Are you interested in how to open a beekeeping business?
Beekeeping can be a fascinating activity but, at the base, there must be a love for nature and for insects.
The passion combined with the expertise and the necessary budget are critical to open a ‘ business of beekeeping.
THE BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY: THE INITIAL PHASE
The initial phase of this activity is certainly the most important. It is essential to pay attention to multiple factors.
In fact, the beekeeping business , despite all the changes that have occurred over the years, still maintains all the characteristics of the past.
It follows the rhythms of nature and the need for particular attention for every single sign of change in nature itself.
THE FIRST ADVICE FOR OPENING A BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY: ATTEND A BEEKEEPING COURSE
Courses are now organized in every region of Italy that allow you to go into this activity. They provide a good deal of information and also offer the possibility of doing internship hours in companies.
Another important step is to decide how you want to carry out this activity. As a hobbyist? Or in a professional way? In the second case you will become a real agricultural entrepreneur.
The advice we give you is to start as a hobbyist, then as a second job. In this way, by investing a small capital, then you can grow year after year. In order to keep any risks under control.
Let’s get to the heart of the beekeeping activity by taking a look at the fundamental things that are needed and make a list.
The ground, the hives, the protective equipment (protective veil for the face, reinforced gloves, overalls and boots for the beekeeper).
In addition to the smoker and the equipment for the extraction of honey (brushes and honey extractors). But let’s not forget the most important thing the bees, therefore the swarms of bees.
THE LAND SUITABLE FOR OPENING A BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY
Land if, if you have one, then the problem is pretty much already solved. Otherwise you have to find a suitable place for bees to proliferate.
The ideal place would be a land where bees can find plenty of food, easily accessible.
However it must be repaired from roads and people.
The ground for opening your beekeeping business should also be sunny. And have a shady area preferably with trees and flowering meadows and water nearby.
HOW TO OPEN A BEE-KEEPING BUSINESS, THE ESSENTIALS: WHERE TO PLACE THE HIVE
Once the land has been decided, the hives are placed.
The hive is a box formed by a larger part called the nest, where the bees stay. But there is also a smaller part, positioned on the large one called the super, where the honey is deposited.
It is equipped with a small door from which bees enter and leave. The frames are placed inside this box.
The hives are positioned on a plane, slightly inclined forward, to allow any accumulations of moisture to escape from the box.
They must also be placed at a height of about 40 cm from the ground, to avoid any contact with the earth and mud.
THE SWARM OF BEES TO OPEN THE BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY
Finally, when everything is ready and the protective equipment is also found, you can think of the swarm.
Specialized firms sell them to new buyers, in polystyrene or wooden boxes called swarm holders.
We recommend purchasing two or three bee colonies or families with their queen.
The swarm carrier with the bee family should be placed near the new hive, possibly in the evening and left there for two or three days. Thus you provide the bees with the opportunity to adapt and learn about the new territory.
After this time, the frames covered with bees can be transferred to the new hive, starting from the center and then moving to the sides both to the right and to the left.
Once the frames have been transferred, it is necessary to leave the swarm carrier near the hive for a few more days to allow all the bees to move.
CARE OF HIVE AND MAIN DISEASES OF BEES
With the beginning of the autumn season it is necessary to treat the hives with oxalic acid, to ward off the attack of the bee’s enemies: varroa .
It is a mite, a sort of small red-brown tick, about one millimeter in length. It grows in hives and then attaches itself to the back of the bees.
Always present in hives it must be controlled, otherwise it can lead to the death of entire families.
To contain this problem it is necessary to carry out winter and summer treatments with oxalic acid.
Honey stocks in the nest should also be checked at all times, especially in cold periods to ensure sufficient food and protection.
It is advisable to leave at least 4 frames in each hive.
When the bees decrease and make the “glomere”, the old frames can be replaced with new ones. Here the bees will be better off and the controls will be easier too.
Another problem that can be encountered in the care of hives is the looting of the hives by thieving bees.
Thieving bees fly excitedly to explore the hives in all directions in search of a crevice to enter.
They struggle with the bees in the hive, trying to sting them and the best solution to solve the problem is to limit the hive’s income.
HOW A FAMILY OF BEES IS FORMED
A hive is inhabited by a single family of bees, with a single queen, numerous worker bees, a few males called “drones” and the larvae called “brood”.
