Beekeeper Supplies

Beekeeping can be a very rewarding and greatly satisfying activity and it has attracted very many people to take part in it on a regular basis. At any one point in time, there are people who are either consuming honey, harvesting honey or in one way or another dealing in honey. This simply points to the fact that beekeeping is actually a widespread activity. Beekeepers are almost always aware about the requirements and demands that the practice has in store for them. When it comes to the attire or beekeeping suit, there are 5 important truths that every beekeepers must bear in mind.

1. Not Complete Protection

As much as beekeeping without a suit is a dangerous thing, the mistake should not be made to think that the suit offers full protection from bee stings. Having the beekeeping suit may provide great protection but it also does have its let downs because a bee might sneak into the suit somehow and cause a lot of trouble.

2. How the Suit is Designed

A beekeeping suit should be made of material that is compatible with the whole activity of beekeeping. First of all, the material should not be heavy since it might create heat problems during the process of beekeeping. It is advisable to use either cotton or polyester to make the suit because those two provide a great kind of material for the beekeeping suit.

3. Facial Protection

While the suit will properly protect the body, there is need for the fact to be protected as well. Any beekeeping suit should by all means have some kind of protection on the face. A veil is usually fixed on the upper part of the suit to ensure that the facial areas are protected. Also, the veil helps the person wearing the suit not to run out of breath as it provides suitable breathing for them.

4. What it looks like

The beekeeping suit should look and feel comfortable on the body of the person wearing it. This simply points to the fact that the suit should be the right size for the person wearing it; not too small or too big and it should cover the vital parts, i.e. the face and the upper part of the body. For suits that are not complete body suits, there is need to have a pair of trousers prior to wearing the beekeeping suits.

5. The Gloves

No beekeeping suit will be as effective if there are no gloves. While the suit protects the entire body, the gloves simply ensure that the hands are safe from the bee stings.

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The bees that are in a hive are neither every aggressive nor are they very docile. They can become aggressive if they are made to become so. This makes them dangerous at times. The stings that they have are the best defense for them. It is also the thing that makes the beekeeper to be scared of them at times. The bees can inflict a lot of damage to the beekeeper if the protective gear is not adequate. Many beekeepers may even get reactions or allergies after a bee sting. If there are many bee stings, then it can be very painful. This is the reason why beekeeping clothing is needed. Many beekeepers think that the more number of stings they get, the more immunity they get to the stings. This may be true to an extent, but the pain is unbearable at times and protective gear will also help to protect certain parts of the body that are very vulnerable, like the face.

Even those who are very experienced in beekeeping may need protective beekeeping clothing. This includes the veil, the hat, the gloves and the suit. Each is mad specifically for beekeeping and has a particular important role in the beekeeping. The gloves are essential in spite of the fact that the hand needs to do delicate activities while collecting the honey, but if the bee stings on the hand, then it can become very painful that the beekeeper is not able to carry on with the work. Many beekeepers feel that they can remove a sting from the hand by just rubbing against the sting, but of the face is stung, the same cannot be done. The beekeeper will need a mirror to remove the sting. To prevent stings on the face, a veil is used. This allows the beekeeper to look at what is happening, but it protects the face from the bees. So the veil is another important aspect of the beekeeping clothing that is used by almost all beekeepers as no one likes a sting on the face.

The beekeeping clothing also consists of a beekeeping suit. This is very similar to a jumpsuit and protects all the other parts of the body that may be exposed to the bees and their sting. The beekeeping suit needs to be light in color because it is in contrast to the usual enemies of the bees like bears that are furry and have a dark color. The beekeeping suit should also be very smooth for the beekeeper to confuse the bees into thinking that no predators are around to collect the honey. The smoothness of the suit also helps the bee stings that may be present on it to be removed very easily. The beekeeping suit should be cleaned or washed after using it each time because the bees emit a pheromone along with the sting. This helps the bees to anticipate danger the next time the suit is used. So washing it will remove all traces of the scent. Washing the suit in vinegar is the best method of removing all the scent.

