In 2010 , I encounter a 6 - yr - old girl who had take her family ’s beekeeping business and ferment it into a hobby of her own . Her father manufacturedLangstrothequipment from locally milled pine and , at fancy her girl ’s involvement in the family business , created a miniature Langstroth beehive , just for her . It satisfy the same requirements of bee outer space and had fewer frames per super . The small-scale size made it easier for her to inspect her own colonies — they were usually nucs , because of the small size of the hive — and harvest her own dearest from natural comb . She then bottle and sold her honey and turned remnant wax into chapstick . She design her own labels for each of her products , and when the family went to market , her honey always sold out first .
You ’re likely interested in honeybees or already love the hobby with your own hive . You in all likelihood know the risks associated with beekeeping and take necessary forethought . It ’s a bit different with children , but not much . If you ’re a beekeeper and a parent , or a mentor taking on a young apprentice with parental permission , there are a few thing to track first .
1. Confirm There is No Allergy
Some people have severe and on-key allergies to bee bunko game that lead in anaphylaxis , characterized by the throat sense like it is close , and can be extremely serious . Others have “ hyper - sensitivities , ” which mean a bunco will induce significant discomfort , perhaps uttermost extrusion , beehive , rash or other reaction at or near the site of the sting .
These two reaction are not the same , and extreme swelling or redness does not mean a person is sensitized to bees , so i ’s crucial to cognise the preeminence . With fry , as with yourself , you will want to confirm that the nestling does not have an allergic response to bees before beginning the hobby . This is good unwashed sense . Note that honeybee venom is different than the venom of other bees or wasps — talk to your allergist for guidance .
2. Wear Protective Gear—All Of It
tiddler beekeepers are not solely unheard of — so much so that beekeeping supply companies make child - sized case , jackets , veils and baseball glove . rig and found primer formula about theclothes worn during beekeeping activities , and ensure you and your children are in accord before commence .
3. Educate Your Young Charge
Before diving into the beehive and digging through build , every budding beekeeping should be well - verse on the behavior , lifecycle , colony social organisation and habits of thehoneybee . This may mean reading literature and hash out the Apis mellifera before starting .
4. Model Good Beekeeping Behavior
The cosmos needs more beekeepers , especially ace who are painstaking and reverential . Your child , young charge or unseasoned apprentice will be look to you and follow you carefully . They will be learning fromyoufirst and first of all how to treat bee and how to move around them . Modelgood beekeeping recitation . The hereafter of the beekeeping world bet on what you instruct the next multiplication .
Not every child will be concerned in keeping bee , and that ’s OK . Some are drawn to the by-line , will enjoy see the process and may even turn it into their full - fourth dimension profession one Clarence Day . Whether you are a parent or a beekeeping mentor , take your cues from your child and listen to them . They may be belittled , but children often have wonderful suspicion , especially about honeybees .
