Search:

Clothing And Equipment Needed To Start Beekeeping With Honey Bees

One of the essential pieces of clothing a bee-keeper wears is the veil. Honey bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the prospect of damage to the eyes and ears.

Use protective clothing to avoid getting hive product on your regular clothes, and to protect sensitive areas of your body. Avoid dark or rough textured clothes. Honey bees are able to hold on to a rough textured material easier than on smooth material. Wear white or light coloured coveralls or bee suit and tuck them into your boots, honey bees climb up and will not go down into your boots. Your veil and sleeves should be fastened securely to prevent honey bees from getting in. If a bee does get into your clothing, squeeze it in the clothing or walk away from the hives and open up your clothing to allow the bee to escape, never remove the veil when you are in with the hives.

Before handling bees, you should not use any sweet smelling cologne, hair spray or similar products. The odour may irritate the bees and make them aggressive. Gloves should be used sparingly. They are useful during bad weather or when gaining confidence, but gloves can obstruct gentle manipulation of the honey bees and frames. Without the encumbrance of gloves, you will find that the bees respond better to a lighter touch.

As a beginner you will want to consider the number of colonies you want to start out with. Two or possibly three is a good number to start off with because it will give you an opportunity to compare the colonies, such as the growth and the production.

There are various types of hive: Langstroth, Smith. WBC, National, Commercial, Dartington, Dadant, Polystyrene and others. It depends where you live in the world as to what type is popular in your area. I live in Scotland where the Smith predominates. The equipment you will need to begin with for a complete hive is basic and I am generalising:

A Waterproofed roof, crown board with bee escape, floor, deep brood chamber or hive body, each body containing the appropriate number of frames, queen excluder, one or preferably two shallow supers with frames, smoker, hive tool, gloves, coveralls or bee suit and veil.

You can buy this equipment new or used. If it is used you will want to make sure it is in good condition. Also get advice from a local expert or inspector with regard to any possible disease. The equipment should be sterilized and the hive scorched with a blowtorch if made of wood. If you are really talented and ambitious you can build your own hives. Just make sure you have the dimensions correct because bees will build combs where you least want them. If in doubt ask a local expert.

Article Source: http://www.postyourarticle.nztip.com

My name is Bob Prior-Sanderson. I am a successful bee-keeper and I publish eBooks about the long lost secrets of beekeeping by the old masters. Website: www.firstlessonsinbeekeeping.com

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated