Beekeeper Equipment is Vital to Successful Beekeeping

Investing in the best beekeeper equipment will determine he success of your beekeeping venture. Beekeeping is like few others hobbies in that it does have an element of danger. However, beekeepers can practically eliminate the dangers by using the right equipment.

There are two kinds of beekeeper equipment required for beekeeping. In the first place you need the right implements to help you extract the honey. Secondly, there is certain beekeeper equipment required for the proper care and maintenance of the bee colonies.

The safety of the beekeeper while attending to the hives is of great importance. This requirement is addressed in a number of ways. The first and most obvious way is by wearing protective clothing, including a hat fitted with a veil, suitable gloves and a beekeeper suit.

The beekeeper's face is the part of the body that is most at risk of bee stings. That is why it is important to use the proper headgear. An essential piece of beekeeper equipment is a beekeeper suit that is top-to-toe suit made of light material. It should have no openings whatsoever and made of a substance that makes it practically impossible for a bee's sting to penetrate.

Some beekeepers find that wearing heavy gloves makes it difficult to work with the hives. However, beekeepers should never neglect this important piece of beekeeper equipment. The hands are nearly as vulnerable as the face when managing beehives.

Another important piece of beekeeper equipment is the smoker. Beekeepers smoke bees before working with them to calm the colony. A smoker burns various fuels in order to create sufficient smoke to do the job. You can use anything you like as fuel, from old cardboard to wood chips or pine needles. Even pulped paper or hessian can be used as fuel.

The exact reason why bees are calmed by smoke is not certain. Some researchers say that the smoke quells the pheromones released by the guard bees when there is an intrusion into the hive. The colony as a whole becomes confused and fails to launch a defensive attack, allowing the beekeeper to open the hive and tend to it.

Some beekeepers supplement their colonies' diets by supplying them with sugar syrup. This is dispensed from a feeder, of which there are several different types. In summer an entrance feeder is usually used, while in winter hive top, pail or division boards can be used as inside feeders. The purpose of feeding sugar syrup to bee colonies is to prevent starvation when natural sources of bee food are low, and also to stimulate egg-laying.

The most important and well-known piece of beekeeper equipment is the hive itself. Most beekeepers house colonies in artificial hives in various styles. These hives include a wax foundation. This encourages the bees to build a comb in such a way that it is easy for the beekeeper to harvest the honey. A wax foundation is a sheet of wax with hexagonal patterns on it. This makes it easy for the bees to construct combs.