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Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a beekeeper. Feel free to use our beekeeper job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a beekeeper.

 

Who is a Beekeeper?

A beekeeper is a type of agricultural worker who works with bees to raise, propagate, and harvest their honey. Bees are now considered a sort of commercial livestock that produces valuable products such as honey (a sweetener), wax (a household item), and royal jelly (a dietary supplement). A beekeeper’s job is to keep their hives healthy, prolific, and profitable for commercial production. In locations where wild bees and other pollinators are scarce, some people keep bees for pollination programs. In environmentally sensitive locations, pollination is critical for ecology. Beekeepers are also vital to the health of the environment and biodiversity. Beekeepers aren’t limited to large-scale industrial farms. Some are small, independent firms that cater to the local market. Others are amateurs who make a modest amount of honey for personal consumption.

 

Beekeepers typically keep records, monitor the health of their animals, do hive maintenance, and harvest honey and other products. In each scenario, a dedication to biodiversity, ecological conservation, bee welfare, and bee populations requires some type of education on the part of the beekeeper. Because of ecological issues such as the parasitic varroa mite, CCD (colony collapse disorder), and other issues, some beekeepers operate only as zoologists, conducting studies. They will track and record bee activity and numbers, but not necessarily collect honey, and many may move hives on a regular basis to collect data from diverse types of terrain topography. Understanding how climate change affects animals like bees is critical to our understanding of the issue.

Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the practice of people keeping bee colonies, usually in man-made hives. Honey bees of the genus Apis are the most common, however other honey-producing bees like Melipona stingless bees are also kept. A beekeeper (also known as an apiarist) keeps bees to collect honey and other products produced by the hive (such as beeswax, propolis, flower pollen, bee pollen, and royal jelly), fertilize crops, or create bees for sale to other beekeepers. An apiary, sometimes known as a “bee yard,” is a place where bees are kept. Many people maintain bees as a pastime and run modest beekeeping operations. Beekeeping has become more accessible as technology has evolved, and urban beekeeping has become a major trend. Some researchers believe that “city bees” are healthier than “country bees” because there are fewer pesticides and more biodiversity in urban areas. A beekeeper is essentially a beekeeper’s manager. He or she tends to the hives and watches them, and when the honey is ready to be gathered, he or she removes it and processes it for human consumption. A beekeeper will also supply pollination services to vegetable and fruit growers and produce queen bees to sell to other growers. A beekeeper must manage healthy bees, prepare colonies for production, monitor colonies for signs of disease, and, if required, replace the queen bee.  When harvesting and preparing honey, beekeepers must also follow food safety rules.

The act of cultivating honeybees is known as apiculture. Bees are commercially bred in apiaries in this way. An apiary is a space that can accommodate a significant number of beehives. The bees are cared for and controlled here in order to generate wax and honey. “Bee farming” is defined as “the process of maintaining bee colonies or hives for the goal of producing honey or other commercial products.” Honey bees of the genus Apis are the most common bees employed in commercial production. Other honey bees, such as Melipona stingless bees, are kept as well.

 

Whether working with current colonies or fresh bees that will be put into empty hives, the beekeeper must get the bees ready for the impending honey-producing months in the spring. The beekeeper will medication the bees throughout this time to ensure that they are parasite-free and that the queen is healthy and capable of producing eggs. During the summer months, it is the beekeeper’s obligation to remove the honey when it gets ready and to add new boxes with combs if the bees require more area to produce. It is critical for honey production that bees have adequate space within their hives in order to work at their best. The beekeeper must be aware of when to provide that room as honey output increases. A beekeeper must wear a protective coat, gloves, and veil when harvesting honey to avoid being stung. To quiet angry bees, a smoker (a device that emits gentle puffs of smoke) is occasionally employed. The wax coatings on the combs are removed once the combs have been removed from the hive, and the honey is collected. This can be done by hand or with the assistance of a mechanical extractor. After that, the honey is refined by straining it and skimming off any contaminants. The honey is ready to be jarred and sold at this time.

Beekeepers tend to only those bee species whose names begin with the letter “Apis,” as they are the only ones that make honey. The following are some of the most commonly farmed honey bee species:

Apis dorsata: The rock bee is another name for Apis dorsata. It is a massive bee that generates between 38 and 40 kg of honey in each colony.

Apis indica: Apis indica is also known as the Indian bee. It’s easy to domesticate, and it’s most usually used to make honey. Honey yields 2 to 5 kg per colony per year.

Apis Florea: Apis Florea is also known as the little bee. Because it rarely stings, honey extraction from its hive is simple. Each colony generates roughly 1 kilogram of honey every year.

Apis mellifera: Apis mellifera is also known as the Italian bee. This species has a highly characteristic dance routine to advertise the availability of food, and it stings less than the small bee. This species is not native to the area, as its common name implies. However, beekeepers frequently raise it due to a large amount of honey produced.

