Beekeeping

For most of human history, harvesting honey meant killing the colony. Then one design changed everything. A look at how beehive technology evolved - and where it stands today.

Two colonies per acre. Eight frames of bees minimum. A fee of $200-250+ per colony. California almonds consume 85% of US commercial colonies every February.

Oxalic acid kills 90-95% of phoretic mites in a single broodless application. It's cheap, organic-approved, and has become the winter treatment of choice.

Spring packages cost $150-180. Fall packages - when they're available at all - cost $100-120. The price reflects demand, not the bees.