How to be a beekeeper in Tennessee – Beekeeping is a fun hobby. There are over 200,000 beekeepers in the United States. As the population for honeybee’s declines, the number of beekeepers has increased. People care for honeybees, and they want to help increase the honeybee population. So how can you become a beekeeper?  

Becoming a beekeeper is easy, there are several local honey farms that host bee keeping classes. These classes are affordable and very informative. So, what exactly is a beekeeper?  

What is a beekeeper?

It is all in the name! A beekeeper is someone who keeps bees. This could include in hives or boxes. Generally, a beekeeper will keep their honeybee colonies in boxes because they are easier to manage. A beekeeper has different equipment to help them manage the honeybees safely without getting stung. The first piece of equipment is a bee suit. This suit covers the entire body so honeybees cannot sting the beekeeper. The second piece of equipment is a smoker.  

This is a device that is used to calm honeybees. It is designed to generate smoke from the smoldering of various fuels, and this is where it gets its name. This piece of equipment is important because it allows the beekeeper to temporarily calm down the honeybees. This is necessary because if the honeybees are not calm, they will attack the beekeeper when they are trying to retrieve the honey.  

Why should you be a beekeeper in Tennessee? 

Being a beekeeper is a very rewarding hobby. You can see firsthand the progress you are making. Then you can take this progress and consume it. In the entire process you are also supporting the growth of honeybees here in the United States. As mentioned before the increase of beekeepers has also led to the increase in honeybee populations.  

Where can I go to become a beekeeper? 

There are many different honey farms here in Tennessee that help people become beekeeper is and start their own honey farms. One of the honey farms we are teaming up with this year for the Tennessee Honey festival is the Williams Honey Farm. This farm provides several different classes to help people in middle Tennessee become beekeepers. They provide beginner classes for individuals new to the hobby and they also have more advanced classes for people who may already have their own colony at home.  

For more information on how to become a beekeeper visit: tennesseehoneyfestival.com.  

To learn more about beekeeping opportunities follow us on our Facebook page at Tennessee Honey Festival.