Like any good self-respecting family, everyone has their own task.
The queen has the task of laying eggs and maintaining order and the cooperation of the family.
She is larger than female workers and males, with a sting that she uses exclusively to kill rival queens. The queen can live up to 5 years of age.
The males of the family are slightly larger than the workers and have only one task, that of fertilizing the queen.
The worker bees, as the word implies, are the busiest of the family. They perform numerous tasks despite their short life span of only 45 days.
The tasks that female workers perform change according to their life cycle. They start with cleaning the cells and then move on to the production of royal jelly.
Later they become able to produce wax to build the honeycomb cells.
Only afterwards can they move outside, first for the defense of the family and then with the task of gatherers for a month.
At the end of this they return to the hive to take care of the cleaning until their death. The worker bees with the flowering of the trees and fields begin the collection of pollen and nectar.
Bees and larvae are nourished with pollen, honey is produced with nectar.
Harvest increases as flowering increases. And, in this phase, it is necessary to restore the stock for the winter needs of bees.
Only then will the new frames for honey collection begin to be placed inside the hive. One at a time and only after the previous one is full.
A FUNDAMENTAL MOMENT OF BEEKEEPING: THE HARVEST OF HONEY
When the frames are all full, we move on to collecting the honey, taking it from the hive. To do this, the smoker is used to drive away the bees.
It is a tool with a bellows from which smoke comes out: directed towards the bees it induces them to eat, becoming docile and calm.
Once the frames are taken, they are transferred to the laboratory and with a knife the wax is removed, which covers every single cell built on the frame, in which the honey is contained.
The open frames are placed in a basket of a stainless steel appliance called a “honey extractor” for about ten minutes and then centrifuged.
By means of this operation the honey comes out and settles on the bottom of the honey extractor.
And it is then collected and deposited in special containers where it remains for about a month, to then be stored in jars ready to be consumed.
THE BEEHIVE PRODUCTS
When it comes to opening an apriculture business, the first thing you think about is honey.
But this is not the only product of the hive, there are others and with just as many characteristics to discover, capable of giving added value to the activity.
Honey, can have different characteristics depending on the type of flower from which the nectar is sucked, it differs in taste, smell and color.
It can be “Monofloreale” if it derives from a single flower and “Millefiori” if it derives from several types of flowers.
The main components of honey are: glucose, fructose, water, pollen, trace elements, enzymes, natural antibiotics.
Thanks to the different characteristics they can be more or less sought after on the market.
Domestic market consumption and demand for honey has increased. Today, around 4,000 tons of Italian honey is exported abroad every year.
This delicious food is purchased by the consumer through direct sales. And, moreover, from the food industries to use it as an ingredient for sweets, biscuits and snacks.
AMONG THE PRODUCTS OF THE BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY: ROYAL JELLY
Produced by worker bees, it is an extremely important food, a concentrate of substances very useful for the human body.
In the hive there are usually only a few grams. Royal jelly is the queen’s food throughout her life and the worker bees for the first three days of their life.
In Italy the production of royal jelly began in the years 1960-1965, and then disappeared almost completely in the 1980s. After many years, Italian production is coming back to life.
The main properties of royal jelly are water, proteins, sugars, lipids and mineral salts.
Royal jelly is used to fortify the body at particular times, such as seasonal changes, before an exam. But also in moments of tiredness and fatigue, by pregnant or breastfeeding women, by children and the elderly. It has many beneficial properties.
THE PROPOLIS
It is produced by bees, which collect it from the buds of different plants, process it and use it as a defense barrier. But also as an antibacterial inside the hive.
It consists mostly of resins and conditioners, but also contains essential oils and wax.
It is mainly used in the medical field. Propolis carries out numerous beneficial activities for the whole organism. In fact, it is a powerful anti-inflammatory, effective in people suffering from asthma.
It also has antiviral, healing, antifungal effects, and is used to treat burns, irritations and pimples.
Propolis is also an excellent natural product against colds and flus. And it can also be used for the care of our animal friends.
It is also used to produce paints and, lately, as a pesticide in agriculture. It can be collected by scraping inside the hive
BEESWAX
It is the product of particular glands present on the bee’s body. It is used for the construction of honeycombs.
It is collected during honey extraction, as it covers the cells containing the honey.
