How To Start a Career as a Beekeeper
Beekeepers raise beehives, research bee behavior, collect bee products, and often help remove beehives from residential homes and gardens. Although there are many different paths to take to start this profession, we’ll discuss our most recommended tips on how to start a career as a beekeeper.
Consider Geography
Beekeepers are agricultural workers who spend the majority of their days either in the field fostering environments for bees or in a laboratory studying hives. Since this job spends so much time in the field, it’s essential to research beekeeping in a location with abundant natural habitats for bees.
If students live in colder regions of the country, they should consider moving to areas with a higher population of beehives. Once students have moved to these locations, they can begin studying the behavior of these insects while shadowing beekeepers in the field.
Regions With High Bee Populations
- North Dakota
- Montana
- South Dakota
- Florida
- Texas
Degree Requirements
An undergraduate degree is not required to become a beekeeper; however, beekeepers encourage a college degree to practice this career successfully and safely. Students who begin a career in beekeeping directly after high school must have passed a biology and math course during their secondary education. Statistics may also be required before entering this career.
Students will also need to invest in proper beekeeping equipment for their classes. Beekeeping equipment such as beehive kits, extraction equipment, and hive smokers are essential to apprentice and eventually work in this career.
If students want to broaden the scope of jobs they could perform as a beekeeper, they should pursue an undergraduate degree. Most beekeepers study environmental biology, botany, or fish and wildlife management degrees. Each of these studies has a broader track of general environmental classes; however, students can prepare for beekeeping by focusing their classes on bee behavior.
For example, students who study botany will often focus heavily on the relationship between plants and bees while studying the environment in a lab setting. If students are passionate about continuing their careers, specifically in beekeeping and environmental conversation research, they can apply for a postgraduate degree.
If you’re not sure how to start a career as a beekeeper, look over the recommended degree requirements to examine whether this career could be pursuable for you. Although beekeeping is a small field, this profession is highly valuable and helps preserve one of the world’s most important pollinators.
