What is a Beekeeper?

A Beekeeper is a person who has beehives and takes care of them. You will read a lot about this word in this blog: a beekeeper is an apiarist and I am sure that you will be more accustomed to the latter. You can say that he or she is a farmer and their livestock is bees but why does anybody want to be an apiarist?
It could be that you want to continue a family tradition, as in my case, but I know people that after a visit to an apiary have ended up looking for a place to put their recently bought beehives. Bees have something special, you cannot be indifferent to them!! But don't be fooled this is a job where you can get a lot of satisfaction for others disappoint ment and in some quarters it is not highly valued or appreciated.
Nowadays in Tenerife the Beekeepers are a united collective of people thanks to the Agricultural Associations and the help from "Casa de La Miel" and with the crisis is being seen a lot of people are interested in Apiculture and amongst the women specially atand out, they are joining the bandwagon. From this corner we wish them the best of luck!!
If you want to be a Beekeeper there are two possibilities, to start as an enthusiast and as a hobby or being professional or semi-professional. Like everything else in this life, this job is a not free from risk and as was said a bore "this is a job where you can get a lot of satisfaction for others disappoint ment and in some quarters it is not highly valued or appreciated"
My first piece of advice would be to visit an apiary several times, in the hands of an experienced Beekeeper. If you decide to have your first beehives, mu second piece of advice would be that you go to one of the Beekeepers Associations that there are on the Island, Why? Because you will be helped by other beekeepers to share your doubts and experiences a bore all to combat the illnesses affecting bees and know about their parasites. It will also  be easier for you to ask for and apply the national plan for Beekeepers against Varroa-mites. Insurance will also be much cheaper, aid to this sector of the economy will be easier to arrange, etc.
Let's do a little bit of history. On the island there is a great tradition of Beekeeping that according to some goes back until a long time before The Conquest of the Island but from there on is when the first records were kept in "Las Datas del Adelantado" and in the "Acuerdos del Cabildo" about rural beehives in the wild.
Las Datas, ( dates and places on documents), were records, I think that is the best way to describe them, for the sharing out of the land, water and rich resources of the islands. People were granted the property rights by D. Alonso Fernández de Lugo in recognition of their services given or as  an incentive to prospective new colonists.
The first dates and place names are from the year 1497 but the first that make references to beehives are from the year 1500 and the agreements from "Cabildo de Tenerife", (Island Council), regulated by means of decree the social and commercial activities.
Apiary activity was regulated in various fields: The rights to harvest the rural beehives for control of the exportation of the beeswax and honey, the idea of new settlements and the regulations for the fabrication of candles by the wax chandlers.
I hope that this short introduction has helped you in case you have an interest in entering this wonderful world.

Ubicación: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, España