The Essential Supplies of a Beekeeper by Dave Henry

Be Careful With Bees

It is crucial that all beekeepers use the correct supplies and tools when tending to their bees. Though beekeeping is a popular hobby for many, injury can be expected if the proper care is not taken. But even a beginner can certainly lessen the danger of injury by simply ensuring the right tools are part of their beekeeping supply. The majority of the supplies will be necessary for honey extraction but you'll find that some tools are for correctly managing the hive itself and the bee colonies.

The Suit and Accessories are Mandatory

A key aspect to beekeeping is making sure that the beekeeper is safe from harm while monitoring the bee colony and the hive. This is done in various ways. One is by the beekeeper wearing protective clothing for protection. The protective clothing should comprise of a good quality beekeeping suit, gloves and a hat with a veil. The face is the most sensitive-prone part of the body to attack. It is therefore of vital importance for all beekeepers, regardless of experience, to protect their faces with the proper hat and veil. Usually white, a beekeeping suit is constructed of a lightweight fabric and is full length. The suit is not easily penetrated by a bees stinger and will protect the beekeeper from the venom that such a sting will deliver. Although it can be awkward to use gloves when carrying out the more delicate duties, they are important with protecting the hands of the beekeeper while in close proximity with the colony.

Use a Smoker - You Won't Regret It!

Alot of beekeepers use what's known as a "smoker". Smokers help to keep bees calm and this makes it far easier to work around them. A smoker is an instrument that will discharge smoke using various types of fuel. You can use burlap, twine, cardboard, pine needles, hessian and rotting wood as fuel. Even compacted cotton and pulped paper work very well as fuel. Aerosol cans filled with smoke are also quite effective. The smoke sets off an instinctive feeding mechanism that resides in the bees. As a result, they begin the preparations that would be necessary if the possibility of having to leave the hive in the case of a fire became a reality. If guard bees sense that there is danger to the hive they release "alarm" pheromones. The smoke will mask this signal. While the entire colony is in a confused state, the beekeeper can then seize the opportunity to open the hive and work within its confines without the fear of initiating a defensive reaction from the bees.

The Diet of Bees

Though bees are very efficient in finding food for themselves, beekeepers frequently complement their diet with sugar syrup. Doing this will stave off the possibility of starvation during any bad times of the year when the bee's food source is lower than normal and it also acts as a stimulant for the laying of the eggs. I'd certainly recommend using a feeder to feed your colony of bees. You'll find that there are plenty of different feeders available on the market. For winter, a hive top, a pail or division boards can be used as inside feeders. It's advised to incorporate an entrance feeder during the summer. This is because bees are at their most active at this time.

Use an Artificial Hive

The biggest component to maintaining a bee colony is what they're actually housed in. Beekeeping involves using artificial hives to keep the colony in, which is comprised of a wax substructure. This will encourage the colony to construct the comb in a way that is conducive for easy harvesting. The substructure itself is a slim sheet of wax with a hexagonal design that is raised on both sides. This enables the bees to exert less effort when constructing the combs.

About the Author

This article was written by Dave Henry in conjunction with Scott Harvey, another like-minded beekeeping enthusiast.

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Beekeeping Information: Starting Up by Matthew Lee

Not all people who are interested in taking care of bees can do it correctly; you have to have the knowledge and skills in beekeeping. And reading books in not enough. You may also need expert advice on beekeeping to get more information to help your plans of becoming a beekeeper.

You must have sufficient information before buying second-hand equipment. You should also first get an expert to examine the equipment you are planning to buy. Reading beekeeping books would serve as a guide for you about the different types of bees in a colony. This information will enable you to distinguish the Queen bee from the drones or from the workers. Another information you can get from reading books about beekeeping is how to set up a beehive. Most definitely you will be able to a lot of benefits from acquiring beekeeping information before finally starting your own beekeeping. This is very important.

