Beekeeper
Beekeepers care for and manage bee colonies, ensuring the well-being of the bees and harvesting honey and other hive products, contributing to pollination and the sustainability of bee populations.
Day-to-day Tasks
As a beekeeper, you'll:
- build, inspect or repair hives
- introduce a new colony or look after an existing one
- check the health of your bees
- treat your hive and bees to fight disease and pests
- breed queen bees and set up smaller, starter colonies
- collect honey from hives
- prepare and bottle honey
- market honey and products like beeswax
- mentor or train new beekeepers
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- observation and recording skills
- knowledge of biology
- the ability to work on your own
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with your hands
- thinking and reasoning skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to operate and control equipment
Industry Qualifications
You can keep bees as a hobby and learn how to successfully set up and manage healthy colonies of honeybees.
You can also reach out to Isle of Man Beekeepers
You can also join a beekeeping group where you'll learn from experienced beekeepers, and work towards qualifications offered by The British Beekeepers Association.