Tom Sanford's point is well taken.  I'll add another.  The largest
numbers of beekeepers are hobbiest, and many take up the hobby when they
approach retirement age.  In my part of the world, the largest numbers of
colonies are kept by very large commercial beekeepers, ones who run
several thousand colonies.  These are usually family businesses.  Like
all agricultural pursuits, the kids often think other ventures are more
glamorous, pay more, or take less work.  However, whenever one of our
established beekeepers sells out, there is a customer waiting.  Usually
one that is tired of spray planes killing bees, etc.
 
One never knows how a beekeeper might get started, but most new ones that
make a living at it started as a helper or apprentice while in high
school.  One of our commercial operations is run by a fellow with an
unusual last name, a name that didn't fit with any of the long term
beekeeping families in Montana.  I asked him one day how he got into the
business - and he said he married into it.  When the beekeeper retired,
he bought his father-in-laws operation.  Only along the way, he got
divorced and re-married.  Kept the bees though!
 
Jerry Bromenshenk
jjbmail@selway,umt.edu
 
P.S.  I find that we can get the kids interested in other issues, such as
cutting bees for mites (better than lawn mowing for pocket cash); use of
computers to assist beekeeping, beekeeping home pages, etc.  It shows a
different side to beekeeping and kind of sneaks up on them.