Bees do not require a lot of money, time or space. Just having a place where flowers grow is all you need. There are less beekeeper in the United States since 1970, according to the American Beekeeping Federation. Urbanization had played a huge role in this. Today, there are a big spread of parasitic mites that have decreased production. A few healthy hives will bring pounds of honey to keep, sell, or share with friends and family. Bees help play an essential roll of pollination. This is the "transfer of pollen and allows plants to reproduce." Many beekeepers rent out the bees to pollinate crops. That is a main source of income for the beekeepers. Honey bees can successfully pollinate hundreds of different plants as they collect nectar and pollen for the colony to use it. They are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Bees live in a complex, three-caste society with thousands in a hive. There is a Queen, drones, and workers that make up a hive. The Queen is used to reproduce and keep the hive thriving. Drones are males that are primarily used for mating. The workers are females that have stingers. These bees are used to collect nectar and pollen. Keeping a healthy hive is very important to the honey production. The colony will need protection from parasites, diseases, pesticides, and predators. Varroa mites are very dangerous to a colony. They can destroy a hive in a few seasons. Beekeepers can harvest honey by extracting the honey from the combs. You would need a uncapping knife to cut open the wax combs, an extractor to spin the honey out, and a strainer to filter out bits of wax and other debris. It may seem very complicated when first starting, but eventually it becomes easy.
The queen bee is the biggest and one in the middle of the picture.
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