Building your first beekeeping starter kit? We listed down seven basic supplies that you would need. Check them out below.
RELATED: 7 Best Types Of Honey Bees For Your Bee Farm
Easy Beekeeping Starter Kit for Beginners
1. Bees
This is the first and the most important item in your beekeeping starter kit. You can purchase a swarm of bees from a local beekeeper or a beekeeping association near you.
Alternatively, you can also ask your fellow homesteaders. The two most common ways of buying bees are by ordering a package of bees or some nucleus hives.
Usually, a package of bees will contain a queen bee, some workers, and some drones. It will also come with a feeder filled with sugar syrup.
Your bee supplier should be able to provide you explanations on how to install the package bees in your homestead.
On the other hand, a nucleus hive is half the size of a bee colony. In this hive, you would typically receive the following:
- A queen bee
- A brood or baby bees
- Five frames of honeycomb
- Some honey
Purchasing a nucleus hive is relatively riskier since honeycomb can spread diseases and pests from the donor hive to your homestead.
2. Beekeeping Suit and Veil
View this post on Instagram
A full bee suit consists of long sleeves and pants made from thick cotton. This suit gives you the best defense against any stings when you arrange your hives and harvest honey, so get a suit that is one or two sizes bigger than your normal clothes.
On the other hand, a bee veil is a lightweight hat that has a wire mesh that protects your head from stings. It is also usually loose.
RELATED: How To Create A Bee-Friendly Garden | Organic Gardening Tips And Ideas
3. Beekeeping Gloves
View this post on Instagram
Beekeeping gloves are usually made from plastic, goat or cow leather, cotton canvas, or rubber. Gloves made from these materials are thick enough to protect you from stings when harvesting honey.
On the other hand, you should avoid nitrile gloves. This type of gloves are thin, and bee stings can sting through it.
4. Bee Smoker
View this post on Instagram
A bee smoker is a device that can you can use to calm honey bees if you want to keep them away during harvesting honey. There are many different materials that you can use as fuel in a bee smoker, such as:
- Wood
- Pine needles
- Wood pellets
- Unprocessed cotton fiber
- Dried herbs
To use a bee smoker, start a small fire in the bottom. Then, gradually throw in the materials to increase the flames.
5. Hive Tool
@foxhoneyfarmHoney Vs Hive Tool ##satisifying ##honey ##wax ##bees ##savethebees ##fyp ##xyzbca♬ original sound – foxhoneyfarm
This is a handheld multipurpose tool that you can use to inspect and maintain your beehives. You can use it to separate the frames inside the hives and scrap off bee propolis or wax.
A hive tool is usually made from stainless steel, spring steel, or high carbon tempered steel.
6. Beekeeping Brush
A bee brush is a kind of soft-bristled brush that you can use to remove bees from a frame. Usually, homesteaders prefer bee brushes that are made with horsehair because they're softer and more flexible.
Meanwhile, you might want to avoid bee brushes made with pig bristles. These brushes are stiffer and less flexible which might be less helpful when you’re harvesting honey.
7. Beehive
View this post on Instagram
As you know, a beehive is one of the most essential items in your beekeeping starter kit. The beehive refers to the enclosed dwelling place of your bees. It usually consists of the following parts:
- Floorboard
- Brood box
- Honey boxes
- Enough number of frames coated with foundation wax
Tips: Put a hive on top of a pallet or table, and not directly on the ground. This is because ants and other insects will be attracted and can climb up the hives when they smell the scent of honey.
8. Honey Extractor
View this post on Instagram
This is a mechanical device that is used to extract honey from the honeycombs without destroying the combs. Although a pricier, this is very useful because it allows you to put the wax back into the beehives for the bees to refill.
9. Hive Stand
View this post on Instagram
A hive stand provides the base to keep your honey hive off the ground. It also protects your beehive boxes from excessive rain and flood to avoid the boxes from wood rot.
By lifting your beehive boxes off the ground, the hive stand can also protect the boxes from bee parasites and predators that thrive on damp ground, such as the following:
- Nosema Apis
- Rats
- Ants
- Skunks
Are you curious about the health benefits of honey? Watch this informative YouTube video by Natural Cures:
Preparing for your beekeeping starter kit may seem a bit intimidating, especially if you are a beginner who doesn’t have previous knowledge of raising bees.
But don’t worry, the materials that you need are readily available in any local beekeeping suppliers. Plus, there are a lot of local beekeeping organizations that can educate you as well.
How do you usually use your honey harvest? Are you using it as a cooking ingredient? Share your recipes and ideas in the comments section below!
Up Next:
- 11 Healthy Honey Recipes To Sweeten Up Your Week
- 11 DIY Beauty Tips with Honey For A Completely Natural Makeover
- How To Freeze Zucchini In Just 10 Minutes
Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!
Leave a Reply