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A beekeeper is a person who keeps
honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmop ...
s. Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'',
bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfami ...
; cf.
apiary An apiary (also known as a bee yard) is a location where beehives of honey bees are kept. Apiaries come in many sizes and can be rural or urban depending on the honey production operation. Furthermore, an apiary may refer to a hobbyist's hives o ...
). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps
honey bees A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmop ...
in
beehives A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus '' Apis'' live and raise their young. Though the word ''beehive'' is commonly used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature ...
, boxes, or other receptacles. The beekeeper does not control the creatures. The beekeeper owns the hives or boxes and associated equipment. The bees are free to forage or leave (
swarm Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving ''en masse'' or migrating in some direction. ...
) as they desire. Bees usually return to the beekeeper's hive as the hive presents a clean, dark, sheltered home.


Purposes of beekeeping


Value of honey bees

Honey bees produce commodities such as honey,
beeswax Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive worker ...
, pollen, propolis, and
royal jelly Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae and adult queens. It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of nurse bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony, regardless of sex or caste.Graham, J. (ed.) (199 ...
. Some beekeepers also raise queens and other bees to sell to other farmers, and to satisfy scientific curiosity. Beekeepers also use honeybees to provide pollination services to fruit and vegetable growers. Many people keep bees as a hobby. Others do it for income either as a sideline to other work or as a commercial operator. These factors affect the number of colonies maintained by the beekeeper.


Commodity

Beekeepers may produce commodities (farm products) for sale. Honey is the most valuable commodity sold by beekeepers. Honey-producer beekeepers try to maintain maximum-strength colonies of bees in areas with dense nectar sources. They produce and sell liquified honey and sometimes honeycombs. Beekeepers may sell their commodities retail, as self-brokers, or through commercial packers and distributors.
Beeswax Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive worker ...
, pollen,
royal jelly Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae and adult queens. It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of nurse bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony, regardless of sex or caste.Graham, J. (ed.) (199 ...
, and propolis may also be significant revenue generators. Taiwanese beekeepers, for example, export tonnes of royal jelly, the high-nutrition food supplement fed to queen honeybees. Modern beekeepers seldom keep honeybees exclusively for beeswax production. Beeswax is harvested along with honey and rectified for sale.


Pollination

Some beekeepers provide a pollination service to other farmers. These beekeepers might not produce any honey for sale. Pollination beekeepers move vast quantities of honey bee hives at night so fruits and vegetables have enough pollinating insects available for maximum levels of production. In 2016, almonds accounted for 86% of all U.S. expenditures on pollination services. For the service of maintaining strong colonies of bees and moving them into crops such as almonds, apples, cherries, blueberries, melons, and squash, these beekeepers are usually paid a cash fee.


Queen breeding

Queen breeders are specialist beekeepers who raise queen bees for other beekeepers. The breeders maintain select stock with superior qualities and tend to raise their bees in geographic regions with early springs. These beekeepers may also provide extra bees to beekeepers (honey producers, pollinators, or hobby beekeepers) who want to start new operations or expand their farms. Queen breeders use
Jenter kits A Jenter kit or Karl Jenter kit is a piece of equipment used by beekeepers to raise large numbers of queen honeybees. Rival techniques for rearing queen bees generally require grafting the honeybee larvae by hand. As such, the development of thi ...
in order to produce large numbers of queen bees quickly and efficiently.


Classifications of beekeepers


Hobby beekeepers

Most beekeepers are hobby beekeepers. These people typically work or own only a few hives. Their main attraction is an interest in ecology and natural science. Honey is a by-product of this hobby. As it typically requires a significant investment to establish a small apiary and dozens of hours of work with hives and honey equipment, hobby
beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as '' Melipona'' stingless bees are also kept. ...
is seldom profitable outside of Europe, where the lack of organic bee products sometimes causes buoyant demand for privately produced honey. Beekeeping as a hobby/career is an activity for people who are interested in having their own beehives. Beekeepers create profit by selling honey, honeycomb, and wax. Honey is high in demand; according to the (KBC News hour) honey is worth more than oil. Overall, beekeeping has potential to create not only a way for people to make extra money, but it also benefits the environment due to providing efficient cross pollination. However, there is a cost for starting a beekeeping business. Initial investments are expensive, as typically the first year's profits are used to pay off the initial investment. Profit should be expected only after the second or third year. People who seem interested in having beehives in their backyard must also consider the legal aspect of the practice, as different cities have different laws regarding the use of beehives.


Sideline beekeepers

A sideline beekeeper attempts to make a profit keeping bees, but relies on another source of income. Sideliners may operate up to 300 colonies of bees, producing 10–20 metric tons of honey worth tens of thousands of US dollars each year.


Commercial beekeepers

Commercial beekeepers control hundreds or thousands of colonies of bees. The most extensive own and operate up to 50,000 colonies of bees, and they produce millions of pounds of honey. The first major commercial beekeeper was
Petro Prokopovych Petro Prokopovych (1775–1850, uk, Петро Прокопович) was a revolutionary Ukrainian beekeeper, the founder of commercial beekeeping and the inventor of the first movable frame hive. He introduced novelties in traditional beekeepi ...
from Ukraine, operating 6600 colonies in the early 19th century. Moses Quinby was the first commercial beekeeper in the USA, with 1200 colonies by the 1840s. Later (1960s-1970s), Jim Powers of Idaho, USA, had 30,000 honey producing hives. Miel Carlota operated by partners Arturo Wulfrath and Juan Speck of Mexico operated at least 50,000 hives of honey bees from 1920 to 1960. Today, Adee Honey Farm in South Dakota, USA, (80,000 colonies) and Comvita in New Zealand (30,000+ colonies) are among the world's largest beekeeping enterprises. Worldwide, commercial beekeepers number about 5% of the individuals with bees but produce about 60% of the world's honey crop. Commercial beekeeping is on the rise, especially in high-value markets such as pollination in North America and honey production (especially Manuka honey) in New Zealand.


