| Hunter Apiaries 2111 Pleasant Hill Drive Pulaski, Virginia 24301 Email: apiscustos@hunterapiaries.com |
| Minimum Necessary Equipment |
1. Protective Equipment
a. Veil: Unless you are buying a beekeeping suit the best veil is a square
folding veil with beekeeping helmet. The ventilated helmet is cooler; the
plastic helmet is cheaper and keeps the rain off your head.
b. Gloves: I prefer ventilated goat skin gloves. They do not last as long
as the calf skin gloves, but they are more flexible. Actually, I normally do not
wear gloves. When a hive becomes defensive they are good to have
around.
c. Optional Beekeeping Suit: You really only need to wear a long sleeved
shirt and slacks. The best colors are white and/or khaki. A beekeeping suit
is hot which is why I still do not own one. (Okay I finally bought one, they
were on sale.) It is usually only needed when the bees are especially
defensive such as harvest time. Remember to tuck your pants into your
socks. Worker bees will crawl up your pant legs and sting you when they
are pinched at your knees. (If you are going to buy a bee suit, buy some
boots to go with them. It is not fun to get stung on the ankles.)
2. Tools for Working the Hive
a. Smoker: Purchase the largest smoker you can afford. This way you will
spend less time fueling the smoker and more time enjoying your bees.
b. Hive tool: Buy the cheaper hive tools. You tend to loose these often.
c. Bee brush: You do not use it much, but when you need it you need it.
3. Hive
a. Ten frame or 8 frame equipment: One of the first decisions the
beginning beekeeper must make is what equipment to use. Commercial
beekeepers use almost exclusively supers that hold 10 frames. A deep
super holding 10 frames of honey will weigh 90 pounds. While heavy, this
equipment is easier to sell. Eight frame equipment is also available to the
hobbyist beekeeper. This equipment is lighter, but more difficult to sell.
b. Deep or Medium Supers: The second decision you must make is to
use deep or medium supers for the brood area. Once again medium supers
are lighter, but a deep super gives you more brood area for less cost and
there is evidence that the queen will lay more brood in the deep super.
Using medium supers cost a little more, but they are much lighter and easier
on the back.
c. Using deep supers
i. Telescoping cover with inner cover.
ii. Two deep supers
iii. 20 frames: Wedge top/grooved bottom is best because it can be
used with all foundations.
iv. 20 foundations: Duragilt foundation is best for the beginner
because it does not require wiring into the frame and does not have the
acceptance problems of plastic foundation. Eventually you will need to make
the equipment to assemble frames with wire foundation it is cheaper.
v. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Bottom Board: In my opinion
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has the better IPM bottom board.
vi. Hive Stand: This is usually made by the owner. “The New
Complete Guide to Beekeeping" by Roger Morse has a good plan.
vii. Paint: The supers are painted on the exterior, top and bottom
edges only. Paint all wood surfaces on the outer cover and bottom board.
The inner cover is not painted. Use good exterior paint with a coat of primer
and give the equipment a minimum of two coats after priming. This may be
the only time the equipment is painted.
d. Using medium supers
i. Telescoping cover with inner cover.
ii. Three medium supers
iii. 30 frames, wedge top/grooved bottom is best because it can be
used with all foundations.
iv. 30 foundations, Duragilt foundation is best for the beginner
because it does not require wiring into the frame and does not have the
acceptance problems of plastic foundation.
v. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Bottom Board, see above.
vi. Hive Stand, see above..
vii. Paint, see above.
4. Another decision the beginning beekeeper must make is what kind of
honey super to use. The medium super weighs 40 pounds when full of
honey. The shallow super weighs 30 pounds when full. Purchase only one
kind. The shallow frames do not work well in medium supers and medium
supers do not fit shallow supers. If you have a mixture of both kinds of
supers one tends to get the frames mixed up. Initially, you will need 10
frames and foundation per super. After the foundation is drawn out you can
use 9 or even 8 frames in your supers. It is easier to uncap frames from a 9
frame super and you get just as much honey. Plan on at least three honey
supers per hive.
5. If you choose 8 frame equipment the number of frames with foundation
would be correspondingly less.
