Beekeeping
Beekeeping can be a fascinating hobby, a profitable sideline, or a full-time occupation. The industry in Mississippi is composed of beekeepers that manage their colonies for honey production, as well as producing queens and package bees.
Several large commercial, migratory beekeepers in the Midwest also winter several thousand colonies in Mississippi. There are between 20 and 30 thousand colonies in the state during the summer and 80-120 thousand during the winter. Mississippi has 12 full-time commercial beekeepers, 30-40 part-time honey producers and 800 hobbyists. Mississippi ranks 28th in the nation in honey production and produces about 2.25 million pounds of honey each year.
The 1996 value of honey production in Mississippi was $1,156,000. Net annual income of Mississippi beekeepers from honey and beeswax production, sale of packaged bees and queens, and pollination fees is estimated to be between $2.1 and $3.1 million. Honey bees contribute a value to pollination of fruits, berries, vegetables, sunflowers, cotton, soybeans, peanuts and wild plants in Mississippi exceeding $200 million annually (Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce).
Frequently Asked Questions
In recent years I have noticed a lack of honey
bees in my garden and flower beds. Where have all of the honey bees
gone?
How can you determine if your colony has a good
queen?
Is it safe to use combs that bees have died
in during the winter?
What is the recommended chemical treatment
against varroa mites?
What is the current range of Africanized
honey bees in the United States?
What time of year should you start a colony
of bees?
How many colonies should a beginner start
with?
What are the various ways in which a new beekeeper
can obtain bees?
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