Beekeeping is an age-old tradition that has been around for centuries. It has always been the goal of beekeepers to maintain healthy, thriving colonies that produce large amounts of honey. This is how they made their living in times before modern agriculture and industrialization took over our lives.
Bee farming was traditionally done on a small scale with no more than one or two hives per person, but now there are many people who make it their sole occupation. The process can be complicated and daunting at first glance, but this how-to guide will walk you through all the steps necessary to get started with bee farming!
How to Find the Location?
First of all, you’ll want to find a good location for your bees to build their hive. This is how you will keep them and get the honey that they produce! Make sure that it gets enough sun throughout the day so that there are no shadows on the beehive itself. Also pay attention to any potential wind patterns in this area, since bees are very sensitive to wind.
A good rule of thumb is to place the hive in an area that’s at least 300 feet away from any human activity. This reduces the chance of your bees being exposed to disease, pesticides, or other toxins that could harm them.
It’s also important not to disturb their natural environment too much since this can cause stress and disorientation for the bees. They will be much happier if you can find a nice, secluded spot for them to live where they won’t get too many curious visitors!
Building the Hive
Once you’ve found a suitable location for your bees, it’s time to build them a little home. There are many different types of beehives out there with their own benefits and drawbacks depending on how much money you have to spend and how involved in the beekeeping process you want to get.
The most basic type is called a Langstroth hive. It consists of a series of boxes that stack on top of each other, with the bottom box being used to collect honey and pollen from the bees while they rest in the upper boxes. This is how most beekeepers start out since it’s relatively easy to use and maintain compared to some alternatives!
Beehives can be made out of different types of wood, but cedar is the best choice since it’s naturally resistant to decay and insects. It also smells nice which stimulates the bees’ appetite for honey! You can get wooden boxes that are pre-made with holes drilled in them ready for you to move your new friends into their home sweet home.
Finding Bees
Now that you’ve got your new beehive box ready to go, it’s time to find the bees! This is how they will get their honey and make more little baby bees. There are lots of different options for how to find these magical creatures who can fly through the air with ease.
The most traditional way was just to capture a wild swarm of bees and put them in your beehive. This might sound easy, but it can actually take quite some time to find the queen bee since she’s usually hiding away from everyone else at the bottom of her little kingdom. You’ll need patience if you want to go this route!
Another option is called “splitting” a hive. If you already have an existing colony of bees in your area, then all you need to do is add another box onto their house and let them divide themselves between the two boxes! You will lose some of the original workers when this happens though so it’s not quite as efficient as finding a whole new swarm that has no connections with the bees already in your area.
Bee swarms will usually look for somewhere to live like a tree or an empty shed, so you could also try hanging up fake beehives near these locations and see if any of them catch on! You can buy all sorts of different types of pre-made hives with their own unique benefits depending on how much money you want to spend.
Beekeeping Terms and Tools
Now that you’ve got a beehive in the right location with some bees buzzing around inside, it’s time to learn how to take care of these little guys! This might seem daunting at first since there are so many bees all coming from different backgrounds but don’t worry, it’s really not that hard to get started.
There are lots of different tools you’ll need for this job, but the most important thing is a veil. This is how you can protect yourself from angry bees since they might feel threatened if someone invades their home! You could also use gloves and long sleeves depending on how brave or experienced with bees you are.
A smoker is how you can calm the bees down and make them feel safe enough to work with. You don’t need too much smoke, just a few puffs will do the trick! This is actually how beekeepers get their honey since it makes it easier for them to go into the hive without getting stung all over.
Beehives also need to be checked every few weeks for how much honey they have and how many new baby bees there are. They might try to sting you if they feel like their home is being invaded, so make sure to wear your protective gear! You’ll probably want a bee brush too since it’s the easiest way of getting rid of all the bees that might be stuck to your clothes.
FAQ
Is Bee Farm Profitable?
Bee farming can definitely be profitable if you have the right location, equipment, and bees. However, it’s also a lot of work so don’t expect to become an overnight millionaire! You’ll probably need at least $2000 for how much everything costs, but the good news is that this investment will pay off in about five years since bee farms are sustainable.
Is it Expensive to Raise Bees?
Beekeeping is much cheaper than other types of farming since all you need to invest in how the actual beehive and bees. You can start this business with only about $700, although if you want a more efficient set up then it will cost closer to how much you spend on starting any other type of farm!
How Much Does a Bee Farmer Make a Year?
Beekeepers usually make about how much a small business owner makes, which is between $30k-60k per year.