Supplies For Beekeeping
To be an awesome beekeeper, it’s important to have the correct supplies. If not properly equipped, beekeeping can be dangerous. With the right supplies, beekeepers can reduce their chances of getting hurt. Supplies are needed for each stage of making honey including those for getting the honey and keeping your hives healthy.
One of the biggest facets of beekeeping is keeping the beekeeper out of harms way. This is accomplished in a lot of ways. Clothes that cover and protect is one way to protect the beekeeper. These clothes include a hat and veil, gloves, and a beekeeping suit. The most delicate area to get stung is the face. It’s critical for even the experienced beekeeper to cover their face with the hat and veil. The suit for beekeepers is made of light weight and white material that is hard for the bees to get into. Even though they’re bulky, gloves are very important for protecting a beekeeper’s hands
Another common tool is a “smoker” which relaxes the bees while the beekeeper is tending to them. A smoker is a tool that gives off smoke using fuels ranging from twine and burlap to pine needles and rotten wood. The smoke gives off a response for leaving the hive due to fire and also suppresses the hormone guard bees release when they sense a new person (or possible threat). While the bees are suppressed and unaware, the beekeeper can open the hive and work without the bees attacking.
Some beekeepers add sugar syrup to bee hives to give them even more food than they could get on their own. This extra food gets the bees through the lean times and also encourages them to lay eggs. Depending on the season, different types of feeders are used. In the winter, when bees are mostly inside their hive, “hive top,” “pail,” or “division boards” would work well. During the summer, bees are mostly outside the hive so an “entrance feeder” is the best option.
One of the main issues of having bees is what you house them in. The actual Hive itself. Beekeepers have artificial hives that have a wax foundation to push the bees to make honey combs that the beekeeper finds easy to use. It has a hexagonal cell shape pattern on both sides of it. This also makes it easier for the bees to construct their combs since some of the work is already done.
Overall, the beekeeper must maintain proper supplies. The supplies that are suggested are proper protective clothing, a smoker to relax the bees while you’re working with them, feeders to increase the laying of eggs and preventing starvation, and artificial hives to help bees create honeycomb. With the proper supplies, raising bees can be a successful hobby that anyone can enjoy.
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