Saturday, October 11, 2008

Commercial Beekeeping


Beekeeping has been a much sought after activity since ancient times. However, beekeeping as a serious profession is fast gaining popularity nowadays. There are various types of beekeepers. Some people merely pursue it as a hobby rather than a full time vocation. Commercial bee keeping is fast on the rise with it being the sole source of income for many. Commercial bee keeping means devoting all your time to this profession and making it a means of earning your daily bread. You can also hire beekeepers that can take care of your farm and bees.

Commercial bee keeping has a number of aspects. It involves varied processes, which require many efforts. Firstly investing in beekeeping is the major hurdle. If you plan to start beekeeping on a commercial basis, you need to invest a lot initially. You should also take advice of experienced commercial beekeepers when you decide to embark on this path.

There are certain beekeeping rules and regulations that need to be followed. Your bees need ample space to find their food and roam about freely. Commercial bee keeping involves renting or buying a certain amount of land exclusively for your bees. The bees should be kept in clean and hygienic conditions.
Commercial bee keeping also requires ample space for storage purposes. There are plenty of equipments required during the process of extracting the honey and your bees also require food that can be stored in this place.

Commercial beekeepers buy packets of bees with the queen bee. They fill the hives with these bees and start the further processes. Beekeepers need to keep a constant watch on the bees and avoid swarming of the bees.

There are numerous hives prepared for especially for the purpose for beekeeping. All these hives too need to be maintained and repaired in case of any damage. Commercial beekeepers have to extract honey during the spring season. After this season ends the bees thrive on honey and food that as been stored for them. The conditions too need to be maintained properly during the winter seasons as the cold winds may affect the bees.

Honey is extracted from the honeycombs by means of a honey extractor. However, before this the beekeepers have to ensure that the honeybees do not swarm around the comb. Honeybees are brushed off from the combs and sometimes bee repellents too are used. The honey that is extracted is collected in tanks and is then bottled in jars. This honey is then sold in markets.

Commercial bee keeping actually does not involve too many expenses. Only the initial investment proves to be a bit high. The commercial beekeepers earn their livelihood through production of beeswax, honey and pollination of crops.

Commercial beekeeping proves to be a great success in areas, which receive rain. So make sure that you choose suitable areas when you start with commercial farming. Beekeeping is an ideal profession for those who love being in nature and like the company of bees. Commercial beekeeping is an interesting occupation indeed and you can reap the benefits of this profession if pursued with enthusiasm and passion.

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