I started with 9 bee hives and became friends with them all on the first day. I collected the honey whenever it was full, which was usually enough to get about 15 honey cakes. Then, I sold the honey cakes on the vendor table on my lot at a 300% markup. It sometimes took 3-4 yard sales to sell them all. By the time the cakes were all made and sold, it was time to collect the honey again. It was really just a cycle of collect, cook, sell.
The only strategy tip I can think to add is that cooked items are something that are 'crafted,' so the marketable trait will up to triple the value of the honey cakes. With this multiplier and the 300% markup, this meant that most of my cakes were selling for more than 2000, with some more than 3000. The only times I sent for swarm gifts was the first day, when I was trying to get aspiration points through the curator branch, and the last day when I didn't have enough time left to cook or sell the honey cakes.