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About the Author
Zack Wilson is a beekeeping expert. For more information on the beekeeping clothing, please visit http://www.beekeepingiseasy.com

Beekeeper supplies are necessary tools and equipments an apiarist has to provide to run a beekeeping business. You can’t simply start the business without procuring such supplies most particularly the basic tools used for beekeeping. These supplies are usually available locally such as from beekeeping suppliers or from beekeeping farmers. You can also find discounts if you are going to search online since there are lots of beekeeping sites nowadays.

Let’s talk some of these basic supplies. Although the required beekeeper supplies vary from beekeeper to beekeeper depending on their hives and convenience of use, some of these supplies are considerably necessary. Some of these fundamental supplies will include:

Bee Smoker – this is the tool that should be provided by any beekeeper. It is used to calm bees so that a beekeeper can work with the hives. This tool allows the beekeeper to open the hives up while the bees are in docile condition. This is a good equipment to prevent bee stings.

Bee Suit – this beekeeping supply is very much needed since you will be working with insects that have the capability to sting. This is used as a body covering for protection against bee stings. You can purchase this supply with bee hat and veil which is safer to use to protect you from having bees crawling into your sensitive body parts particularly your head.

Hive Tools – these beekeeper supplies are mainly used for opening the hive and in scraping the frame to obtain the honey. But there are many more uses of these tools and not only for scraping or opening the hive. You can purchase hive tools in different styles.

Bee Gloves – a beekeeper will definitely need this beekeeping supply since hands are the most functional part of the body when working with the beehives. These are worn into the hands to protect bee stings in your hands and arms. Bee gloves are best complement of a bee suit.

Bee Brush – this tool is used to take away bees easily from areas you doesn’t want them to see hanging about like on your arms and clothes.

The above mentioned beekeeper supplies are the fundamental tools or equipments every beekeeper should provide. But of course, along the process you will find out more tools that you will need in beekeeping. Just rest assured that you can already start beekeeping with these supplies as long as you have already equipped yourself with the needed knowledge as well.

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About the Author

Samantha Barbers is a bee keeper and his hobby is beekeeping. He has a lot of benefits to offer. If you can overcome the fear of being stung by a bee, then beekeeping can be worth a try.For more details please visit: Beekeeping Success

Since you can actually get hurt while beekeeping, it’s very important you use the right beekeeper supplies. When you’re properly equipped, the chances of getting stung drop dramatically.

The beekeeper utilizes some supplies to gather honey and other supplies to help manage the beehive. A large part of the beekeeping supply investment goes towards shielding the beekeeper during the time the hive is being taken care of. By wearing protective outerwear; no body parts are exposed to potential stings. The critical outerwear consists of a protective suit, a hat/veil, and gloves.

While working with the hive, the most accessible and painful body spot to get stung would be the face. For that reason, the beekeeper must wear a hat and veil for protection. The beekeeper wears a lightweight suit to shield their body, legs and arms. Despite the material being thinner, the stinger doesn’t puncture it without difficultly. Finally, a beekeeper should wear a pair of gloves to cover the hands. Since wearing gloves can be cumbersome, some beekeepers prefer to wear thinner latex gloves when working with the beehive.

When it comes time to work with the beehive, the bees need to be calmed down. The perfect tool to accomplish that calmness is a beekeeping smoker. This tool emits smoke. Loading the smoker with plenty of fuel, such as wood, rope, cardboard or even pine needles enables the tool to produce the right amount of smoke. Some smokers may even use aerosol canned smoke.

After smoke enters the beehive, the bees begin eating to get ready to leave the hive because they believe fire is on the way. Also, the guard bees send off a warning pheromone signaling the hive has an intruder. The smoke helps hide that pheromone. With the bees focused on the smoke, a beekeeper can then work on the hive without worrying about a defensive bee attack.

When feeding bees additional food, the beekeeper needs a few beekeeper supplies. In general, bees have the ability to go over large distances in order to collect food. However, some beekeepers still add a sweet sugar mixture to their colony. By putting additional food in the hive those beekeepers believe the chance of starvation is reduced should food gathering be tough as well as boosting the chances for increased egg production.

