Honey is beneficial
both for human health and for stimulating the economy. In particular, at a time
when unemployment is plaguing the economy and many young people are looking for
solutions to the business stalemate, engaging in beekeeping is gaining a
growing audience.
Beekeeping offers a
significant supplementary income, regardless of the beekeeper's main activity
and without being required to be a farmer. In fact, the initial cost of the
investment is minimal and certainly far lower than any other activity related
to livestock production. More specifically, the purchase cost of a honey bee
colony ranges from $60 to $100 while the cost of buying a beehive is $40. The
necessary equipment which is the mask, smoker, scraper, honey extractor and
honey pot (stainless steel barrel), has a cost of about $1000.
At this point, we have to say that during the first 12-18 months the novice beekeeper should not expect any income and the best he can do is to get enough honey for him, his family as well as for his close friends. But his greatest benefit will be that he will gain a lot of knowledge and experience to make the next big step that will bring him closer to professional beekeeping. This will happen from the moment he gets his first 50-60 honey bee colonies. The honey bee colony products are as follows:
• Honey - It is a natural product derived from the nectar of flowers. The bees process it into their body by adding various enzymes and other substances and then they are storing it in liquid form within the honeycomb cells.
• Royal jelly - Many have been heard about this bee product, true and not. It is a white, creamy substance secreted by the young bees, aged 5 to 10 days, which consists the queen's and larvae intended to become queens exclusive food.
• Pollen - It is the powdery substance of the flowers, the male reproductive cells of the plants. The bee gathers and carries it with its hind legs in the hive. It will feed itself with it and the larvae.
• Propolis - It is a resinous, sticky substance that bees collect from various plants, enriches it with wax, pollen, enzymes and other substances and by using it they seal the interior of the hive.
• Wax - It is the product that is secreted by the gingival glands that the bee has on its chest. It uses it to build the honeycombs.
• Poison - It is a complex mixture of chemicals. Its pharmaceutical activity affects the physiology of human body. Since ancient times it has been used to treat arthritis.
In general, a honey bee colony produces about 20-30 kg of honey a year, 10 kg of pollen, while royal jelly, wax and propolis need a lot of bee colonies to produce the equivalent quantities. Of course, everything depends on many factors, most notably of them are weather conditions. Producer prices on the other hand for the above beekeeping products vary according to the region but as in all professions, beekeepers who have the personal impulse to work they can succeed because there are many routes for marketing their products as well as high demand which exceeds domestic production.
At this point, we have to say that during the first 12-18 months the novice beekeeper should not expect any income and the best he can do is to get enough honey for him, his family as well as for his close friends. But his greatest benefit will be that he will gain a lot of knowledge and experience to make the next big step that will bring him closer to professional beekeeping. This will happen from the moment he gets his first 50-60 honey bee colonies. The honey bee colony products are as follows:
• Honey - It is a natural product derived from the nectar of flowers. The bees process it into their body by adding various enzymes and other substances and then they are storing it in liquid form within the honeycomb cells.
• Royal jelly - Many have been heard about this bee product, true and not. It is a white, creamy substance secreted by the young bees, aged 5 to 10 days, which consists the queen's and larvae intended to become queens exclusive food.
• Pollen - It is the powdery substance of the flowers, the male reproductive cells of the plants. The bee gathers and carries it with its hind legs in the hive. It will feed itself with it and the larvae.
• Propolis - It is a resinous, sticky substance that bees collect from various plants, enriches it with wax, pollen, enzymes and other substances and by using it they seal the interior of the hive.
• Wax - It is the product that is secreted by the gingival glands that the bee has on its chest. It uses it to build the honeycombs.
• Poison - It is a complex mixture of chemicals. Its pharmaceutical activity affects the physiology of human body. Since ancient times it has been used to treat arthritis.
In general, a honey bee colony produces about 20-30 kg of honey a year, 10 kg of pollen, while royal jelly, wax and propolis need a lot of bee colonies to produce the equivalent quantities. Of course, everything depends on many factors, most notably of them are weather conditions. Producer prices on the other hand for the above beekeeping products vary according to the region but as in all professions, beekeepers who have the personal impulse to work they can succeed because there are many routes for marketing their products as well as high demand which exceeds domestic production.