(The Center Square) – A new survey has found that beekeeping is one of the most popular alternative hobbies in Illinois.
In Illinois, beekeeping beat out aquarium keeping, falconry, lapidary and metal detecting, according to ModestFish.com .
Angie Kuehl, a beekeeper of 15 years who lives outside Carbondale, warns all would-be beekeepers that it is easy to get addicted to the hobby.
“It’s great for people looking to relieve some stress. It gets you outdoors. It’s a mystical, magical world, for sure,” Kuehl said.
There’s a lot more to beekeeping than buying some bees and putting them in a box in the backyard, she said.
“You think you are learning about bees, but you are learning about when the maple trees bloom for the first time in the spring, and all about flowers and the environment,” she said.
The work can be hot and dirty. Expect frustration. It is easy to get discouraged, Kuehl said.
“Bees teach you a lot of patience. And you learn a lot from your failures,” she said.
Kuehl recommends getting a mentor at a local beekeeping club or through the local University of Illinois agriculture extension office. Watching a YouTube video can’t convey what it feels like to be out in July in a full veil and bodysuit, lifting a 100-pound box of honey, she said.