Beekeeping: Supplies, Equipment and Clothing

Beekeeping: Supplies, Equipment and Clothing

Do you know what beekeeping supplies, clothing, and equipment you need to raise bees? If not, you have landed on the right page. Here is an article as a guide to items that are going to help you get off to a good start.

Important beekeeping supplies and equipment Besides the hives, there are three basic Beekeeping Products that you should always have when handling bees:

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Smoker Smoke, if used properly and not excessively, will help to calm the bees. A small smoker would be okay for a couple of hives. However, if you have 4 or more hives in your apiary, you may want to go for a larger one. You want to produce cool white smoke. And in order to do so, you can purchase smoker fuel or even use dry pine needles in your smoker.

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Hive tool This is a device that is used like a lever to help loosen the frames and boxes. Most beekeepers have more than one hive tool.

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Frame grips Frame grips are metal pincher devices that are used by many new beekeepers nowadays. They tend to make it much easier to remove frames from the hive with one hand. This is a very useful tool to consider.

Beekeeping Clothing Let’s start with the basics of beekeeping clothing. You should always have a veil for your face and wear clothing that will help protect you from stings. Several styles of full beekeeping suits or beekeeping jackets are available for purchase from the best beekeeping supply companies. These may be best for a beginner. The average cost for these may range anywhere from $75 to $170. Overall, you should stick to white or light colors and a loose-fitting jacket or suit. Some beekeepers skip the gloves in order to manipulate the inside of the hive better, although for beginners, this is generally not recommended.

You will want to wear clothing that will both protect you and that you don’t mind getting stained. Bees will produce waste that shows up as yellowish marks on your clothing, so you do not want to be wearing your finest outfit. Make sure you protect your wrists and ankles. You should also tuck your pants into your socks and your

shirt sleeves into your gloves. Wrap both your wrists and ankles with some type of band in order to secure your clothing in place.

You should be washing your beekeeping clothing periodically. Bees release a pheromone when they sting in order to alert other bees of an attacker. If you wear previously stung clothing, it basically means that you are begging to get stung! The experienced beekeepers (or the ones with thick skin) may not even need to use gloves.