Beekeeping As A Hobby!

(Bill’s Bees got its start over 40 years ago when Bill took on a few colonies of honeybees to complete the requirements for the Boy Scouts of America Bee Keeping Merit Badge. Bill was not only bitten by the beekeeping bug, but also received the Merit Badge as well as his Eagle Scout level, and then promptly left his bees behind at home as he began his college career. Bill received both his undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and then headed west to work in the aerospace industry. After 10 years in aerospace, as Bill puts it, “I guess I got tired of falling asleep behind my computer and thought, 'I gotta do something else.'”) "I hope you find as much enjoyment and fulfillment as I have found in working with the bees." ~Bill

The following is from Beekeeping/Hobby Beekeeping (WikiBooks):

Hobbyist beekeeping does not fit one specific definition, though hobbyists tend to have many things in common. Essentially, those who keep bees as a hobby have a different day job, and simply find beekeeping or its related practices enjoyable. Rarely do hobbyists keep as substantial number of colonies, often just enough to keep at home in the backyard or within a few minutes drive. Similarly to those who sideline in beekeeping, a hobbyist may sell products as result to beekeeping, but they rarely earn much more than the price to maintain their bees.

The Joy of Honey[edit]

Honey

Often the number one reason people pickup beekeeping as a hobby is because of the potential to produce honey. Honey was one of the earliest, and remains one of the sweetest, commodities available to man. Because of the recent desire for a do-it-yourself attitude, many people have decided to make a step towards producing such a sweet reward within their own backyard.

Pollination

A second most popular reason to keep bees as a hobby is pollination. Many beekeepers also keep gardens. The simple act of keeping bees often enhances fruit and vegetable production because of all the pollination that the bees achieve.

Entertainment

Watching bees can be fun. A colony of bees, when observed form the outside, or even from the inside if you're lucky enough to have an observation hive, holds the same kind of draw as watching an ant farm.

Education

Some times beekeepers start keeping bees as a project for a science fair, for the 4H club or other similar organization; this educational experience often evolves into beekeeping as a hobby. Many things can be learned from bees; in fact many things are still being learned. Those who enjoy the complex inter-workings of the world around them may find beekeeping to be an exceptionally educational experience.

Stress Relief

Some beekeepers keep their bees to take their mind off other things. Some even say that simply sitting down and watching the comings and goings of a hive is an extremely relaxing experience. Some have even been known to simply spend the entire afternoon observing the activities going on outside a single hive.

Gifts

Beekeepers often have access to goods and supplies, thanks to their bees, that many others do not. Because of this, a beekeeper is able to assemble wonderful gifts to give away during the holidays or for birthdays. These gifts may include various forms of honey, home made candles, cosmetics and such.

Animal Husbandry

Many people keep pets, whereas bees cannot be domesticated, the companionship is still often appreciated. Many hobbyist build a bond between themselves and their literally thousands of bees. This can make beekeeping a joyful experience when done right.

Healthy Life Style

Some hobby beekeepers keep bees for their own health. Some keepers collect pollen to supplement their diet, propolis to make home medication and eat a diet with local honey to lower the effects of allergies. Though many of these processes have not been scientifically proven to be effective, beekeepers who practice them often swear by them.

The above is from: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Beekeeping/Hobby_Beekeeping.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

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