There’s a fascination worth pursuing when it comes to bees.
They are an amazing, yet small, and very hardworking insect.
Are you dreaming of beekeeping?
There are beekeeping specific tools and equipment that will be necessary as you begin this journey.
Consider an apiary starter kit as you begin this captivating hobby.
A place where bees or a colony of bees is kept is called an apiary.
An apiary starter kit is a wise purchase as you begin with beekeeping.
Many times the starter kit will be cheaper, but the components may not be of the highest quality.
Components to Consider for Beekeeping
- Hive System
This usually consists of hive boxes called supers or deeps.
There are various depths depending if they are for the workers or the queen bee.
Within this box there are hive frames, with 10 frames being standard. These hive frames will fill with honey.
If weight is a concern, you may use small or medium supers, which will weigh less than deep supers when filled with honey.
- Personal Protective Equipment
Keeping a calm demeanor while around the bees is just as important as utilizing protective equipment.
It’s important to have leather beekeeping gloves. These will allow you to work with the bees, and if they attempt to sting you, the leather’s thickness will protect you from it. Ventilated gloves are recommended for warmer climates.
Another great choice for protection is the beekeeping jacket. This jacket has cuffed sleeves to keep bees out, is comfortable and allows movement. It should also have an attached hooded, veil to protect the face from the bees.
Many beekeepers prefer a full beekeeping suit, which covers you from head to ankle.
Things to consider when buying a beekeeping suit:
- Make sure the zippers are high quality – A broken zipper can result in getting stung.
- Pockets – Deep pockets are preferred, so everything doesn’t fall out when you bend over to work you hive.
- Veil – The veil should stay in place. You should not have to wear a hat to secure the veil.
- Neck collar – A collar inside the veil will prevent bee stings on you neck.
Protective clothing is important for your own safety and enjoyment and should not be overlooked.
- Hive Tool
A must have tool for the beekeeper is a lifter and scraper tool This tool makes lifting out the frames and scraping the beeswax easier. They are a sturdy tool that resembles the letter j, and have a sharpened edge.
- Bee Hive Smoker
Smokers are often used to calm the bees while working in the hive. Bees use pheromones to communicate. When they are alarmed they send hormones out to communicate with the others and soon the entire hive is angry and on alert.
With the use of a smoker, it masks the pheromones. The bees stay calm and you are able to go about your work in the hive.
It is often best to spend a little more and buy a decent hive smoker, as the cheap ones tend to warp from the heat.
- Bees
A beehive wouldn’t be very useful without the bees. These can be purchased several ways.
One option is as packaged bees. They are mailed as worker bees with one queen. They are sold by the pound and are shipped in a small wood box.
A second option is to purchase a nuc bee colony. This is a nucleus colony from a nearby beekeeper. It consists of four or five frames with broods and bees and an actively laying queen.
All that is needed is to place the whole frames into your hive and you will have a head start to your new colony. This nuc colony usually adapts very well.
These five components will aid you on your journey into beekeeping. Once established, there are other items to consider.
Items such as a reference book, spacing tool, bee brush and a queen-excluder are all useful, but not necessary to get started.
An apiary starter kit that includes the above items will have you beekeeping in just a short time.
1. Ventilated Suit – https://amzn.to/2D1hJBu
(NEW) Ventilated Jacket – https://amzn.to/2Av6piJ
2. Beekeeper YKK Suit Combo – https://amzn.to/2Xk3xLz
3. Beekeeper Journal – https://bit.ly/3xXxFl2
4. YKK Suit – https://amzn.to/2IDJALO
5. Beekeeper Jacket – https://amzn.to/2FirwTW
6. Beekeeping Gloves:
– Goatskin Beekeeping Gloves – https://amzn.to/2GYxBZW
– Cow Leather Beekeeping Gloves – https://amzn.to/2uiSExd
7. Queen Marking Kit – https://amzn.to/2Wm1kCw
– Queen Marking Pens – https://amzn.to/3c4vE8y
–Queen Marking Cage – https://amzn.to/2TDwwdQ
🐝 Good Luck and Happy Beekeeping!