Numerous methods exist for the beekeeper to give extra food to the colony. If food is added during the winter, it should be given through the hive top, pail, or division boards with interior feeders. If food is added during the summer, the entry feeder gives the best results since bees are continually going in and out of the hive.

The single largest portion of the beekeepers supplies would be bee’s home, or hive. The entire colony lives within the hive. The total bee population in the hive can approach 60,000 during the peak season.

A correctly constructed hive is made up of a wax base, which helps the bees build their comb, which in turn makes it easier to gather honey. That foundation consists of a thin wax sheet that contains hexagonal cell designs imprinted on both sides. This design makes the bee production easier when constructing their combs.

Overall, these beekeeper supplies do not represent a large cash investment and are a one-time purchase. Once you have those supplies, you can take pleasure from your beehive for several years.

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About the Author
Robert Moore has been a beekeeping expert and honey lover for over 27 years. Want to learn more about beekeeper supplies and this wonderful hobby? Grab Robert’s “10 Essential Steps to Better Beekeeping” popular free ecourse, available at: => http://beekeepingbooks.com

The first piece of protective clothing for beekeeping is the beekeeping suit.  As a beginner with beekeeping, you should understand and prepare against the bee’s first line of defense, their stinger.  Even with an understanding of bee behavior, most beekeepers also wear some protective clothing, such as the beekeeping suit.  Many people are allergic to bee stings.  But, sometimes the only way that someone discovers that they are allergic to bee stings to the first time that they get stung.  If you are considering keeping bees, you should first determine whether or not you are allergic to bee stings.  Even very experienced beekeepers get stung.  In fact, some beekeepers believe that the more stings a beekeeper receives, the less irritation each one will cause to the body in the future.  They believe that it is important for the beekeeper to be stung a few times during the season.  With frequent bee stings the beekeepers develop higher levels of antibodies due to the reaction of the bee venom which offers them a resistant to stings in the future.

Reducing Bee Stings With A Beekeeping Suit

The best way to minimize the amount that beekeepers are stung, even very experienced beekeepers usually wears gloves, a beekeeping suit or beekeeper hat or veil.  Although, some experienced beekeepers sometimes choose not to use gloves because they inhibit some of the delicate work of working with bees, they still wear a beekeeping suit to keep the potential bee stings to a minimum.  Plus, a bee sting that is received on a bare hand can usually be quickly removed by scraping it with a fingernail in order to reduce the amount of venom that is injected.  A person’s face and neck are the most important areas to protect because defensive bees are attracted to the a person’s breath.  There can be much more pain and swelling on the face than a sting received elsewhere on the body.  Plus, it is difficult for the beekeeper to remove the bee sting from their face without looking at a mirror.  It is important to learn how to approach the bees calmly in order to avoid an aggressive assault from a large group of bees that is targeting the face.

Details About A Beekeeping Suit

As you begin your beekeeping knowing about the beekeeping suit if great information.  A beekeeping suit is a full-length jumpsuit and is worn by the beekeeper when they are tending to the bee hive.  This beekeeper suit is usually light in color, typically white, and made out of a smooth material.  A beekeepers suit that is light in color provides the largest difference from a bee colony’s natural predators like bears and skunks, which tend to be dark-colored and furry.  The beekeeping suit also gives the beekeeper a way to remove stings and venom sacs simply with a tug on the clothing.  Protective clothing may also hinder or reduce the venom from the bee-stings from entering into the body.  The stings that are left in the fabric of the suit will continue to pump out an alarm pheromone that attracts aggressive action and further stinging attacks from the bees.  In order to reduce the risk of the bees picking up the sent the next time that the beekeeper visits the hive, the suit should be washed regularly.  They can also rinse their hands in vinegar to minimize the bee’s attraction.

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About the Author

Jason Honey has been digging gardening for more than 20 years. He has used his knowledge of beekeeping to keep himself safe and his garden thriving year round.

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