[–] NotFamous ago (edited ago)
Protective gear is cheap- I'm talking like 15 bucks for a bug/mosquito suit - 50 for a bonified bee suit. It's important to note that bees are much less aggressive than you think, as I often inspect the hives (unstack the boxes and pull out bits of the hive to look for infestations/dissease/the like) in a teeshirt and shorts. The hives themselves can be expensive if you don't build them yourself (About 400 for a complete hive for me). I can't speak for myself as I haven't harvested this year (First year), after the first year of harvesting I've heard many beekeepers make half to all of their expenses back in one year.
[–] redoingit 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Wow! That's absolutely amazing! This is something that sounds really nice to get into. DO you get a lot of satisfaction from it?
[–] NotFamous 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I do! I got into it about half a year ago after watching a documentary or two of the dying off of bees and the environmental impacts they have (see "Vanishing of the Bees" and More Than Honey" if you're interested - they're both on Netflix). Knowing that I'm making a difference is fantastic, but sometimes I get the most satisfaction just sitting 5 feet away from the hive in a lawn chair and watching them come and go.
Add on Edit: A fun fact I like to toss around is that bees will forage anywhere between a 0-5 mile radius for Pollen/Nectar/Water. After attending a few local beekeeping meetings I've discovered that my two hives, and another local's 4 hives are the only bees within radius of my neighborhood...and with most all wild honeybees dying off...it's just a strange thing to think about when you're out and about and see a bee buzzing about.