The Benefits of Honey Bees and Beekeeping

one of our girls, hard at work

Honey bees are an essential part of our economy. They pollinate over 1/3 of the plants that make up our diet. Crops such as almonds, apples, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, and many others rely on honeybees for pollination. Our livestock also rely on honeybee pollinated crops for their food. Such as alfalfa, almonds, and canola. So, not only are honeybees responsible for most of our fruits and nuts, but most of our dairy and meat products as well. In addition to pollinating agricultural crops honeybees pollinate home gardens, orchards, and wildlife habitat. According to a Cornell University study in 2000, the annual dollar value of honeybees to the United States agriculture is over 14.6 billion! That is one valuable insect!

The production of honey is probably the most well-known benefit of honey bees. This sticky, sweet treat is beloved by millions of families around the world and cherished as a delicacy in several countries. It makes a fine ingredient in baked goods and other cooked foods. You can use it as a condiment, topping, or sweetener, in just about anything. Of course, it is wonderful all by itself, too. Besides, every wise grandma knows that a spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down! Honey is also extremely valuable medicinally. It is antibacterial, full of vitamins and minerals, can be used to treat various different infections and diseases, and heal severe wounds and abrasions. Plus, it has NO side effects! It is also used as a beauty product. Honey is a very common ingredient in skin care items and certain soaps. Beekeepers and consumers alike greatly enjoy the benefits of this liquid gold.

Beekeeping is a profitable endeavor for all who are willing to work for the rewards. There is money to be made if you have money, sweat, and elbow grease to invest. Many different beekeeping related products provide several avenues of income. Such as pollination contracts, doing swarm removals, selling bees and/or queens, selling honey, beeswax, beeswax candles, soaps, other homemade beauty and and health care items, selling honey bee related nostalgia, and writing books on the topics of bees and beekeeping. With plenty of hard work and diligence one could make a decent living off of the beekeeping industry.

There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from a honey bee. She will teach diligence and teamwork like no other teacher could. You will learn to appreciate the simple beauties of nature and the perfect design of the Creator. The steady, sure work of a single bee can inspire action or comfort the overwhelmed. Just watching the honeybees caress each flower, extracting the nectar, is almost a sacred thing to observe. Then to see them work together and function within the hive is truly an unforgettable experience. To happen upon the queen bee when she is working is another incredible experience in itself. Even though you know you are not under her reign you can't help but treat her like royalty. This knowledge is hard to share with words. However, there are encyclopedias full of the scientific knowledge of bees to be studied and research labs across the globe to discover the things we have yet to learn.

As you spend time in the hive looking for the evidence of a queen, and the majesty herself, your powers of observation will be enhanced. Your management skills, record keeping, problem analysis, and organizational skills will be perfected as you strive to be an efficient and productive beekeeper. You will also feel better about yourself knowing that you are contributing to the environment by helping to preserve the honey bees.

Personally, I keep bees because I adore the little insects and find great pleasure in owning my hives. Robbing and extracting honey is one of the things I look forward to and have fun doing. I love to learn and the bees are great teachers. I stand in awe of the perfect design of a honey bee. From their complex eyes to their tiny legs. They are such good examples of God's infinite wisdom. Also, I find it amazing that one little bee can accomplish more in a day than most big men I know! Isaac Watts once asked, “How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day from every opening flower?” They are such busy little critters yet, they always take time to stop and smell the flowers!