subject: 4 Important Beekeeping Tools You Will Need For Your Hive [print this page] Beekeeping is not like most other hobbiesBeekeeping is not like most other hobbies. With a train set or board game, there are very little external things you need to be able to carry out your hobby. However, beekeeping is a specialized art and there are a few things you will need if you want to become a successful beekeeper.
Hive - This is obviously important as the quality of the hive will affect how well your bees are able to use it to create honey. There are many designs of hive available, although the most commonly used in the Langstroth hive. You must also choose carefully when selecting a foundation for the hive. Wax is a good material to use as it helps the bees create their honey more easily, particularly when built around a hexagonal comb.
Nourishment - Winter can be a tough time for bees. Many of the plants and flowers they need to survive are gone and as much as 50% of a population of a colony can die over the winter. To prevent this, you can establish a feeder near your hive and fill it with an alternative food source like sugar syrup. This is also helpful as bees can eat their own honey when food supplies run low, and this will ensure that there is a greater yield for you in the end.
Smoker - Beekeepers are often used to dealing with the odd sting, but would perhaps think twice about approaching a hive of bees to take their honey. Bees are very territorial and can take outsiders nearing their colony as an attack. They will, of course, defend themselves accordingly, which can be dangerous. To limit the dangers of this, most expert beekeepers use a smoker to calm the bees down. The device releases smoke at various intervals over the bees and effectively knocks them out or stuns them, meaning that their aggressive defensive behavior is not triggered by approaching beekeepers. Just be careful to not become too reliant on smokers - overuse of one can make the bees listless and can lower productivity of a hive.
Clothing - Beekeepers should also wear protective equipment at all times to make sure they do not feel the effects of the bees' stingers. A thick suit is worn to prevent and stings reaching through to the skin, which a hat and usually a veil should both be worn to protect the vulnerable head and face area from bees. Wearing gloves is also a good idea to protect the hands.
4 Important Beekeeping Tools You Will Need For Your Hive
