The Joy of Beekeeping

Beekeeping is an effective way for poor people to strengthen their livelihoods and fight poverty. Today, beekeeping is not as simple as it once was, but the rewards are many. We can all learn from contemplating the cooperation of bees, and from nurturing their well-being. This hobby is not for everyone however. You need to know your allergic level and have proper antidote on hand at all times if you are acutely allergic.

Beekeeping is a fun and educational hobby that can also be quite rewarding. I started my own business from my hobby of beekeeping by selling honey. Depending where you are, beekeeping is usually legal. Like almost everything we do, there is always some measure of risk and liability which can be mitigated by judicious common sense. It is an activity that people of all ages and persuasions can indulge in, although it is possible that some may need help to lift parts of the hive or other equipment required at certain times of the year.

Although beekeeping is not as simple as it once was, due to the lack of bees the rewards are better. It is a sensible low cost hobby for all ages. It involves patience, calmness, discipline, intellectual inquiry, heavy skeletal lifting and at times assistance for other beekeepers. It is a seasonal activity, and it cannot be learned in the classroom.

Beekeeping can actually be a good income generating activity for resource poor people. The activity is completely environmentally friendly and sustainable with no outside resources required. It is a vital practice, one essential to the health of our urban environment and has tremendous potential as a vehicle for economic development and education efforts for cities across the world.

Bees are tuned to work ’straight from the factory.’ The more you play with them after you buy honey bees, the more risk of failure or trouble there is. Bees tend to build their brood nest near the entrance, so an entrance at the end allows a beekeeper to harvest honey from the opposite end. No queen excluder needed! Bee colonies can, therefore, quickly become overextended, and any delay in blooming or a period of inclement weather can cause them to starve. If there is any doubt about food supply, colonies should be regularly monitored through the spring population buildup until they are actively gathering nectar and pollen in the field.