Beekeepers use it mainly for the production of wax sheets, but it is also in great demand by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical industries.
The main uses of beeswax today involve crafts, cosmetics and pharmacology. It can also be used for cleaning wooden surfaces and furniture.
In cosmetics, beeswax, due to its protective, emollient and nourishing properties for the skin, is used as a component of moisturizing creams for the hands and body.
They also make soaps, cleansers, eye shadows, mascara and blushes.
Beeswax has pain relieving, anti-inflammatory properties, it can help with colds, bronchitis and sinusitis.
With beeswax, goldsmiths make casts for their jewels. It is used in the processing of precious stones and ceramics as well as in the restoration of works of art.
Then scented candles are an always appreciated gift idea that never goes out of style.
OPEN A BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY: BEE POISON AMONG THE PRODUCTS
It is used to produce ointments and lotions for arthritis, arthrosis and sciatica, thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect. It therefore constitutes a further profit for a beekeeping company.
Bee venom, as many of us have experienced once in a lifetime, is secreted by the bee’s sting, a defense when it feels endangered.
THE POLLEN
It is one of the richest substances existing in nature.
A food rich in essential elements for the body. And it can be considered a general tonic, especially in cases of excessive thinness and organic decay.
When pollen is taken, it is capable of causing a rapid increase in the number of red blood cells and the rate of hemoglobin in the human body. It also has a strong energetic and protective capacity of the heart and liver.
COSTS TO OPEN THE BEE-KEEPING ACTIVITY
As mentioned earlier it is important to decide what kind of activity you want to do.
As a hobby, the costs are certainly not high and there are no major risks, but some fundamental bureaucratic aspects must still be kept in mind.
The initial cost is around € 2,000 – € 3,000, which excludes the costs of renting the land, warehouse and laboratories.
If, on the other hand, you want to start a professional beekeeping, you will need a business plan where the costs and expected results for the first years of activity will be calculated .
The beekeeper is to all effects an agricultural entrepreneur and his professional figure falls within this sector.
With the purchase of the swarm of bees, the declaration of possession of the hive must be made at the national zootechnical registry, which will deliver an identification code to be affixed to the apiary.
Furthermore, it is advisable to inquire at the local reference institutions to know exactly how to start the new business in full swing.
WITH THE ADVICE OF A SALES DEALER, YOU CAN ACCESS THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR BENEFITS
As an entrepreneur you must open a VAT number and pay INPS contributions , with all the resulting costs, and comply with all the bureaucratic aspects.
And if you think about setting up a laboratory to process honey, prices rise.
The laboratories must be set up with standard equipment in order to carry out the entire production process in compliance with the hygiene-sanitary rules envisaged for the production of food.
The rules are very strict precisely because they concern the marketing of food products.
Rules to be respected to the letter in order not to face some sanction or closure of the activity itself.
To overcome this problem when starting this activity, you can contact local beekeepers. They often give the opportunity to use their own machinery, perhaps even providing some useful advice.
DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTS
We have reached the final stage, which is no less important.
Indeed it can be said that this is the most delicate phase, it is necessary to set in motion all the creativity that is available for the promotion of one’s products.
There are many things to do to promote the company’s products, starting with participation in food and wine and sector fairs.
But not only that, it will be necessary to create a brand, advertise for radio, TV and shops.
An element not to be overlooked is the creation of a website to promote and sell bee products.
And it is necessary to set up a sales outlet at your own farm.
The distribution of honey and other products: potential buyers will be both direct consumers and traders of large and small distribution.
Therefore, as already mentioned above, honey, propolis and royal jelly will be able to be sold to the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
POTENTIAL EARNINGS FROM BEEKEEPING ACTIVITIES
Beekeeping is now a cutting-edge sector in Italy.
It can be said almost with absolute certainty that a kilogram of honey can cost from 4 to 8 euros. A single hive can produce 20 to 40 kilograms of honey each year.
A nice profit, if you then have more hives the proceeds increase.
Let’s not forget all the other products of the hive, all economically valid and certainly capable of increasing the company’s turnover.
Opening a beekeeping business can be not only a fascinating hobby but also a not insignificant source of income.
In small businesses, it is usually the product that speaks. In it you can savor all the love, dedication and work that is being done.
If you want to venture into this new business, don’t forget that quality Italian honey will be among the most popular products now and in the coming years!
