Beekeeping

insects · farming · nature

Bees make honey. Honey bees produce honey by collecting nectar from flowers and storing it in their hive. People who keep bees can harvest this golden treat along with other useful products like beeswax and pollen.

Hives are homes. Beekeepers keep their bees in artificial boxes called hives, which are arranged in groups in a special area called an apiary or bee yard. These boxes protect the bees and make it easier for beekeepers to collect their products.

Bees pollinate crops. When bees visit flowers to collect nectar, they help plants make seeds and fruits by spreading pollen. Beekeepers earn money by placing their hives near farms where bees pollinate important crops.

More than just honey. Besides honey, bees produce beeswax that people use for candles, propolis that acts like a natural glue, bee pollen packed with nutrients, and royal jelly that feeds baby bees. Beekeepers can sell all of these valuable products.

Raising new queens. Some beekeepers specialize in raising queen bees and selling package bees to other beekeepers who want to start new colonies. This is another way beekeepers earn income from their work.