In case you’re wondering what supplies you require for beekeeping, you’re in luck. I’ll tell you precisely what you need to kick off your beekeeping operation. The correct rundown of provisions you’ll need will depend on the kind of hive you pick, just as your DIY skills and your will to save some extra bucks. Be that as it may, this should get you started.
#1 Beehive
You will require a beehive, either a Langstroth hive made up of boxes and outlines, or a top-bar beehive. For a Langstroth hive, the most widely recognized sort utilized by starting beekeepers, you may buy a hive kit or individual parts which includes foundation, frames and boxes.
Foundation is what the bees will require to draw out combs. It very well may be made of natural beeswax or plastic. A lot of beekeepers seem to try out natural foundation as the honey bees appear to improve the situation with it.
#2 Honeybees
The next step definitely would be to acquire the bees themselves! You can purchase them off a local bee supplier or on the internet. Most times, purchasing honey bees locally is ideal, since you’ll end up with bees that are programmed or optimized for your specific beekeeping conditions and micro-climate.
#3 Protective Gear
Getting stung truly goes with the job but you need to have a proper beekeeping gear to protect you from their stings with are often severe. They can also sting your pets so ensure pets cannot access the beehive area.
What do you truly require for beekeeping? In the event that you are working with a Langstroth hive, you may require everything on this list. Top-bar beehive does not disturb the bees much when you work with them so gloves and a veil might be sufficient for you.
- Veil. A cloak shields your head and face from honey bee stings and is the most critical honey bee protective component to have.
- Gloves. Gloves are frequently utilized by amateurs (even dishwashing cloves are ideal for this job) but progressively experienced beekeepers regularly manage without them.
- Bee suit, one-piece or coat, and pants. A honey bee suit can shield your entire body from honey bee stings, yet wearing full-length clothes can get the job done. If you happen to come across a one piece, pick the jacket over the jeans.
#4 Smoker and Bee Tools
A smoker will quieten the honey before you can harvest the honey or check on the bees. A few simple hand tools are sold by beekeeping supply stores that will enable you to work with the honey bees. There are a lot of suitable tools that may come in handy, however, most of them are not well-known.
- Hive tool. A hive tool is a small, crowbar-like tool that helps you part the boxes that your beehive is made of when it gets stuck together with propolis and/or beeswax.
- Scraper. A scraper can enable you remove the propolis and wax that have accumulated on your hive components.
- Uncapping scratcher. This helps you uncap the honeycomb to free the honey.
#5 Honey Extractor
Honey extractors take the honey from your honey frames and, well, extract it. Irrespective of the shape and size they come in, they all do the same thing. Some are run by a motor while others are operated by hand. Your extractor ought to be sized to the numbers of bees present. If you do not own a lot of bees, then it may be ideal for you to rent or borrow one until you fully expand.