Disadvantages and Advantages of Beekeeping - Research Paper Example

Disadvantages and Advantages of Beekeeping Introduction Beekeeping, which is also referred to as apiculture, is the practice whereby human beings maintain large colonies of bees, usually in bee hives for various purposes (Morse 2006 p 3). It is a sector in agriculture that has continued to gain popularity in various economies around the world such as Holland, US, Germany as well as other African societies, which practice it both as a hobby and for commercial purposes. As with other farming practices, harvesting wild honey was among the ancient practices of aboriginal communities around the world most of which used to practice hunting and gathering and who through civilization realized that just as how animals and plants can be domesticated, bees could also be domesticated to reduce the challenges of collecting honey thus the invention of bee hives (Benjamin 2008 p 33). This essay is a critical evaluation of beekeeping, discussing its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of Beekeeping Bees are mainly kept for the purpose of honey production. This is a sweet substance which is viscous in nature and which is produced from nectar collected by bees from various species of flowers. Honey is perceived to be one of the most nutritious products consumed by human beings as it contains a wide collection of nutrients and minerals such as vitamins, copper, iodine, zinc, Magnesium, calcium etc. It also contains amino acids as well as sugars such as glucose and fructose (Benjamin 2008 p 51). However, the prevalence of these elements in honey is subject to the variety of flowers from which nectar is collected. Due to this composition, honey has been used in various circumstances to control and cure various mild ailments such as common colds and sore throats, without having to visit health centers where the same ailments are treated through administration of drugs, which have a high potential of resulting to addiction or severe side effects (Traynor 2002 p 18). In fact people with symptoms of these common mild ailments are usually advised to at least consume one teaspoonful of honey on daily basis up to that time when the symptoms disappear meaning they are healed. Our bodies often contain a lot of free radicals, which are a health hazard as they may destroy body cells. These are dangerous elements that are a by product of body processes involving breaking down of foods and other substances which we consume or which may be as a result of constant exposure to harsh environmental conditions such as radiation and tobacco smoke (Traynor 2002 p 26). This requires constant consumption of antioxidants, which help to combat such risks, which include cancer, diabetes, heart diseases etc. Research has proved that constant honey intake raises the levels of antioxidants thereby offering the necessary protection (Traynor 2002 p 41). However, there are other substitutes to this effect such as fruits, vegetables etc but as it may be known, these substances may often be scarce as they depend mainly on suitable weather conditions for them to grow failure to which they can only be acquired from the market, where prices may be discouraging. On the other hand, rearing bees provides accessibility to honey, which when harvested can stay fresh for a longer time than vegetables. Maintenance of beauty is of paramount importance to human beings, who make great efforts of buying chemical substances to achieve their desired looks. With bee farming in place, this has been made easier due to the fact that honey contents mixed with locally available substances such as ground almonds provide an excellent substitute for facial cleansing. Various concoctions are made by mixing honey and other ingredients such as herbs to produce products such as skin moisturizers, skin firming masks, hair conditioners, mouth wash, as well as treatments for chapped lips and acne due to its antibacterial effects (Traynor 2002 p 47). These are products that can be made locally in our homes without necessarily having to acquire the assistance of professionals whose services are expensive to manage. The world is undergoing through difficult times, characterized by unpredictable huge rainfall and droughts which to some extent can be blamed on the ever increasing human population (Conrad 2007 p 18). As we continue to increase in numbers, the need to expand cultivation grounds becomes inevitable in order to sustain ourselves with food. This results to massive destruction of water catchment areas through deforestation either to open up more land or to sustain the demand for fuel. This creates an imbalance in the atmosphere thereby leading to unpredictable weather and climatic change. However, beekeeping can be considered as one of the major solutions to these problems as it does not require felling down of trees. In fact, bees’ survival is highly dependent on woods and trees and to that effect, bee farmers are motivated to plant more trees and maintain existing ones in their farms for hanging bee hives (Conrad 2007 p 22). This is as opposed to activities such as cattle rearing whereby farmers continue to stock huge herds of cattle or goats, which act as agents of soil erosion due to destruction of soil covers such as grass and other plants. Bees on the other hand consume a significant little space, which has no negative direct or indirect effects on the environment. From this aspect, environmentalists should concentrate a significant fraction of their attention to supporting beekeeping projects alongside other methods such as reducing green house emissions, which has become their center of attraction. As discussed herein, bees produce honey from the nectar they collect from flowers. It is important to note that bees, just like ants and other insects, are workaholic in nature especially since their colonies are constituted by various groups, each with certain responsibilities such as guarding, reproduction and the working bee. As a result, the working bee spends a lot of time skipping from one flower to the other collecting nectar and taking it back to the hive. This has far much reaching effects on the survival of flowering plants which depend on these insects to assist in pollination (Aizen 2009 p 4). In doing so, they help to increase the quality of products such as wild fruits, nuts, and legumes as well as grains, thereby improving their economic viability. It is estimated that one third of foods that we consume are as a result of this form of pollination and according to statistics, wild honey bees have been depleting in numbers over time thereby implying that beekeeping is a major break through towards maintaining their colonies as well as improving food