6. Books: Begin your collection of beekeeping books. There is more than
one way to keep bees and each way has strengths and weaknesses. The
more you know about beekeeping the better.
a. Veil: Unless you are buying a beekeeping suit the best veil is a square
folding veil with beekeeping helmet. The ventilated helmet is cooler; the
plastic helmet is cheaper and keeps the rain off your head.
b. Gloves: I prefer ventilated goat skin gloves. They do not last as long
as the calf skin gloves, but they are more flexible. Actually, I normally do not
wear gloves. When a hive becomes defensive they are good to have
around.
c. Optional Beekeeping Suit: You really only need to wear a long sleeved
shirt and slacks. The best colors are white and/or khaki. A beekeeping suit
is hot which is why I still do not own one. (Okay I finally bought one, they
were on sale.) It is usually only needed when the bees are especially
defensive such as harvest time. Remember to tuck your pants into your
socks. Worker bees will crawl up your pant legs and sting you when they
are pinched at your knees. (If you are going to buy a bee suit, buy some
boots to go with them. It is not fun to get stung on the ankles.)
2. Tools for Working the Hive
a. Smoker: Purchase the largest smoker you can afford. This way you will
spend less time fueling the smoker and more time enjoying your bees.
b. Hive tool: Buy the cheaper hive tools. You tend to loose these often.
c. Bee brush: You do not use it much, but when you need it you need it.
3. Hive
a. Ten frame or 8 frame equipment: One of the first decisions the
beginning beekeeper must make is what equipment to use. Commercial
beekeepers use almost exclusively supers that hold 10 frames. A deep
super holding 10 frames of honey will weigh 90 pounds. While heavy, this
equipment is easier to sell. Eight frame equipment is also available to the
hobbyist beekeeper. This equipment is lighter, but more difficult to sell.
b. Deep or Medium Supers: The second decision you must make is to
use deep or medium supers for the brood area. Once again medium supers
are lighter, but a deep super gives you more brood area for less cost and
there is evidence that the queen will lay more brood in the deep super.
Using medium supers cost a little more, but they are much lighter and easier
on the back.
c. Using deep supers
i. Telescoping cover with inner cover.
ii. Two deep supers
iii. 20 frames: Wedge top/grooved bottom is best because it can be
used with all foundations.
iv. 20 foundations: Duragilt foundation is best for the beginner
because it does not require wiring into the frame and does not have the
acceptance problems of plastic foundation. Eventually you will need to make
the equipment to assemble frames with wire foundation it is cheaper.
v. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Bottom Board: In my opinion
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has the better IPM bottom board.
vi. Hive Stand: This is usually made by the owner. “The New
Complete Guide to Beekeeping" by Roger Morse has a good plan.
vii. Paint: The supers are painted on the exterior, top and bottom
edges only. Paint all wood surfaces on the outer cover and bottom board.
The inner cover is not painted. Use good exterior paint with a coat of primer
and give the equipment a minimum of two coats after priming. This may be
the only time the equipment is painted.
d. Using medium supers
i. Telescoping cover with inner cover.
ii. Three medium supers
iii. 30 frames, wedge top/grooved bottom is best because it can be
used with all foundations.
iv. 30 foundations, Duragilt foundation is best for the beginner
because it does not require wiring into the frame and does not have the
acceptance problems of plastic foundation.
v. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Bottom Board, see above.
vi. Hive Stand, see above..
vii. Paint, see above.
4. Another decision the beginning beekeeper must make is what kind of
honey super to use. The medium super weighs 40 pounds when full of
honey. The shallow super weighs 30 pounds when full. Purchase only one
kind. The shallow frames do not work well in medium supers and medium
supers do not fit shallow supers. If you have a mixture of both kinds of
supers one tends to get the frames mixed up. Initially, you will need 10
frames and foundation per super. After the foundation is drawn out you can
use 9 or even 8 frames in your supers. It is easier to uncap frames from a 9
frame super and you get just as much honey. Plan on at least three honey
supers per hive.
5. If you choose 8 frame equipment the number of frames with foundation
would be correspondingly less.
6. Books: Begin your collection of beekeeping books. There is more than
one way to keep bees and each way has strengths and weaknesses. The
more you know about beekeeping the better.
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