18 Top Benefits Of Beekeeping

So, you’re considering becoming a beekeeper but need encouragement to take the plunge? We’ve pulled together the biggest list of beekeeping benefits on the internet.

As you’ll soon see, there are many advantages to beekeeping. Once you’re convinced, check out our guide to getting started beekeeping.

1. Honey

Honey is easy to find in most stores, but commercial products don’t compare to the comb taken directly from the hive. It tastes better and has more nutritional benefits.

Producing honey isn’t just about the quality of the product, though. Like those who brew beer or farm eggs, harvesting honey is intensely rewarding.

2. Help the environment

Our television screens and social media channels are full of depressing stories about the plight of honey bees. Beekeeping allows us to play our part in saving the earth.

You probably already know that bees are pollinators, transferring pollen between flowers. You may not know that these furry flying insects are essential for pollinating 80% of flowering plants. Many of the crops that humans use for consumption rely on bees.

Bee colonies do their part, pollinating the local flora and spreading diversity through the ecosystem.

3. Bolster the economy

Bees play their part in helping economies in countries around the globe. To begin with, they produce a range of economic resources like honey and propolis. In the United States alone, honey bees produced $321 million worth of honey in 2021.

The global economic value of bee pollination is EUR $153 billion. Starting an apiary assists local farmers in improving their crop yield.

4. Get free royal jelly

Honey bees make royal jelly to feed their larvae and queens during development. This food source is vital to the survival of a honey bee colony. However, beekeepers may choose to harvest surplus supplies.

Royal jelly has many health benefits and may contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

5. Capture amazing photos

Need some exciting content for your social media channels? Forget taking selfies and start capturing the beehive. Bees are photogenic, and video footage of them hard at work can be mesmerizing.

6. Learn and be inspired

Studying bees is an eye-opening experience. They are remarkable insects with complex social structures and the ability to do things we humans still don’t understand.

Direct observation will help you understand how a colony operates, providing knowledge and inspiration. Beekeeping may even help you unravel some of life’s mysteries. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, was an avid observer of bees.

7. Help develop kids

With adult supervision, beekeeping will provide children with valuable life lessons. The most important one could be getting past a fear of getting stung. They’ll learn that bees are more interested in building hives than stinging.

Beyond developing empathy for honey bees, kids will learn more about how honey is made. They’ll also discover how the bee lifecycle works and how it relates to the seasons.

8. Build personal relationships

In most areas, beekeeping associations allow like-minded people to meet and discuss bees. Apps like Meetup also help meet people who share similar interests.

9. Reduce stress and anxiety

Everyday life can take its toll on our mental health. While yoga, meditation, and exercise are great options, beekeeping is also an effective relaxation technique.

10. Help local gardens flourish

Beekeeping doesn’t just help large-scale farms with their crops. Your backyard and surrounding gardens will also thrive.

Home gardeners notice a significant improvement in fruit and vegetable yield.

11. Get low-effort pets

People often think of bees as time-consuming, but they’re generally self-sufficient. Bees prefer to be left alone, unlike cats, dogs, and rabbits, which need feeding daily.

A hive doesn’t need much space, either. Depending on local laws, you may be able to start beekeeping in an urban area.

12. Dress up like an astronaut

Getting dressed up in a bee suit is fun, and people often find it empowering to stand amongst bees.

13. Get free propolis

Propolis is another byproduct of beekeeping. It is made by honey bees, combining tree sap with beeswax, bee saliva, and other ingredients.

Propolis is believed to have nutritional benefits. It may bolster immunity to some diseases and help the skin heal.

14. Build a stock of bee pollen

Bee pollen found in beehives isn’t the same as what you get from a flower. It gets mixed with honey, nectar, enzymes, and beeswax. The result is a superfood that contains over 250 active ingredients.

Bee pollen is sold as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or dietary supplement.

15. Get surplus beeswax

Surplus beeswax can be melted into candles or blocks for other uses.
Like everything honey bees produce, wax has various health benefits and is also useful as a skincare product.

16. Earn extra income

Beekeeping isn’t a get-rich-quick opportunity, but you can still make money from your hives. The more you build over time, the higher the potential payoff.

Honey bees produce products that can be sold if there is a surplus. Experienced beekeepers can also make money by breeding and selling bees.

Commercial apiaries rent out the hives to farmers. In areas where bees are few, farmers pay well to have their crops pollinated.

17. Get a tax break (if you’re lucky)

Depending on the tax laws where you live, you may be able to claim expenses like beekeeping supplies. Speak to a tax specialist or accountant on this matter.

18. Start a cheap hobby

Many popular hobbies like golf, photography or sailing are costly to start. If you decide to keep bees, the startup costs are usually only a few hundred dollars for the basic equipment.

Prefer to watch vids?

We condensed our favorite reasons to keep bees into this quick video:

Summing up

Beekeeping is a rewarding pastime that offers many benefits. Ask a beekeeper about their motivation, and you’ll get various answers. Some love entomology and studying bees in their homes; others are in it for the honey; many are getting on board to help the environment.

Setting up a bee yard takes some work, but the rewards will make it worthwhile. If you’re considering getting started, check out how many hives are best to get started and where to place hives for the best results.

If you’re considering getting started, check out our guides on how many hives are best when starting out and where to place hives for best results.