Do you want to become a Bee Farmer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:
Job Description - 
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Bee farmers keep hives of bees, collecting the honey they produce to sell to individuals or wholesalers. They also make products from beeswax, such as candles and furniture polish.
The work involves:
• regular inspections of all the hives
• mending and repairing hives
• collecting frames from hives and extracting the honey from them
• bottling and packing the honey
• marketing and selling products.
They need to understand the needs of bees, how to prevent and identify diseases and parasites, and how to deal with a swarm.
There are no set working hours. Bee farmers work longer hours during the spring and summer, with early starts and late finishes. They work outside in all weathers. Bee farmers need to wear protective equipment including a bee suit and veil, boots, and bee gloves. They must not be allergic to bee stings or suffer from hay fever.
Most bee farmers are self-employed and earn between £8,000 and £15,000 a year.
Bee farmers should:
• be able to work well on their own
• be patient and calm
• be strong enough to carry out lifting jobs
• be practical and good at woodwork (for mending hives)
• have good business skills
• be interested in the history and traditions of beekeeping.
Bee farming is a skilled profession that requires considerable knowledge and aptitude. It is recommended that people have at least two years' experience of beekeeping as a hobby before considering setting up a business. Most bee farmers are part-time producers working in family businesses and many have a second job to supplement their income. Some seasonal work is available as a worker on a commercial bee farm, but few operators are large enough to employ workers all year. A driving licence is important for moving hives to different sites.
Beekeeping courses are available through a number of organisations and at institutions that specialise in agricultural and horticultural studies. It may be possible to complete a beekeeping course through distance learning. The British Beekeepers' Association offers a series of exams based on a practical knowledge of beekeeping.
Success for a bee farmer depends on managing a reliable supply of products and establishing their reputation.
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