A WILTING vegetable patch at his property in Nagambie, Victoria, that failed to thrive was Paul Drayton's entree to the bee industry 10 years ago.
"I thought, I need bees to make sure my flowers are being pollinated," he said.
He rang his friend, now partner-in-bees, Rick Tranter, who suggested they first buy a honey extractor.
A second-hand unit was sourced but when they collected it the seller insisted they take his stock too - 23 boxes each holding 30,000 buzzing bees.
With both wives rolling their eyes, Mr Drayton and Mr Tranter housed the hives on a friend's property near Nagambie with a view to keeping just two.
That changed when they collected 2.5 tonnes of honey.
"We thought, this is great," Mr Drayton said.
"We knocked on the door of Capilano Honey in Castlemaine. They looked at it, tested the sugar content and the colour against a chart and then paid us $6 per kilogram.
"We spent that money on our wives to get them back on board."
Such a fast start shaped the future direction of the beekeepers who decided to shun big business, and the travel needed to fill their orders, in favour of selling one kilogram tubs locally.
"It's well worth doing on a big scale," Mr Drayton said.
"And the buyers, such as Capilano and Beechworth Honey, are there waiting.
"But I don't want to chase flowers. I'm not a stay-away-from-home type of guy.
"Rick and I just enjoy the bees and the money we make is a bonus. We have never taken a wage just bought some nice Christmas presents."
Mr Drayton and Mr Trantor now own 50 hives, each housing 30,000 bees that sit alongside the Goulburn River under Red Gum and Grey Box trees, among other mixed flora, that produce honey with a blend of flavours.
They have named their business, Nagambee Honey and sell through local outlets, as well as the Nagambie Primary School.
"Parents love us and then they don't because once their children taste our pure honey, they will prefer to eat ours," Mr Drayton said.
Due to tight seasonal conditions and the dependence on local flowers, the past few years have been lean, with the emphasis on the bee's comfort and wellbeing.
"Honey is a lot scarcer than you think," Mr Drayton said.
"Bees only produce a teaspoon of honey throughout their six-week lifespan."
Mr Drayton also sells honey to local studs to treat horse's cuts and abrasions and said the antimicrobial and antibacterial benefits of bee products are as unique as the insects themselves.
