The other benefit is psychological - beekeeping requires an almost zen like approach when dealing with the hive. You cannot get angry or flustered, even when surrounded by thousands of bees desperately trying to sting you. You have to focus, be calm, and do the work.
http://www.betterbee.com/beekeeping-state-and-federal-laws
http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/honeybeechronicles/artic...
But you're not compelled to do anything - you can skip registering and take your chances!
If not, your local group is probably fighting to make it happen.
Anyway- do you have any websites or other sources you would recommend to someone just getting started?
2 few things to know about beekeeping: * Beekeepers disagree on everything. * Bees have been surviving without humans for a long time.
So in general as long as you're not horrible and actively trying to kill your bees, they'll manage fine.
While this is true, the point in the article about 'feral' hives and genetic diversity was pretty interesting.
I don't keep them myself, but I have friends who do. AFAIK, you need to be concerned about:
* food/water - The bees will fly up to 2 miles to forage. So as long as you have flowering vegetation within 2 miles, you're good!
* predators - You want the hives to be reasonably protected from things like mice and raccoons. This is one reason boxes are raised up off the ground. If you live where there are bears, good luck.
* sun/moisture - I think too much shade and moisture can invite bugs, mites, mold, etc. I believe this is another reason the boxes are raised up off the ground, so the bottom box isn't just sitting in a puddle.
* access - You will need to be able to get to the hives sometimes. They will weigh a lot during honey season. And moving them, and extracting honey is messy. I had friends who put a hive a half mile into their sometimes swampy woods, and while the bees didn't care, the owners later regretted it.
Also, they actually forage up to 4 miles away [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forage_(honey_bee)]. Outside of that range, it is an energy negative (but some beekeepers will tell you that bees forage up to 7 miles away).
During high season, bees don't really hang around the hive; they leave and go forage. You can stand 2 meters in front of my hives and turn your back and have no idea there's a beehive anywhere near you.
Likewise, you don't need to be garbed for most of your beekeeping activities. You can change out feeders or pop open the top for a quick peek without being bothered. Many beekeepers have found that they can pull frames or shuffle boxes if they are gentle and don't rile up the bees.
But what I really want to tell is: > ...bees don't really hang around the hive; they leave and go forage.
When they change, and decide to hang around the hive, don't let anybody at the terrace, or near it in any way. That does not happen often, and does not last for long, but you better stay away for a while.