apiary tours

[JohnRoss]

My honey sells well in a local tourist shop next in the village nearby, but recently a number of tourists have asked if I offer tours of the apiary, After initially thinking that it wasn't a great idea I am now thinking maybe it might be something to explore further.

Get a few bee suits, maybe arrange for a weather permitting tour no a Saturday once a week (when I would be checking my bees anyway). They get to do a tour (paid of course), learn about bees and bee keeping and maybe buy a jar of honey after.

My big concern would be someone getting stung and taking an allergic reaction. Or maybe falling over and suing. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar venture or herd of one being done?

 

[Rock_Chick]

As long as you have public liability insurance it should be ok.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Alternatively, if you have the space, you could build a mesh enclosure for the visitors to stand or sit in while you do an inspection, bringing frames over to the enclosure for a close-up view by those inside. The wall furthest from the hives could be solid with your teaching aids, posters, etc. attached.

Not sure how you'd get the visitors out and away from the enclosure after an inspection, when the bees might be a bit excited. You'd want women to ensure their hair is covered so that bees can't get entangled à la Julia Bradbury on Countryfile. Maybe one of those cheap hat/shoulder covering tied under the arms for each visitor for the journey to and from the enclosure - they're about £2 on Ebay or you could buy cheap smocks for £6.

Quite an investment of money (might be cheaper than bee suits, etc.) and time so you'd have to be sure it was worth it, in terms of visitor numbers. Could you borrow a couple of suits from your association to try it for a season?

Let us know what you decide.

CVB

 

[elite123]

I think it is a great idea - but as above, insurance a must, and think about so many people knowing where your hives are with risk of theft etc. One thing I found is to ask visitors to not wear purfume/aftershave etc as some can attract interest