Bee Keeping

Bee keeping describes the processes involved in the cultivation of bees and their hives primarily to obtain honey but also to keep crops pollinated. Additionally, although less common bee keeping can also be used a method for gathering beeswax, which has various applications such as manufacturing candles. Although it is fundamentally a form of farming many people engage in the activity of bee keeping for pleasure, purporting that they find it therapeutic.

Whole colonies of bees are kept in artificial hives where they will produce the honey for collection by the bee keeper. It is the duty of the bee keeper to maintain these hives to ensure the bees remain healthy and in good condition. However these task have the potential to be hazardous for the bee keeper due to the chance of angering the bees and causing them to swarm, for these reason it is important for bee keepers to wear thick protective clothing covering every part of their body and a hat with a veil with allows the bee keeper to still see, but prevents them from being stung. The Bee keeper will also make use of smoke when working with the hives to keep the bees at bay as smoke has the effect of calming the bees.