Year-Round Beekeeping

Getting enough knowledge in beekeeping or acquiring much needed beekeeping information is necessary to understand the various weather conditions that may affect your bees. As a beekeeper, it is key for you to be able to adapt to any season or weather condition to be able to succeed in beekeeping.

During winter time, you can't do much for your bees whose beehive is placed outside. On the other hand, you don't have to transfer their hive indoors or neither should you worry. Bees can still thrive even if their hive is covered with snow. In case though you choose to transfer your beehive indoors, make sure you maintain a low and consistent temperature. Keep the temperature to 5 degrees C and observe proper beehive ventilation. You can also cover your beehive. Don't be disappointed if your bees die or leave their hives; this should often be expected during this season.

You should also check on your bees' situation during spring time. Search for any signs of sickness among your bees, and check to see that your Queen bee still lays her eggs. Also make sure that your nectar supply is sufficient enough to last till the next pollination. Another maintenance activity you should do is giving your bees medication to make sure your bees don't become susceptible to diseases. Medicate them every two weeks. By June 10 though, you should be able to stop medical treatment of your bees. Your bees should no longer be under medication in time the first crops appear. Also, when your bee colony has covered seven of the topmost supers, then it's time to add a new super.

During the summer, before the month of July, you should be able to prepare an extra super with white frames for your beehive colony. The purpose of this white frame super is solely for holding honey. Having an available frame to hold honey would also keep your bees working. You will notice when it's time to harvest honey when all the frames a full and when half of the cells are already capped with wax.

During autumn, you should start medicating your colony again. This is because your bees will tend to die once the honey supers are removed. Feed your bees sugar syrup and provide enough supply till winter. Start feeding the end of September so that by October, the weight of your hive would be 125 at least.

About the Author

For more information on Beekeeping Information, visit

3 Benefits You Can Get From Bee Keeping - Other Than Honey! by Val Wilson

Does it ever make you wonder why so many people are drawn to something as unusual as bee keeping? Why an all too obvious answer is honey, there are a large number of other benefits associated with this hobby. Bees are much more than just flying insects that make a liquid gold. This insect does great things to help maintain the ecological balance of our environment.

1 - Bees pollinate

Every flowering plant that provides a fruit or vegetable does so with the aid of pollination. Bees are the ones who do this for us, spreading pollen across billions of flowers never ending. If our bees were to disappear, so would the food that feeds not only us, but many animals. How quickly we would face perishing without the work they do.

Perhaps this is a reason why environmentalists support the efforts of even the smallest beekeepers. With a planet susceptible to global warming and climate change, we need to know the bees will remain intact.

2 - Bees provide us with a valuable learning experience

Those who are impatient, lacking courage, and looking for something to give them a sense of importance will benefit greatly from the lessons the bee has to offer. Beekeeping requires a firm grasp of knowledge as you have to know the right way to deal with temperamental insects.

You may be faced with a bee having a bad day, and it will be your job not to get angry with him and get your job accomplished. It can take great understanding, patience, and hard work. Your reward is the opportunity to see things happening up close that some could only imagine. It is an unspoken duty to take what you learn and share it with a younger generation to keep the beekeepers tradition alive.

3 - Bees contribute to our overall wellness

While there are currently no studies to confirm this information, many bee keepers claim that their activities have not only relaxed them but have also made them more in tune with their surroundings. Their focus on the bees becomes laser sharp and the world around them just melts away.

Should you have unmanageable stress in your life, this could be a better prescription than any pill. Give it is try and see if it helps you find some peace. As long as you are not susceptible to any bee sting allergies, this may be well worth further investigation.

If any of these benefits sound like something that can better your life, get started learning more about this great hobby today with the help of a bee keeping guide. Aside from the benefits mentioned here, there are many more you'll discover.

About the Author

Val Wilson is passionate about all things beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby in so many ways, so if you would like more information about how to start beekeeping, and produce your own honey, go to and sign up for the FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

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