Notable beekeepers

Since
Petro Prokopovych Petro Prokopovych (1775–1850, uk, Петро Прокопович) was a revolutionary Ukrainian beekeeper, the founder of commercial beekeeping and the inventor of the first movable frame hive. He introduced novelties in traditional beekeepi ...
became the first major commercial beekeeper, there have been people along the way who have contributed to the success of keeping honey bees. From studying their genetics, to writing well-known novels, to constructing tools to assist in the industry, these beekeepers helped guide the profession. *
Petro Prokopovych Petro Prokopovych (1775–1850, uk, Петро Прокопович) was a revolutionary Ukrainian beekeeper, the founder of commercial beekeeping and the inventor of the first movable frame hive. He introduced novelties in traditional beekeepi ...
*
Johann Dzierzon Johann Dzierzon, or Jan Dzierżon or Dzierżoń , also John Dzierzon (16 January 1811 – 26 October 1906), was a Polish apiarist who discovered the phenomenon of parthenogenesis in bees. Dzierzon came from a Polish family in Silesia. Trained ...
*
L. L. Langstroth Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (December 25, 1810 – October 6, 1895) was an American apiarist, clergyman, and teacher, and considered to be the father of American beekeeping. He created the modern day Langstroth hive. Early life and fami ...
* Anton Janša * Peter Pavel Glavar *
Émile Warré Émile Warré was a French priest and beekeeper who published several books and invented the Warré Hive, also known as the People’s Hive. Biography Éloi François Émile Warré was born on May 9, 1867 in Grébault-Mesnil and died on April 2 ...
* Brother Adam * Moses Quinby *
Juraj Fándly Juraj Fándly ( hu, György Fándly or ''György Fandl''; 21 October 1750 – 7 March 1811) was a Slovak writer, Catholic priest and entomologist (bee-keeper) in the Kingdom of Hungary. Life He was born in Častá (Cseszte), Kingdom of Hung ...
* Gregor Mendel *
Georges de Layens Georges de Layens (January 6, 1834 in Lille - October 23, 1897 in Nice) was a French botanist and apiculturalist. He was the creator of a popular mobile beehive called the "Layens hive". Layens was a member of the Académie des sciences. From ...
* Robert A. Holekamp *
Charles Dadant Charles Dadant (20 May 1817 – 26 July 1902) was a French-American beekeeper. Along with Petro Prokopovych, Dadant is considered one of the founding fathers of modern beekeeping. Biography Dadant was born in Vaux-sous-Aubigny, in Haute-Marne, ...
*
Amos Root Amos Ives Root (1839–1923) was an Ohio entrepreneur who developed innovative techniques for beekeeping during the latter 19th century, a period when the practice played an important role in the economy of many communities in the U.S. He found ...
*
Walter T. Kelley Walter T. Kelley (1897–1986) was an American beekeeper who created a large bee equipment supply and queen breeding company based in Clarkson, Kentucky. Kelley also wrote extensively about apiculture and published the bee journal ''Modern Beekee ...
*
Roger Morse Roger A. Morse, Ph.D. (July 5, 1927 - May 12, 2000) was an American bee biologist who taught many beekeepers both the rudiments and the finer practices, through his research and publications. During his long career, three new parasites of the hone ...
* Tarlton Rayment


In popular culture

Fashion Beekeeper fashion includes a protective suit to try to prevent injuries while working with the hives. Covering beekeepers from head to toe, the material, gloves, and veil contribute to the protection of the beekeeper. Fictional characters The profession of beekeeping has manifested itself into fictional characters within both literature and movies. * Sherlock Holmes Practicing beekeepers Beekeeping continues to be a popular profession and hobby for people around the world. These well-known individuals have taken an interest. * Jiří Dienstbier Jr. *
Gordon Dougan Gordon Dougan is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge and head of pathogen research and a member of the board of management at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is also a Fellow of ...
*
Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropy, philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became th ...
*
Martha Kearney Martha Catherine Kearney (born 8 October 1957) is a British-Irish journalist and broadcaster. She was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's lunchtime news programme '' The World at One'' for 11 years, and in April 2018 became a presenter of the ea ...
*
Bob Maguire Robert John Maguire (born 14 September 1934) is an Australian Roman Catholic priest, community worker and media personality from South Melbourne. From 1973 to 2012, Maguire was parish priest of Sts Peter and Paul's Church in South Melbourne. C ...
*
Terry Nutkins Terence Paul Nutkins (12 August 1946 – 6 September 2012) was an English naturalist, television presenter and author. He appeared in the UK children's programmes '' Animal Magic'', '' The Really Wild Show'', '' Brilliant Creatures'' and ...
* Nayef Rajoub *
Paul Theroux Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue, '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films. He ...
The bee business: An amateur apiary revolution
The Independent 19 July 2009 * Bill Turnbull * Steve Vai *
Alfred Watkins Alfred Watkins (27 January 1855 – 15 April 1935) was an English author, self-taught amateur archaeologist, antiquarian and businessman who, while standing on a hillside in Herefordshire, England, in 1921 experienced a revelation. He noticed ...


See also

*
Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
* Beekeeping by country *
Gardening Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits ...
* Organic farming *
Sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem s ...


References


External links


Canadian Honey Council

British Beekeepers Association
{{Authority control Animal husbandry occupations Beekeeping ja:養蜂家