Where to start beekeeping? Bee business and its subtleties

Beekeeping is not only an interesting activity, but also quite profitable. Of course, like any type of activity, the bee business requires knowledge of the specific subtleties of this activity and the proper organization of work. Let's get acquainted with this type of activity.

Where to begin?

Where to start beekeeping? It depends, first of all, on the level of knowledge of the future apiary owner. In the absence of appropriate knowledge, undoubtedly, one should begin with the collection and study of information. You can buy literature on beekeeping teaching orientation. Moreover, it is desirable that the selected books illuminate not only the theoretical side of the issue, but also the practical one.

If possible, it is recommended to talk with experienced beekeepers. They will tell about the nuances of keeping bees, tell you where to start beekeeping, and help to organize an apiary correctly. If starting your own business is not limited by a strict time frame, you can practice working with bees by helping an experienced beekeeper in his apiary. This will avoid possible errors and losses in the future.

A person who decides to start a business on bees should consider some basic issues.

1. Choose a site for the apiary. It is advisable to place it away from industrial production and highways, closer to gardens, meadows and forests. For a start, an area of ​​about 100 m is suitable². Initially, you can organize a business on a summer cottage.
2. Purchase the necessary equipment: beekeeping suit, face mask and rubber gloves. You will also need a smoker, scrapers, a honey extractor, a swarm, a metal strainer for cleaning honey, a wax and hives with extensions. Additional equipment can be purchased as needed.
3. Fence the apiary with a dull high fence.
4. Buy bees. In this case, preference should be given to local breeds, since they are more adapted to the characteristics of the selected area.
5. To think over and build household utility rooms.

Beekeeping technology

The bee business involves the use of a wide variety of technologies to create an apiary and its further functioning. Each beekeeper develops his own individual work system. Naturally, a novice beekeeper bases his work only on knowledge of theory. In practice, the following recommendations may be helpful:

• In spring, a family should be formed for the withdrawal of queens. One family can raise ten queens. The number of mother liquors should be equal to the desired number of honey families. Other hives should be left to develop normally.

• After sealing the queen cells, at the end of the second week, you need to select the most mature, place them in the cells and form layers from the same family. After two weeks, the uterus will come out, and the rapid development of the lay will begin.

• Before wandering, in two or three days, it is necessary to combine the developing layering with young uterus and main families. For a conflict-free compound, they can be sprayed with a weak solution of anise drops on water.

• During wandering, it is recommended that only honey families and empty beehives be transported for them.

• The day after arrival at a new place, the uterus must be removed from the family and placed in layers. This will help shape strong honeymoons.

• At the end of the honey collection and returning home, it is necessary to unite weak families - to connect young queens with layering and families left earlier in the main apiary. In this case, the old uterus is removed.

The essence of any technology is to form strong and healthy families with high productivity.

Beekeeping products

The key to a successful business is a well-used apiary. Beekeeping, in addition to honey, provides many more valuable products.

1. Beeswax, which is the secret of the wax glands of honey bees. It is used in cosmetology, medicine, instrumentation and many other industries.
2. Bee pollen used in pharmaceuticals.
3. Zabrus (honeycomb caps), used to normalize metabolism, to strengthen the gums and as an absorbent.
4. Propolis, which is a product of the processing of resinous substances of plants by bees. It is used for medical purposes as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent.
5. Apitoxin (bee venom) is widely used for medicinal purposes.
6. Royal jelly is a white pasty mass with a sour-burning taste. It is used as an immunostimulating agent.

In addition, even “production waste” is capable of generating profit: deaths used in traditional medicine; capitalized old canvas; wax moth larvae, harmful to bees, but containing a large number of biologically active substances.

The financial side of beekeeping

The profitability of beekeeping directly depends on the number of hives. For a small entrepreneur, it will be approximately 40%. A beginner beekeeper can start a business with ten hives. In this case, the initial costs will look something like this:

• beehives (originally used / used) - 10 pcs. 15 dollars each;
• bee families - 10 pcs. 150 dollars each;
• inventory - about 900 dollars;
• necessary medicines - 300 dollars.

