Beekeeping has seen a revival in recent years, thanks to a steady rise in healthy dining and organic farming. What used to be a hobby that was often associated with hippies and tree-huggers have become a widely accepted, and trendy one at that, as seen through the lens of both business and pleasure. It’s lucrative if you know how to do it (bringing in $500 to $1000 per package colony), and meditative, if you’re just looking for a new hobby. Whatever the case may be, it’s a win-win situation: You will always have the choice to make money off of it or not.
Beekeeping may be the last thing on your mind when starting a hobby, and it’s no surprise why. It sounds perilous, but it actually isn’t—so long as A. You’re not allergic to bees, and B. You wear the required protective gear. Here are some tips on how to survive a new beekeeping endeavour:
Start reading up on beekeeping books. Remember those “For Dummies” types of guides? You can benefit from reading those tutorial books. Better yet, read one that was written by experts. This will allow you to get a feel of beekeeping, before jumping right into it. Popular books in the beekeeping genre include, “Practical Beekeeping” by Clive de Bruyn, The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum, and the classic, “How to Keep Bees” by Anna Botsford Comstock.
Devote time to study the cost of maintaining hives. A lot goes on in beekeeping more than you think. According to The Balance, new bee operations may have to enlist the services of pollination services to help their colony get started for a fruitful harvest in the near future. You may also have to book these types of services to provide you “stock” bees. That said, consider saving up a good amount of money before starting your bee farming hobby.
Consider used beekeeping supplies when building your equipment inventory. Using used beekeeping supplies allows you to save money on the costs of starting a new hobby that you’re still figuring out. You wouldn’t want to invest so much, of course, on a hobby that you’d end up changing your mind about. Beekeeping requires an extensive range of tools, from frames to hives, as well as maintenance materials, so it’s better to start with used ones. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t make use of new beekeeping supplies. You can still find new ones at bargain prices.
Connect with other bee farmers. There is no other way for you to expand on this hobby and know the ins and outs of beekeeping than connecting with bee farmers in your area. Immersing yourself in the beekeeping community will give you access to indispensable wisdom from experts and beginners alike on how to care for your colony.
As anxiety and stress get a hold of more people these days, it is essential to develop a hobby that would help you decompress by the end of the day. Beekeeping could be a surprising hobby that could bring you and others around you joy. Don’t forget to revisit this blog to find more articles on beekeeping and other hobby ideas.
