A flat-pack hive will set you back around £150 and bees for the hive are about the same price. Then you need your bee suit, gloves, smoker and hive tool – that’s another £100'ish. Many suppliers offer deals on Starter Packs that are worth looking at. And of course, there is your subscription fee for joining an association – typically around £32 p.a.

But the costs are spread out; joining an association comes first - then it may be months before you buy your protective clothing and then months before you get a hive and some bees. You may also be fortunate enough to attract a swarm of honeybees free of charge!

Most certainly - beekeeping is a pastime for all ages and genders and there are many females who undertake beekeeping on their own. A lot of them are very highly skilled and qualified beekeepers.

And yes - she really is a Beekeeper!

As much or as little as you have available. Some beekeepers will adopt the "leave them alone and let them get on with it" approach. But this is regarded as not being responsible for your bees and managing them properly. Generally, an inspection once a week between April and August is all that is normally required - and that might only take you a few minutes if you only have one or two colonies.

And for 6 months of the year we don't do anything with them from around September to the following March - we just make sure they have enough food to see them through the Winter months.

Your local association will normally run Beginners Courses at least once each year that are designed for people wishing to learn more about bees or become a beekeeper. Check out their website or contact them for details of their courses. You can find your nearest beekeeping association here

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