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