National Honey Bee

What is the Best Way to get Started with Beekeeping?

While there are many other tools and supplies you will need when you first get started with beekeeping and managing the colonies of honeybees, the bee outfit is the most important.

As you gain experience and confidence, your comfort level with bees will improve. You will probably feel less comfortable wearing protection. Your neck and face are the most likely places to be stung. Bees also draw on your breath to find out your identity, so it is important to protect your neck and face with a veil and hat. Although it takes years of experience to avoid being stung, most beekeepers will still wear a veil and hat.

You may be aware that honey extraction requires more expensive equipment and supplies, such as honey extractors and centrifuges. However, these are not necessary to start keeping bees. They are usually available to rent or borrow from local beekeepers. Despite this, it is important to know that you should always purchase or obtain high-quality products. Not necessarily the most expensive, but the best for your budget.

Essential tools and supplies for Beginners Beekeepers

For beginners, you can save money by purchasing used equipment for beekeeping. Many online suppliers offer beginner’s kits at significant savings. They also offer pre-packaged bees, un-assembled honey hives, and other useful tools. The following list of tools and supplies is essential for beginners beekeepers.

1. Bee Outfit

A full-length suit that includes a hood and veil. You can also purchase a separate hat with a veil. Protecting your eyes and face is crucial. As a beginner, it is recommended that you purchase a full beekeeping outfit with a built-in hood and veil. This type of suit is available from many suppliers. The rule of thumb when buying a suit is to make sure it is as big as possible. A loose-fitting suit will be more comfortable for you and keep the stingers from your skin. The least effective suit will always be the cheapest. Use your budget to get the best.

2. Gloves

When you start as a beekeeper, it is crucial to have gloves that protect your hands. While leather is a good choice, other tough fabrics are also available. They should allow for full finger movement and be thick enough to prevent stingers from getting into your fingers. Gloves can make it more difficult to handle supers and frames. You will be less clumsy and will cause less disturbance to the bees if you don’t have gloves. You will likely stop using gloves once you have gained more confidence and become more like other experienced beekeepers. You should still invest in a good pair of gloves to begin with. The best choice is a pair of specialist beekeeping gloves that have gauntlets.

3. Hive Tool, or All-purpose pry or lever

This flat bar or lever has one end bent and the opposite end straight. This tool is used to remove cemented frames. This tool is an essential part of your equipment list.

4. Smoker

It is used for calming the bees when opening a hive to inspect or harvest honey. To create smoke, natural fuels such as wood and pine needles are used. burlap, pine needles, hessian, etc. The best, but also most expensive, type of stainless steel is stainless steel. They can also be made from copper or other metals, which will make them less expensive. You will want to make sure that the one you choose has a hook so you don’t trip over it while out in the field. It also has a heat guard to protect from heat.

5. Bee Feeder

When you first get bees, it is a good idea for them to be fed immediately to ensure they get off to a good start. So add a bee feeder in your beekeeping toolbox.

6. Fumer board

This is a tool that can be used to get bees out from the hive, especially when you are removing honeycomb. Usually sprayed with bee repellent.

7. Bee Brush

This is a must-have tool. It’s used to move honeycomb out of the way of bees so they are not injured while you work in the hive.

Choose the Beehives that best suit your needs

The beehive is the most important factor in beekeeping. Beekeepers have improved their methods of cultivating beehives over the years to obtain more honey quickly and easily.

There are many types of beehives that can be purchased by beekeepers. Beginners should ask which one to purchase. This question is not easy to answer. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The colony can adapt to any type of hive and the bees don’t seem like they have a preference. The bees will be happy as long as the hive has adequate shade, is dry and is located in an undisturbed area.

The beekeeper will decide which hive is best for them. The most important thing to consider is which hive will best suit your needs and deliver the benefits you desire from beekeeping. Before you decide on a design, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each hive. You will be able to make the right decision if you ask other beekeepers around your area.

The Langstroth hive

The Langstroth hive is the most popular beekeeper hive in the United States. Because it is portable, the Langstroth hive is very convenient. Langstroth hives have a frame case made of wood that has a rectangular shape. This supports the honeycombs inside. There are usually 9-10 combs that can fit inside.

Surprisingly the frame does not have a top or bottom, and the combs can be left hanging free within it. These combs are made of wax sheets or plastic as a foundation. These wax sheets are used to build the honeycomb. Bees can produce wax.

After everything is done, they will place honey and pollen into the comb cells. Langstroth hives have a design that makes it easy to extract honey frames.

The Top-bar hive

The United States, where beekeepers are a hobby, uses hives with top bar, which is also common in Africa. Top-bar hives have bars at the top of the structure to allow honey bees to attach wax combs and hang them. The top-bar type hive is different from the Langstroth type. The combs on these bars cannot be recycled after harvesting honey. This design is known for producing the highest quality honey, but has a lower honey yield. It can also be sold in-comb as a honey product.

Where should your Beehives be located?

It is important to consider where your bees would be kept when you are learning about beekeeping basics. The property used for beekeeping must adhere to all local laws. The space available for the beehive should be considered by the beekeeper. Beehives should not be located in close proximity to neighbours or places of recreation. Most people consider bees annoying, especially those who are allergic to bee stings.

It is important to place beehives in areas that are close to nectar and pollen sources so that bees can easily access their food source. Some beekeepers keep beekeeping solely for crop-pollination. The hives should be located near a source of fresh water. This could be something that the beekeeper provides or a natural one.

The location of the hive, as well as its vulnerability to predators and vandals, is another important aspect of beekeeping. It is important to ensure that the hive is protected from natural predators such as bears and skunks. Human vandals could also be a threat, as they might steal your honey. You should also consider the weather conditions as you will need to take certain precautions to ensure the safety of your hives. Although bees are only active during certain seasons, you can keep a job as a beekeeper all year.