If you're looking for a truly exciting hobby to venture into, honey bees beekeeping may just be it. I know it may appear to be dangerous at first, but the reality is that it's not all that hazardous at all with a bit of precaution. Moreover, there can hardly be anything more satisfying than becoming adept at something you feared. Honey bees beekeeping obviously gives you the benefits of fresh honey literally at your fingertips. But, with a decreasing bee population worldwide, this is a great way to ensure that any crops or family gardens grown nearby will be pollinated.
Once you start to uncover some truths about honey bees beekeeping, you'll likely figure out some interesting things. For sure, you'll learn all about the protective gear, the hives, and so on. But, did you know that the phrase "busy as a bee" could describe a bad thing? See, bees do work hard; in fact, they work so hard bringing nectar back to the hive that they wear out their wings after just about a month. Then they die! That gives new meaning to another phrase: "all work, no play."
Canning Supplies
But it's not all gloom and doom in the realm of honey bees beekeeping. In actual fact, bees are like ants in terms of their good work ethic producing results. The bees store up honey as a way of stockpiling food for slow season when flowers are not blooming. They are able to collect so much nectar in season that they can in turn produce more honey than they could ever consume. If they didn't, there'd be no point to honey bees beekeeping, right? In the end, we as beekeepers are able to take that surplus honey and use it for our family, give it to friends, or even sell it.
And when it comes to selling surplus, honey bees beekeeping provides some flexibility. We all know about so-called "liquid honey." You may not have heard it referred to as that, but the honey taken from the hive is actually then separated from the honey comb using a centrifuge. The centrifuge is also called an "extractor." The pure golden honey we see in canning jars is the result. Alternately, you can always sell the comb itself. You simply sell the honey - wax comb and all. Some folks engaged in honey bees beekeeping find this a bit more cumbersome. However, with the surge in natural and organic foods, there is a market for this. And some downright swear by the great flavor of honeycomb.
Speaking of options, your honey bees beekeeping operation can include honey of different flavors and colors. Various flowers produce different aromas. As a result, the nectar they give off will have a different smell and taste too. If you've ever come across jars of honey labeled as "alfalfa" or "mesquite," this is why.
In addition to the flowers producing different qualities, did you know that the soil can do the same? This is an aspect of honey bees beekeeping that fewer pay attention to. Speaking of alfalfa, this crop is often grown in a soil that tends to be more alkali. The result is more of a light colored honey that can almost appear clear or white. On the opposite end of the spectrum, crops like buckwheat tend to be raised in more acidic soil. These produce a darker color honey.
So, as you can see, your honey bees beekeeping operation can extend itself to a business of whatever size you desire and your market can support. Just remember a few pointers if you do want to provide honey to the public. You may have some government regulation of some sort. Areas vary widely, and more rural folks tend to be able to freely do as they please. But just know that your local government may have oversight, so check into that. If nothing else, there will likely be some sort of processing and labeling guidelines for the products you offer.
