Beekeeping and Honey Bees
Honey bee’s beekeeping is one endeavor that is both gratifying and pleasurable. For one, the beekeeper contributes to the pollination of plants in the neighborhood. At the same time, he is able to produce honey.
Bees are hard working creatures. They work tirelessly for the continued existence of their colony. During the pollinating season, the life span of bees is greatly reduced from 16 weeks to only about 6 weeks. They work until their wings wear out, and when they live out their usefulness, they die. Bees produce enough honey so they will have enough food during non-pollinating seasons. During a good season of pollination, bees collect so much nectar, enough to produce an oversupply of honey beyond their consumption. This excess is what beekeepers harvest.
There are two forms of honey that a beekeeper can profit from. Liquid honey that we find in the market shelves are extracted from the honey combs. Beekeepers use a centrifuge equipment that serves as honey extractors. Another form of honey that beekeepers can sell is comb honey. Beekeepers can break off the wax honeycombs that bees make to store honey. Although this form is less practical, some people prefer the natural flavors of the honey in this form.
You may have noticed that honey comes in different colors. But do you know that it can also have different flavors? The color and flavor of honey depends on the nectar’s that it is produced from, just as flowers, from which the nectar’s come from, have different scents. Another basis for the variety is the soil chemistry in which the plants grow. Alfalfa flowers, for example, that grows in dry soil with higher alkali content, results in honey that is colored white to clear. While buckwheat that grows in acidic soil, results in darker-colored honey. Honey can come in shades of gold, red and even green. Another factor in the color and taste of honey is in the quality of the honey comb in which it is stored.
Even beekeepers have state and federal regulations to follow in the processing, labeling and handling of bee products. Beekeeping is an industry with guidelines that may vary from state to state. There are also marketing considerations that a beekeeper need to address, such as what types of bee product to sell and where to sell them. He must also have an idea of his target market. Honey bees beekeeping is a gratifying hobby. But it can also become a profitable business enterprise.
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