Your first day as a beekeeper is slightly intimidating as it is. How about facing your first day of beekeeping without the right equipment? That’s exactly what happened to me! Here’s my advice for having a successful, stress free first day – with the bare essentials you don’t want to live without.

  1. Jacket & veil – These are an absolute must. Instead of buying a full body suit, just buy a jacket and veil or combination. I find the canvas coveralls to be hot and cumbersome. Instead dig a pair of light colored pants (i.e. khakis) out of your wardrobe and wear those. A light color is important to avoid unwanted bee attention. Bees instinctively sting dark colors as a natural defense.
  2. Gloves – If you’re new to beekeeping, I’d recommend gloves. Many more experienced beekeepers, myself included, do not routinely use gloves however new keepers generally find themselves more comfortable interacting with the bees if they’re wearing gloves.
  3. Smoker – Smokers are used to calm the bees while inspecting the hive.
  4. Hive – There are several different hive styles to choose from. Most new beekeepers start with langstroth hives. If you are unsure which to choose see my Choosing A Hive post for more information.
  5. Hive tool – this tool has infinite uses in the hive such as separating frames
  6. Hive stand – it is vital to keep your hive off of the ground. A hive stand can be purchased or you can make one using cinder blocks and landscaping timbers.

When you order your bees in January, go ahead and order these items as well so that they are ready when your bees arrive. As I mentioned earlier, my initiation into beekeeping was rather stressful because I did not do this. I ordered a 3lb package of Italian honeybees in January and waited anxiously for their arrival on April 15th. Then, in March I carefully researched and selected the aforementioned items, all of which were supposed to arrive prior to bee pick up day. April 15th got closer and closer and my equipment still had not arrived. Starting to become a little nervous, I called the company to inquire. My items were backordered and would not arrive for some time. Fortunately I had built my own hive, so at least I had a place for the bees to live. A local bee club held its monthly meeting the weekend before my bee’s arrival. There I met an experienced beekeeper who willingly lent me a spare jacket. I had neither a smoker nor gloves the first time I inspected my new hive. As my experience indicates, I cannot stress enough the importance of ordering your bee equipment early!

Obviously your bees are also a must! There are a number of ways to acquire bees: receiving a hive from a friend, catching a swarm or purchasing a package.

Optional startup equipment includes:

  1. A mentor – here will inevitably be times during your first few years beekeeping that you will have no idea what to do. (That’s not to say that you will ever know it all…you won’t.) Having an experienced beekeeper at your fingertips will be invaluable. If you don’t know any other beekeepers, I would recommend becoming a member of your local beekeeping association. These organizations have centuries of experience and usually a list of mentors available to help out.
  2. A good book for a reference & resource.
  3. A notebook – for taking notes.
  4. Feeder – spring weather can be cold and rainy, so it is sometimes helpful to feed an establishing colony of bees.
  5. Toolbox or bucket for toting your equipment
  6. Bee brush – a bee brush allows you to remove bees from frames without injuring legs or wings.
  7. Frame holder – this gives you a place to temporarily place frames as you take them out of the hive for inspection.

This list should give you a good start. Of course additional equipment will be needed for harvesting honey, treating for pests or other more advanced tasks. However, with these things in hand, your bees will not be left out in the cold!

 

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