So you wanna bee?

John and Tina Drakes are beekeepers of long standing. Their company ‘Beelief Apitherapy’ produces and sells over 20 natural healing products developed by themselves over the years. Recently, they have become involved in bee-venom therapy.

In it for the buzz
When John and Tina Drakes began keeping bees in 1985, it was simply with the aim of providing some home-grown honey for their family. However, it soon became apparent to them that they could make a living out of their hobby selling throughout Wales and even, through their website, overseas. (See Links for more info).

So how d’you make money out of bees?
Selling honey and other bee products including candles, soap, mead, moisturisers, cleansers, exfoliants, honey comb, and polish. John and Tina even produce pure beeswax chess sets! A further source of income is hiring your hives out to farmers to pollinate their crops.

So is it expensive?
The great thing about beekeeping is that it’s as expensive as you want it to be. If you start small and build up, it’s very cheap. Besides the obvious need for a hive and some bees, the basic beekeepers equipment is:

• a protective hat, veil, and gloves
• smoker (smoke makes bees drowsy, and therefore easier to handle).
• a hive tool.

There are plenty of suppliers online, and you can be up and running on a very modest level for under £100.

Profession or hobby?
The difference between a professional beekeeper, and someone who keeps bees for fun, is largely a matter of size. A professional beekeeper will manage anything from 300 to 1,500 hives. You’ll also need to do your market research, identifying local outlets for your produce, and any other outlets you might utilise further afield.

Easy honey
If you’re one of those people who think all you have to do with bees is stick them in a hive and then reap the honey, think again. Bees might not be as labour-intensive to keep as, say, a herd of cows, but they do need careful nurturing throughout the seasons.

Getting started
There are plenty of books giving advice on how to keep bees and we suggest that you start there. However, before you rush out and set yourself up, get some hands-on experience with a local beekeeper via your nearest local Beekeepers Association.

The sting
If you are considering keeping bees, it's highly advisable for you and your family to receive a 'mini-sting' in order to gauge your susceptibility to an allergic reaction. For a small minority of the population (about 0.4%), a single bee sting can result in anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.

Bee troubles
Bees are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. In recent years, the greatest threat to the honeybee population has been a blood-sucking mite named Varroa jacobsoni. Left unchecked, the mite can wipe out a complete hive within a month. Whilst Varroa jacobsoni can be eradicated with chemicals by beekeepers, Britain’s population of wild bees face the real possibility of extinction. See Links for more information on how to prevent infestation.

GM crops
The Bee Farmers' Association of the UK recommends that Beekeepers’ hives are kept a minimum of six miles away from a GM crop site in order to keep honey pure for public consumption; secondly, to prevent cross-pollination between GM and non-GM crops. For more information, see Links.

Long-term forecast
Like many other ‘natural’ industries, beekeeping has seen an upturn in sales in recent years. However, remember: Bill Gates didn’t make his billions out of beeswax! Returns are modest; the joy in beekeeping is the job itself. If that’s not enough, look to something else to earn your corn. (See G for the Goodlife).