How To Become A Beekeeper
The first thing you need to do is get yourself some bees. You can buy them online or from a local beekeeper, but it’s best to start with a small colony.
Beekeeping can be a lot of work, and if you get too many bees at once, you might end up getting overwhelmed by their sheer number.
Once you have your bees, it’s time to set up your hive. The best place for your hive is in full sun, as bees need direct sunlight in order to produce honey.
If possible, try not to place your hive near trees or other tall plants that could obstruct the sun from reaching the hives.
You should also keep your hives at least 10 feet away from any other object that might block sunlight from reaching the hives. If there are buildings nearby, keep them at least 15 feet away from anything that might block sunlight from reaching them (and remember: closer is better).
Finally, once you’ve set up your hive correctly, it’s time to start feeding your bees! The best way to feed them is with sugar water—you can find recipes online that will tell you how much sugar water needs.
How To Become Beekeeper
Beekeepers operate beehives to produce honey and related products such as beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis (bee glue and bee antiseptic) and queen bees, and to pollinate seed, fruit, nut and vegetable crops. Beekeepers also operate beehives to assist with the pollination of seed, fruit, nut and vegetable crops.
Personal requirements for a Beekeeper
- Enjoy botany (plants) and entomology (insects)
- Free from allergies and able to work with bees
- Able to work in isolated areas
- Willing to work long and irregular hours
- Able to lift heavy weights
- Happy to work alone
- Able to keep accurate records
Education & Training for a Beekeeper
You can work as a beekeeper without formal qualifications, but employers usually require Year 10. You will probably get some informal training on the job. Entry to this occupation may be improved if you have qualifications and you may like to consider a VET course. As subjects and prerequisites can vary between institutions, you should contact your chosen institution for further information.Some previous beekeeping experience gained through hobby activities, as well as some knowledge of botany and skills in woodwork and metalwork, may also be an advantage. Work experience with a commercial operator is recommended.
A beekeeper is a type of agricultural worker dealing in the raising, propagation and produce from bees. Today, bees are a type of commercial livestock that produce materials for the market including honey (a sweetener), wax (household item) and royal jelly (a dietary supplement). A beekeeper’s job is to ensure that their hives remain healthy and productive, and for commercial production, profitable. Some keep bees for pollination programs in areas where wild bees and other pollinators are in short supply. Pollination is vital for ecology in environmentally sensitive areas. Beekeepers are also important for environmental health and biodiversity.
Beekeepers do not just work on large industrial farms. Some are medium-sized independent businesses producing for the local market. Others are hobbyists producing a small amount of honey to use personally. Beekeepers will usually keep records, monitor conditions of their livestock, carry out maintenance on the hives and harvest honey and other produce. In each case, the beekeeper needs some form of education to ensure commitment to biodiversity, ecological conservation, bee welfare and bee numbers.
With the concerns of ecological difficulties such as the parasitical varroa mite, CCD (colony collapse disorder) and other problems, some beekeepers work purely in research as a kind of zoologist. They will monitor and record bee activities and numbers, not necessarily collect honey and many regularly move hives to record results from different landscape topography types. Understanding the effects of climate change on species such as bees is vital to our understanding of it.
Where Does a Beekeeper Work?
As beekeepers are considered agricultural workers (even when working in agricultural research) the overwhelming majority of beekeepers work on bee farms where hives are located. Their typical work involves gathering resources, ensuring optimum placement of hives for maximum production and moving hives if necessary. They work outside in all weather conditions and may have some ecological responsibilities such as promoting plant health where those plants are dependent on bee numbers.
Increasingly, beekeepers are finding work in a commercial area of crop pollination. This is not necessarily about harvesting honey, although most producers will often have multiple income streams that include honey. In this form of industry, they may move around a local area or state supplying bees as a service for pollinating fruit trees to other agricultural producers. It may be that native or wild pollinators are not of sufficient numbers to pollinate crops and require commercial bees.
A small number work in research, monitoring the effects of pesticides and examining the spread of parasites such as the varroa mite. There is a problem with Colony Collapse Disorder and many beekeepers are now employed in the area of research in the field.
Beekeeping Jobs & Job Description
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Beekeepers most often work on bee farms, but may also work in scientific research or crop pollination. While a beekeeper’s job description may vary slightly depending on the industry, they generally have the following responsibilities:
- Monitor bee/hive health and activity and record observations
- Raise bees to produce honey and/or pollinate crops
- Construct or assemble and maintain beehives using hand tools
- Force bees’ evacuation from hive using smoke pot or other tools in order to harvest honey and inspect hive
- Inspect beehives for parasites, vermin or disease and remove and repair damage
- Cultivate bees to produce bee colonies and queen bees for sale
- Prepare or package products for sale
- Determine optimal location for pollination and move beehives accordingly
An experienced beekeeper may own his or her own bee farm, which includes managerial tasks such as:
- Hire, train and manage beekeepers
- Oversee breeding of honeybees to encourage health of the bee population
- Manage marketing and sales distribution of bee and honey products
- Complete bookkeeping tasks such as payroll, invoicing and taxes
- Ensure high quality of products and health of bee colonies
What Is the Average Beekeeper Salary?
Beekeepers, who fall under the broader BLS category of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers, earned a median salary of $68,090 as of May 2020.*
What Is the Job Demand for Beekeeping?
The job demand for beekeepers is projected show little to no change between 2020 and 2030.* Despite the constant demand for food and the natural household products that agriculture produces, technologies are slowly replacing hand-picking of fruit, vegetables and other produce. More machinery means fewer people are needed to operate it. It is unlikely that such technology will have a large impact on beekeeping due to the hands-on requirement for this type of agricultural job.
What Are the Education Requirements to Become a Beekeeper?
High school students who wish to enter into a career in beekeeping will need the usual science subject of biology. Math will also be a strong requirement for students wanting to study a relevant science degree. Depending on the role you may need to display a good understanding of statistics. Do not underestimate the importance of geography, especially those wishing to approach beekeeping from an ecological perspective.
Which degree you study depends on your intended career path as a beekeeper. If you’re looking to approach from a conservation point of view, relevant degrees will include a Fish and Wildlife Management degree or Environmental Biology for breeding programs, monitoring and ecology. Botany may be useful in some cases, so long as the student focuses on the relationship between pollinators and relevant plants. According to Salary Expert, 60% of beekeepers have a bachelor’s degree while 40% leave only with a High School Diploma. The latter is likely to work in research, monitoring and conservation management whereas the latter is likely to work in harvesting the produce from beehives and in offering pollination services.
Postgraduate degrees are not required for employees who intend to work in beekeeping. However, if you wish to pursue a career in biological research but spend time mostly on farms observing bees on a daily basis, you should try postgraduate courses in such subjects as data science, combining it with agricultural sciences and GIS. Few doctorates are available and not necessary for this practical type of job.
