Lesson 1Basic seasonal production estimates for 40 hives: expected kg of honey, kg of wax, kg of propolis (ranges and assumptions)You'll guess season output from 40 hives with real ranges for honey, wax, propolis, linking to gear size, storage, and basic income plans.
Key yield drivers for 40‑hive apiariesHoney production ranges and examplesWax yield from comb renewal and cappingsPropolis yield and collection methodsLinking yields to revenue estimatesLesson 2Waste management: comb disposal, wastewater handling, solvent waste, and environmental complianceYou'll handle comb bits and old combs, sticky waste water, propolis solvent waste, and follow basic green and local dump rules.
Sorting comb cappings and old combsHandling sticky wastewater and effluentsCollecting and storing solvent wasteRecycling, reuse, and by‑product salesLocal rules for waste and emissionsLesson 3Risk control: avoiding smoke, pesticide residues, and chemical contamination; monitoring humidity and storage pest preventionThis part stops smoke smells, pesticide/chem traces, wet spoilage, while watching wet, temp, pests in storage to keep goods safe and rule-ready.
Preventing smoke taint during extractionManaging pesticide and chemical residuesAvoiding lubricant and fuel contaminationHumidity and temperature monitoringStorage pest inspection and preventionLesson 4Processing area layout: separation of dirty/clean zones, personnel flow, and pest control measures suitable for a small roomThis guides compact room plans, dirty/clean splits, people/goods paths, pest blocks, air for small honey/wax/propolis spots.
Zoning dirty, transition, and clean areasProduct and personnel flow directionSurfaces, drains, and ventilation choicesPhysical and chemical pest barriersLayout examples for small roomsLesson 5Equipment list with specifications and capacity for honey, wax, and propolis processing (extractor, settling tanks, heaters, filters, molds, propolis extractor, refractometer, scales)Details must-have gear for honey/wax/propolis, like extractors, tanks, heaters, filters, moulds, measurers, with size, materials, care, safe use notes.
Honey extractors and settling tanksHeaters, decrystallizers, and filtersWax melters, presses, and moldsPropolis extractors and filtersScales, refractometers, and timersLesson 6Personal hygiene and protective equipment: handwashing stations, PPE, training, and hygiene SOPsCovers body clean rules, gear use, wash station builds, step hygiene plans and training for small processing rooms.
Handwashing station design and placementHandwashing technique and frequency rulesSelection and use of PPE in honey roomsHygiene SOPs for daily processing shiftsStaff training, refreshers, and recordsLesson 7Simple costing and pricing model: input costs, packaging, labor time estimates, suggested retail price ranges per product format, and profitability scenariosIntroduces easy cost tools for inputs, packs, work time, pricing, format compares, profit tests for small bee businesses.
Listing inputs, packaging, and overheadsEstimating labor time per product batchUnit cost calculation step by stepSetting wholesale and retail pricesProfitability and break‑even scenariosLesson 8Cleaning and sanitation routines: cleaning agents for honey and wax residues, CIP-like techniques for small setups, frequency and validationLearn safe cleaners for sticky residues, simple clean-in-place for small spots, schedules, checks to keep sanitation working.
Food‑grade detergents and sanitizersRemoving honey and wax residues safelyCIP‑like cleaning for small equipmentDaily, weekly, and seasonal cleaning plansVisual checks and sanitation validationLesson 9Sales channel economics: margins and logistics for local stores, open-air markets, and direct online sales, and recommended product mix based on margin and effortCompares profits, amounts, moves for farm sales, markets, shops, online, and plans product mix balancing work, risk, gain for your goods.
Farm‑gate and open‑air market salesSupplying local shops and delicatessensDirect online and delivery logisticsMargin comparison by channel and productDesigning a balanced product portfolio