security (Aizen 2009 p 7). The market for honey and by products such as beeswax makes beekeeping one of the lucrative economic activities that a person can involve him self in (Flottum 2003 p 23). This is especially due to the fact that the supply and demand of the product is stable owing to its wide applications in day to day lives and simplicity if storage. Beeswax for example is used world wide to manufacture candles, which are in most societies are used to light houses in the absence of electricity as well as spicing up romantic experiences in what most people refer to as candle lit dinner. Most churches all over the world also light candles during masses as a symbol of holiness and calmness and even though candles can be manufactured from other by products such as of petroleum and vegetables, some societies prefer those made from beeswax. The Catholic Church for example has in the past been recorded as making specifications that all religious candles used in conducting masses be composed of 100% bees wax (Benjamin 2008 p 40). However, this stand has been overlooked by various societies due to lack of sufficient supply of such candles compelling them to utilize the available substitutes. Other uses include manufacturing crayons, batik dyeing etc. Considering this, it is true to state that beekeeping, unlike other farming practices such as meat and grain production, has a guaranteed market which is difficult to experience shifts in demand curves and hence, a reasonable adventure to up and coming entrepreneurs. Disadvantages of Beekeeping Bees unlike other domesticated animals such as cattle, chicken etc exhibit a lot of independence in the maintenance of their reproductive and day to day life. It is estimated that a healthy queen in a colony produces approximately 2000 eggs in a day (Morse 2006 p 25). As a result, it becomes almost impossible for a beekeeper to control their population growth thereby resulting to overcrowding and competition for available space within a bee hive. The effect of this is that bees vacate the overcrowded bee hives in large numbers taking along the old queen with them thereby leaving the others to develop a new colony. While leaving, the bees feed heavily on the honey, which becomes a major setback to the bee keeper. It is said that most of the bees in a swarm are always weak and infected with parasites and as such, it suggests that an unfortunate farmer may be forced to accommodate non productive bees in his or her empty bee hives thereby lowering the quality and quantity of his honey products (Morse 2006 p 39). These insects are also said to exhibit defensive mechanisms that can be of great discomfort to the farmer, livestock and those living in the nearby surroundings. This is due to the fact that bees are equipped with a poisonous sting which they use to inject venom to anything which they perceive as an enemy (Conrad 2007 p 47). This causes various effects on human beings such as swelling of skin or even more serious problems especially to those who are allergic to bee sting, which can even result to death. In addition, the self defense mechanism is developed in such a way that the bees die after stinging its host (Conrad 2007 p 48). Due to this, it becomes impossible for bee keepers to erect bee hives near settlement areas thereby compelling them to place bee hives far away in places that are susceptible to vandalizing and theft since the owner may not be in a position to watch activities around the bee hives closely. Beekeeping can sometimes be a strenuous activity with risks of parasitic attacks that are difficult to control and manage. For example, bacteria such as Bacillus larvae and Melissococcus pluton have been identified as some of the most dangerous threats that a bee farmer can be faced with (Neumann 2010 p 5). Bacillus larvae for example causes a disease known as American foul brood, which is highly contagious and one that can only be controlled by burning the whole infected colonies in order to prevent others from being infected. It is estimated that approximately 20% of bee keepers in the US have this parasite to contend with (Neumann 2010 p 6). Similarly, mites are also considered to be a great challenge which haunts bee keepers. Varroa Mites for example feed on larvae and pupa, killing them or resulting to poorly developed bees. In most cases, it is said that even the experienced farmers do not realize these form of attacks until it is too late to control them, a time when a colony could be totally destroyed or mutated (Flottum 2003 p 30). Complications of this nature occurs due to the manner in which bee hives are constructed that make it difficult for bee keepers to see what is happening on the inside. The only viable solution to this challenge may be found in investing in a rather not so common species known as the feral honey bee, which has proved to be more resistant to infections caused by these mites (Flottum 2003 p 41). The honey burgers are also among predators which make bee keepers experience sleepless nights due to their ability to attack and invade bee hives in search of honey combs, which are of major interest to them. Other farming practices may be devoid of these risks as they are easily identified and dealt with in multiple ways that have been achieved through constant research and observation. Conclusion Beekeeping is an economic activity that has the potential of providing self employment to a large number of people. This is due to the fact that the demand for honey and its products is high and stable unlike other farm products. The benefits of this activity include and not limited to adding value to medicine, wide variety of products with high demand such as beeswax, conservation of environment, improving food security and quality through pollination as well as preserving the existence of honey bees. Disadvantages are for example susceptibility to pests and parasites, swarming of colonies, as well as threats to human and livestock life as a result of bee stings among others. However, beekeeping remains to be the best investment that young and old entrepreneurs can participate in due to its highly expected returns. Bibliography 1. Aizen, M. “The Global Stock of Domesticated Honey Bees Is Growing Slower than Agricultural Demand for Pollination,” Current Biology 19.11(2009): 10-14 2. Benjamin, A. Keeping Bees and Making Honey, David & Charles, 2008 3. Conrad, R. Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007 4. Flottum, K. The Backyard Beekeeper, Quarry Books, 2003 5. Morse, R. The Beekeeper's Handbook, Cornell University Press, 2006 6. Neumann, P. “Honey Bee Colony Losses,” Journal of Apicultural Research 9.4 (2010): 1-6 7. Traynor, J. Honey: The Gourmet Medicine, Kovak Books, 2002 Read More