The equipment that you will need for your honeybees and your hives will vary, depending on the size of your apiary, number of hives, and amount of honey being produced. However, there are certain basics that any beekeeper will need, whether you have one hive or fifty.
The basics you will need are:
• Hive components (see Chapter 6)
• Beekeeper’s suit
• Smoker
• Hive tool
• Equipment for handling honey
As the components that make up a honeybee hive require a more in-depth explanation, hive components will be discussed in Chapter 6. In this chapter, we will be dealing primarily with the tools of beekeeping.
The beekeeper’s suit covers the keeper from head to toe. It helps to protect the keeper from the threat of stings. The suit should be white or off-white. Even a cream color will work: not only is white difficult for the honeybee to see, but a dark suit may also end up causing a case of mistaken identity, with you being mistaken for a predator and being attacked.
The beekeeper’s suit consists of a hat and veil, gloves, and a full-body one-piece suit that covers arms, legs, and torso with sleeves and pant legs that will have Velcro or zippers to keep them tight to the body so the bees cannot get into the suit. Some keepers may also choose to include a pair of work boots.
A suited beekeeper at work. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The veils are mesh and should allow total clear visibility. Those veils that have solid sides can end up obstructing the beekeeper’s vision, possibly creating a dangerous situation.
The newer suits are made from a cotton/polyester-blend fabric. It is strong and, although not sting-proof, keeps the beekeeper safe from stings. For the most part, the gloves are made from the same fabric. Not all beekeepers wear gloves, however, as many find it difficult to perform delicate work with them on. Yet, as a beginner, you may decide to wear the gloves until you learn how to handle your bees and are more comfortable doing so.
You might see pictures in which the beekeepers are wearing no suit at all. While this is entirely possible for an experienced keeper, new or novice beekeepers should wear a suit, at least until they learn their way around their bees, which includes learning proper handling of the bees to minimize stings.
One final thing to remember when wearing your suit is to make sure it fits properly: the arm and leg openings should be tight against the wrist and ankles, with boots over the pants and a well-fitting hat and veil. Again, this is because you do not want bees getting into your sleeves, leggings, and veil areas.
A smoker is used to calm the bees so the beekeeper can get in to inspect the hive or gather the honey. Although there is much more to it, basically, the smoke will interrupt the bees’ defense response.
A smoker used in beekeeping. Photo courtesy of Robert Engelhardt.
A smoker has three parts: the fire pot, the bellows, and a nozzle, which is used to direct the smoke in the right direction. In its most basic terms, think of it as sort of a coffeepot with the bellows attached to it.
The smoker is operated quite easily. Smoldering fuel is placed in the fire pot. The fuel may be pine needles, burlap, pulpwood, or corrugated cardboard, although commercial fuel may also be purchased. Bellows, attached to the side of the fire pot, force air through the pot, which, in turn, forces smoke to come out through the nozzle to be directed where the keeper needs. The smoke should not be hot.
There are also newer styles of smokers available, which use heated coils (propane) that produce a smoke fluid, which is said to be less noxious to the bees, as well as using food-grade ingredients. Instead of continual smoke, the beekeeper can even pump the smoke as needed. Which type of smoker is used is up to the beekeeper.
As an interesting aside, it is known that the ancient Egyptians used smokers with their bees. However, their smokers were simply a piece of broken pottery or even a shell holding smoldering cow dung. The beekeeper would then blow the smoke at the hive to where it was needed.
A hive tool is simply a little pry bar–type apparatus with a scraper on one end. The hive tool has multiple uses, including removing excess brace comb, scraping propolis from hive parts, loosening hive bodies and frames, and dismantling the hives.
There are many designs of hive tools; however, if the tool is made of stainless steel, it is easier both to clean and sterilize.
A hive tool. Photo courtesy of Richard Engelhardt.
Finally, we have the equipment for handling the liquid gold, the honey.
The common equipment needed here is:
• Extractor
• Uncapping knife
• Strainers
The extractor does just what the name says: it extracts the honey from the uncapped combs. Basically, the drum or bucket of the extractor holds a frame basket where the honey-filled frames sit. The drums spin, and, through centrifugal force, the honey is thrown from the comb. The comb remains in one piece on the frame and may be used again by the bees.
An extractor, with full frames waiting for extraction (in background). Photo courtesy of c-hahn.
There are different types and sizes of extractors, from home versions holding as few as two frames to commercial types holding up to one hundred frames or more. However, extractors can be expensive, so some backyard honeybee-keepers may opt to simply cut the comb out from the frame, and then crush or squeeze the comb to release the honey. Some even do this by hand, although it can be a sticky mess. Yet, on a shoestring budget, it works. The biggest problem with this method is that the comb is destroyed, leaving the bees to have to rebuild it.
It may be possible to borrow or rent an extractor. Check with other beekeepers, clubs, or local organizations, as they may either rent or loan one out themselves, or at least know who does.
An uncapping knife cuts the wax caps off the comb before you put the call in for extraction. Most keepers use either a cold knife or electric knife that can warm up. Some may simply use a serrated bread knife.
For ease of cutting, the knife needs to be warm. Electric knives have their own heating element. Otherwise, the knives are dipped into hot water first. However, you must be careful not to get water into the honey, so dry the knife first.
Removing the caps for honey extraction. Photo courtesy of Justin Nussbaum.
Last, but not least, is the strainer. You can use either a kitchen strainer or the stainless-steel types sold by beekeeping supply companies. An important piece of equipment, the strainers remove all the wax bits and other impurities that may be floating around in your honey before you package it.
So, in a nutshell, these are the basic pieces of equipment the new beekeeper will need to own or have access to. Of course, there is more to learn about the equipment, and it is certainly necessary to do your homework before making your selections and, ultimately, your purchases. There are wide ranges in cost, quality, and size. As a new beekeeper, you will need to figure out what will work best for you, your bees, and your budget.
