Editing Beekeeper (section)

==Purposes of beekeeping==

===Value of honey bees===

Honey bees produce commodities such as [[honey]], [[beeswax]], [[pollen]], [[propolis]], and [[royal jelly]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/beekeeper |title=How to Become a Beekeeper {{!}} EnvironmentalScience.org|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> Some beekeepers also raise [[Queen (bee)|queens]] and other bees to sell to other [[farmer]]s, and to satisfy scientific curiosity. Beekeepers also use honeybees to provide [[pollination]] services to fruit and vegetable growers. Many people keep bees as a hobby. Others do it for income either as a sideline to other work or as a commercial operator. These factors affect the number of colonies maintained by the beekeeper.

===Commodity===

[[File:Beekeepers from Macedonia, old.jpg|thumb|upright|Beekeepers from [[Macedonia (country)|North Macedonia]], from the beginning of 20th century]]
Beekeepers may produce commodities (farm products) for sale. Honey is the most valuable commodity sold by beekeepers. Honey-producer beekeepers try to maintain maximum-strength colonies of bees in areas with dense nectar sources. They produce and sell [[honey|liquified honey]] and sometimes [[honeycomb]]s. Beekeepers may sell their commodities retail, as self-brokers, or through commercial packers and distributors. [[Beeswax]], [[pollen]], [[royal jelly]], and [[propolis]] may also be significant [[revenue]] generators. Taiwanese beekeepers, for example, export tonnes of royal jelly, the high-nutrition [[food supplement]] fed to queen honeybees. Modern beekeepers seldom keep honeybees exclusively for beeswax production. Beeswax is harvested along with honey and rectified for sale.

===Pollination===

Some beekeepers provide a pollination service to other farmers. These beekeepers might not produce any honey for sale. Pollination beekeepers move vast quantities of honey bee hives at night so fruits and vegetables have enough pollinating insects available for maximum levels of production.  In 2016, almonds accounted for 86% of all U.S. expenditures on pollination services.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/july/driven-by-almonds-pollination-services-now-exceed-honey-as-a-source-of-beekeeper-revenue/ |title=USDA ERS – Driven by Almonds, Pollination Services Now Exceed Honey as a Source of Beekeeper Revenue |website=ers.usda.gov |language=en |access-date=2018-10-09}}</ref> For the service of maintaining strong colonies of bees and moving them into crops such as almonds, apples, cherries, blueberries, melons, and squash, these beekeepers are usually paid a cash fee.

===Queen breeding===

Queen breeders are specialist beekeepers who raise [[queen bee]]s for other beekeepers. The breeders maintain select stock with superior qualities and tend to raise their bees in geographic regions with early springs. These beekeepers may also provide extra bees to beekeepers (honey producers, pollinators, or hobby beekeepers) who want to start new operations or expand their farms. Queen breeders use [[Jenter kits]] in order to produce large numbers of queen bees quickly and efficiently.