 

Beekeeper Job Description

Below are the beekeeper job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a beekeeper job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

The duties and responsibilities of a beekeeper include the following:

• Put together beehives according to requirements.
• Inject wild swarms and honeycombs into prepared hives.
• Use a smoke pot to force bees from a hive in order to inspect the hive and harvest honey.
• Collect honey and royal jelly.
• Destroy excess queen bee cells to inhibit a colony’s division.
• Scrape hive parasites and vermin from the hive.
• Take out unhealthy bee colonies.
• Raise queen bees for sale to other Apiarists.
• Arrange for the honey to be sold to locals.
• Split colonies.

 

Qualifications

• GED or high school diploma
• A zoology or animal science degree is preferred.
• Work experience as a beekeeper is required.
• Excellent plant and animal biology knowledge.
• The ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.
• Basic woodworking abilities are required.
• Ability to lift large objects.
• Ability to work a variety of shifts.
• Ability to work alone.
• Ability to work outside in all types of weather.

 

Essential Skills

• knowledge of the yearly cycle of bees and their habits
• They should have good beekeeping abilities so that they know when and how to approach bees.
• Plant species and life cycles, as well as how and when plants generate nectar, are all important to know.
• Knowledge of disease control measures and ability to diagnose bee diseases.
• Knowledge of how to extract and evaluate the quality of honey, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis, among other bee products.
• Carpentry skills are required for the construction and repair of hive boxes.

 

How to Become a Beekeeper

Although you can work as a beekeeper without a formal education, most businesses want you to have completed basic education. On the job, you will most likely receive some informal training. If you have qualifications, your chances of getting into this occupation are better, and you might want to consider taking a VET course. Because subjects and qualifications differ by university, you should contact your preferred institution for further details. Some past beekeeping expertise earned through hobby activities, as well as some botany knowledge and woodworking and metalworking skills, may be beneficial. It is advised that you gain work experience with a commercial operator. To become a Beekeeper involves the following;

1. First and foremost, educate yourself. There are numerous great books and resources on beekeeping. Getting to know your local beekeepers is another excellent method to learn.
2. Gather your equipment and hive. Purchasing new hives and equipment is not inexpensive. A bee veil and jacket, leather gloves, a frame lifter, bee brush, pliers, a smoker, and hive equipment are all required. Note: Make sure your smoker is smoking before opening up the hives. If the bees become agitated, the smoke will assist prevent them from acting agitatedly, such as stinging you.
3. Place your order for bees. Most companies that sell bees will sell out if you order them in the winter. There’s only so many bees in the world! Bee packages can be obtained from local beekeepers. Your state university or extension office can help you find one in your area if you don’t know where to look.
4. Construct your hive. After you’ve completed your research, you’ll be able to determine the optimal location for your hive. Choose well because it will be there for quite some time! Once a hive is full of bees, moving it is not easy (or recommended!).
5. Show the bees around their hive. First, make sure your queen is still alive and well, because a hive without a queen will die. Your queen is the first to enter. The queen’s 10,000+ friends and relations are the next to be dropped in. They check on her first, before getting to work. It’s a pretty cool thing to watch.
6. Put the top back on the hive, and pray for the best. Now you’ll watch, and wait: if the bees are happy and healthy, you may have the pleasure of enjoying a productive hive of honeybees for years to come, providing you with the best quality, freshest raw honey you can imagine, and excellent pollination for your crops and flowers.
7. Feed the bees. Set out a sugar-water solution in the first days after setting up a hive, especially if it’s early in the season and there aren’t many flowers yet. When you notice that the bees are no longer feeding on the sugar, discontinue feeding them.

 The bees are taking care of themselves!

8. Keep an eye on your bees on a regular basis. Every week or two, open your new hive to check on the bees’ progress.

 

Where to Work as a Beekeeper

The majority of beekeepers are self-employed business owners. Beekeepers are classified as agricultural employees (even if they work in agricultural research), hence the vast majority of them work on bee farms with hives. Their typical tasks include gathering materials, ensuring optimal hive placement for maximum output, and, if required, shifting hives. They work outside in all kinds of weather and may have some ecological responsibilities, such as improving plant health in areas where bee populations are important. Beekeepers are increasingly finding work in the commercial pollination of crops. Although most producers have numerous income streams that incorporate honey, this isn’t always about harvesting honey. They may wander throughout a local area or state supplying bees as a service for pollinating fruit trees to other agricultural producers in this type of business. It’s possible that native or wild pollinators are insufficient to pollinate crops, necessitating the use of commercial bees. A small number of people work in research, monitoring pesticide impacts and looking into the spread of parasites like the varroa mite. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is an issue, and many beekeepers are now working in that field of research. Employment options are accessible through animal science departments and university extension agencies, as well as extra chances in instruction at the college level.

 

Beekeeper Salary Scale

Beekeepers in the United States earn an average of $48,607 annually and $23 per hour. A Beekeeper’s average yearly compensation ranges from $36,048 to $59,092. A high school diploma is the most common level of education for a beekeeper and most times it determines the salary scale. This wage survey data was acquired directly from employers and anonymous employees in the United States for this compensation research. A Bee Keeper in Nigeria earns roughly 93,100 NGN per month on average. Salaries range from 49,300 NGN  (lowest) to 142,000 NGN (highest). The monthly average pay may include housing, transportation, and other benefits. Salaries for beekeepers vary greatly depending on experience, skills, gender, and location.

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

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