Editing Beekeeper (section)

===Hobby beekeepers===
[[Image:Beekeepersmoker.jpg|thumb|Two beekeepers in Cornwall, UK, checking their hives and using a [[Bee smoker|smoker]].]]
Most beekeepers are hobby beekeepers.<ref>Illustrated Encyclopedia of Beekeeping, Morse and Hooper, 1985, E.P. Dutton, Inc.</ref> These people typically work or own only a few hives. Their main attraction is an interest in ecology and natural science. Honey is a by-product of this hobby. As it typically requires a significant investment to establish a small apiary and dozens of hours of work with hives and honey equipment, hobby [[beekeeping]] is seldom profitable outside of Europe, where the lack of organic bee products sometimes causes buoyant demand for privately produced honey.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

Beekeepers create profit by selling honey, honeycomb, and wax. Honey is high in demand; in 2018 it was reported as being worth more than oil, in Kenya.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/IiRoQW0Fu5A Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200530070709/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiRoQW0Fu5A&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation |title=Demand for honey continues to rise in Kenya | date=27 April 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiRoQW0Fu5A |language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Overall, beekeeping has potential to create not only a way for people to make extra money, but it also benefits the environment due to providing efficient cross pollination.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Al-Ghamdi |first1=Ahmed A. |last2=Adgaba |first2=Nuru |last3=Herab |first3=Ahmed H. |last4=Ansari |first4=Mohammad J. |date=July 2017 |title=Comparative analysis of profitability of honey production using traditional and box hives |journal=Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences |volume=24 |issue=5 |pages=1075–1080 |doi=10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.01.007 |issn=1319-562X |pmc=5478371 |pmid=28663707}}</ref> However, there is a cost for starting a beekeeping business. Initial investments are expensive, as typically the first year's profits are used to pay off the initial investment. Profit should be expected only after the second or third year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanford, Malcolm T. (Malcolm Thomas), 1942- |title=A study in profitability for a mid-sized beekeeping operation |date=1986 |publisher=Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida |oclc=16654725}}</ref> People who seem interested in having beehives in their backyard must also consider the legal aspect of the practice, as different cities have different laws regarding the use of beehives.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abfnet.org/page/laws-regs |title=Beekeeping Laws & Regulations – American Beekeeping Federation |website=abfnet.org |access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>