estimate, not a quote.

How to lower your startup cost

Buy unassembled woodenware. It’s usually the biggest saving on the hive itself.
Compare what kits include. Single-box kits look cheap but need a second box soon. See the best beehive kits for what each one leaves out.
Start with a package instead of a nuc, if you accept a slower start.
Join a local club. Clubs often run group orders, lend extractors, and connect beginners with local nuc sellers.
Keep your colonies alive. Every colony that survives winter saves you the cost of new bees. That’s the biggest year-two saving.

For the full item-by-item breakdown, see what it costs to start beekeeping. For what to buy first, see our checklist of starter beekeeping equipment.

Common questions

Are these prices accurate for my area?

They’re planning estimates from named US suppliers, checked in October 2026. Local bee prices, shipping, and tax vary, so check with suppliers near you. Your local beekeeping club is the best source for local nuc and package prices.

Why plan for two hives?

With two colonies, you can compare them to spot problems, and move a frame of eggs from one to the other if a colony loses its queen. Gear and tools are one-time costs, so the second hive costs less than the first. UGA advises beginners to start with one or two.

What costs come back every year?

Mite treatments, sugar for feeding, and replacing colonies that die over winter. Over time you’ll also add honey supers and replace old frames. The year 2 line in the calculator estimates the recurring costs.

Beekeeping startup cost calculator

How to use the calculator

What the totals include

Where our default prices come from

How to lower your startup cost

Common questions

Sources and further reading

Startup cost calculator

How to use the calculator

What the totals include

Where our default prices come from

How to lower your startup cost

Common questions

Sources and further reading