Uncovering untapped potentials: diversifying business may yield profitable earnings, yet it remains an overlooked strategy among beekeepers

Beekeeping is a rewarding business that offers numerous opportunities beyond just honey production. While most beekeepers are solely focused on honey production, this approach can be limiting due to the fluctuation of weather and market conditions. Therefore, it is essential to diversify your business by exploring other honey bee products and services. Our research investigated the beekeeping practices of 100 beekeepers from seven regions in southern Brazil to identify the most common practices and potential opportunities for diversification. Our study focused on ten major beekeeping practices, including products or services as honey, queen rearing, swarm, propolis, pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, sanitary control activity, digital technology enthusiasm, and migratory beekeeping. We used a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 86 questions that were analysed with generalized Procrustes analysis and clustered heatmap. Overall, we found that honey production, digital technology enthusiasm, and migratory beekeeping are the most common beekeeping practices among beekeepers, regionally. Conversely, the exploitation of beeswax, pollen, swarm, and royal jelly production were relatively rare, creating opportunities for beekeepers looking to diversify their earnings and reduce competition. Additionally, our research revealed that certain regions have adopted specific beekeeping practices better than others, which suggests that there are possibilities for improvement and growth in the beekeeping industry. Finally, our research demonstrates the potential for beekeepers to diversify their business beyond just honey production. By exploring other honey bee products and services, beekeepers can reduce the impact of market limitations caused by weather and market fluctuations, ultimately creating a more resilient and profitable business.