How Many Hives Should I Start With?

Reader Contribution by David Burns
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When getting started in beekeeping, a common question is, “How many hives should I start with?”

Many people who are first starting out wonder if they can handle more than one hive. They rationalize that if beekeeping doesn’t work out, then it is easier to get out of it with only one hive. So is it better to start with one hive or multiple hives? 

Many beekeepers start with only one hive and certainly this is fine. However, if you only have one hive, and for whatever reason that hive isn’t making it, then you don’t have any hives left! With a couple of hives, you’re always able to compare hives (how is this hive doing compared to this one?) and hopefully keep going, even though you might lose one along the way. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve lost a few hives due to my own negligence or mismanagement. I’m just thankful that I had other hives to do things right with after I learned from my mistakes. This is why it is better to start with multiple hives as opposed to just one.

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