Starting a beekeeping business involves simple steps. First, you educate yourself with information on basic bee biology. How much room do you need? When are the local nectar production times? Next, you figure out what equipment you need. It’s basic stuff. Of course, the bees and hives. Some simple tools for maintain the bee colonies. And equipment for extracting honey and other products.
- Why You Should Start a Beekeeping Business
Beekeeping is a feel-good business. You earn money selling honey and related products. But there’s a huge bonus to all that. Bees are globally important. There’s a reason for the phrase “busy bees”. According to data, they are responsible for pollinating about 30 percent of the plant’s humans need for food, and 90 percent of flowering plants. You don’t need much room, and the equipment is basic. You can make money. If you need another good reason, here it is: beekeeping is an awesome shared educational experience for families.
- How Profitable is Beekeeping?
The basic cost to get started – bees, hives, tools, a smoker, protective wear and a honey extractor – comes in under Rs. 50,000. That’s just the basic starter kit, and experienced beekeepers advise starting with no more than two hives.
- Starting a Bee Farm
Honey bees have been tended by beekeepers for hundreds of years. There are Stone Age paintings showing a beekeeper and hives. That Stone Age beekeeper didn’t have the advantages of books and internet research, and that’s where a beginner should start. Read about bees. There are aspects of their life cycle that are amazing. You need a basic understanding of a honeybee’s life cycle before you start. That knowledge will help you make the right choices as you fill your order cart with beekeeping supplies.
- Get the Necessary Beekeeping Equipment
- Hive – There are two types, the Langstroth and the Top-Bar. The Langstroth is most common. There are stacked vertical boxes, each containing frames. The Top-Bar is a horizontal set up, which uses vertical bars. The bees make the comb and honey on the bars, which are pulled out from the top.
- Hive Tool – Like a crowbar, it’s used to separate the Langstroth hive boxes. The boxes can get stuck together from the honey drips.
- Uncapping Comb – To remove the caps from the tops of the combs. Bees lay honey in the combs and then seal each comb. This tool removes the tops without damaging the combs.
- Smokers – Used to puff smoke, to calm the bees when a beekeeper needs to access the hive.
- Protective gear – The bee suit, plus veil and gloves.
- Honey Extraction equipment – Can be hand-cranked or motorized. They come in a variety of sizes, depending on how many frames they can hold
- What Is the Best Time to Start a Hive?
The best time to start a hive is in spring, but that varies throughout the country. The best time to start is when plants are flowering or producing nectar. Having a nectar source helps all colonies settle into a new environment, as they learn their way around during pollination efforts.
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