As a result, you will have to spend about 2850 dollars. One season allows you to get about 500 kilograms of honey, the average cost of which is $ 9 per 1 kg. Net income is $ 1,650. How much a beekeeper earns depends only on the scale of his activity. If you approach the organization of business more seriously and start working with a hundred hives, then the income, respectively, will be $ 16,500. At the same time, all costs will be paid back 100% in the first season.

Business Plan Development

To prevent the occurrence of many problems at the very initial stage, it is necessary to draw up a business plan for beekeeping.

1. Since this business belongs to the agricultural sector, the activity should be registered as a peasant farm (peasant farm). The main products of production are honey, wax and propolis.
2. It is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the market and examine it for the presence of competitors: how many manufacturers are in the area and what is the quality of their products. You should also analyze the availability of existing markets.
3. Land for an apiary must be acquired close to the growth of honey plants. Requires a careful calculation and the amount that is supposed to be spent on the purchase of inventory and equipment.
4. The financial part of the business plan consists of a description of expenses and income.

Beekeeping and taxation

When registering their activities as peasant farms, private entrepreneurs or LLC, the beekeeper is required to pay taxes. The form of taxation depends on the type of registration. Moreover, UTII will be required to pay only when selling its products through a store, own or rented, and the tax amount will be calculated based on the used area.

If the beekeeper is not an entrepreneur, then paying taxes is not his responsibility. That is, if the bee business is registered as a private subsidiary farm (LPH), then there is no responsibility to the state. It should be noted that the sale by a beekeeper of his products in the markets, according to friends and neighbors, through announcements is not a type of entrepreneurial activity.

Beekeeping and marketing

Marketing refers to a series of events aimed at increasing demand and sales. Quite often in the market you can see honey in different types of jars with old stickers and lids that have turned yellow from long use. An attractive type of container will be an important advantage in the competition.

Another advantage in attracting potential buyers is the purity of the product. A honey jar should not contain any foreign particles: neither wasps, nor ants, nor the bees themselves.

Product sales

According to statistics, most people more often buy honey in the market and through friends and much less often in stores. It is not profitable for the beekeeper to hand over honey to large producers, since the wholesale price of the product is only about one dollar. And it is advisable to pack and sell our own products if the apiary has more than 100 bee families.

For the fastest achievement of financial well-being, it makes sense to combine honey production in his own apiary with his purchase from smaller business executives. In order to pack honey and produce it under your own brand, you will need the following equipment:

• thermal chamber (cost about 1000 dollars) - for the "dissolution" of honey;
• blending mixer (about $ 400) - for mixing and preparing honey mixtures.

Cons and pros of the bee business

Like any business, the bee business has its pros and cons. The immediate advantages include the lack of large cash investments. Initially, full material support is not required. It is enough to purchase ten bee colonies, beehives and a minimum inventory. All funds invested in activities will pay off more than already in the first year of work.

The disadvantages of the beekeeping business include the need for continuous apiary control. It is necessary to maintain the hives in good condition, pump out honey from them on time, and organize the sale of goods.

Beekeeping Business Ideas

Where to start beekeeping as a business for a novice entrepreneur? In addition to selling beekeeping products, it is possible to realize business ideas related to this industry either directly or indirectly to earn extra income.

1. Packing of honey bought from small entrepreneurs, and its delivery to retail outlets.
2. Production of beehives and auxiliary equipment for sale.
3. Conducting excursions in the apiary.
4. Formation of new bee families and their further sale.
5. Opening of a specialized store for the sale of bee vital products and apiary equipment.
6. The organization of therapeutic “sleep in the hives”, which is recommended to improve apitherapy health.
7. Training for beginner beekeepers.
8. Creation of a site about beekeeping, its promotion and subsequent advertising on it.

Thus, beekeeping is a very cost-effective type of business available to anyone. However, undoubtedly, in addition to investing, this type of activity requires time and effort.