Beekeeping Tools: Top Tools Every Beekeeper Should Have
Beekeeping is an incredibly rewarding and fun hobby! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced beekeeper, using the right beekeeping tools can make your job easier, safer, and more efficient. From inspecting hives to harvesting honey, each tool serves a specific purpose, and understanding their importance is key to successful beekeeping.
- Beehive
The beehive is the most important and obvious tool needed in beekeeping. A beehive provides the home and environment in which bees live, work, and produce honey. For beginners, the Langstroth hive is the most common and popular choice. It's easy to manage, modular, and designed to maximize honey production while allowing for easy inspection and maintenance of the colony.
A hive consists of multiple boxes stacked vertically, with frames on which bees build honeycomb for the queen to lay eggs and workers to deposit nectar and pollen. Beekeepers then add or remove these boxes depending on the season and colony's growth. The most common way to start a colony is by purchasing a nuc (nucleus colony). This “starter hive” is then transferred into a Langstroth hive to grow.
Most beekeepers run two deep boxes as a general rule. Arguably, this is suggested but not a hard and fast rule. Beehive management is the same regardless of the hive configuration.
- Protective Gear (Bee Suit, Gloves, and Veil)
One of the most essential tools for any beekeeper is protective clothing. Bees can become defensive, especially when you're inspecting their hive, increasing the probability of being stung. Proper beekeeping gear helps protect your skin from stings and ensures you can safely manage your bees without fear.
- Bee Suit: A bee suit or jacket and pants is designed to prevent stings, and it should be made of a breathable material to keep you comfortable during hive inspections. Beekeeping suits come in various styles (cotton or ventilated fabric), but the most important features are a snug fit around the wrists and ankles and zippers that close tightly around the neck to avoid any gaps that bees might take advantage of.
- Gloves: While some beekeepers prefer to work without gloves for more dexterity, gloves will help protect your hands from stings. Opt for thick, good quality leather gloves or leather and mesh gloves.
- Veil: A veil is crucial for protecting your face and eyes. Bees tend to go for the eyes when they feel threatened. Therefore, keeping your face covered should always be a priority. Most bee suits and jackets come with a veil attached. Your decision will be between a fencing veil or a round veil. Each has its own merits—it will boil down to a preference. Both work.
- Smoker
A smoker is an essential beekeeping tool that serves to calm your bees during hive inspections. Bees communicate through pheromones, and when they feel threatened, they release an alarm pheromone that can provoke the entire colony to become defensive. The smoke masks these alarm signals, making it easier to work with the bees without causing them (or you) distress.
To use a smoker, you fill it with an easy-to-light material such as burlap, cotton, or even pine straw or leaves. Once lit, the smoker emits a cool, thick smoke. Using the smoker to puff the entrance and up under the lid once opened will ensure the bees are focused elsewhere, giving you time to do your inspection without too much interference. For a quick tutorial, check out this video on how to light a smoker using burlap.
- Hive Tool
The hive tool is a must-have for any beekeeper—and you must have more than one! This beekeeper will attest to the fact that you’ll misplace it or lose it altogether. This inexpensive, simple, yet versatile tool is used to pry open hive boxes, lift and separate frames, scrape off excess wax, and remove debris or propolis from the hive box. Hive tools come in different shapes and sizes, but they typically have a flat end for prying boxes apart and lifting frames and a bent edge for scraping.
During hive inspections, you'll frequently use your hive tool to lift frames out of the hive for examination, which would be difficult without the proper leverage. A hive tool is also handy for breaking propolis (the sticky resin bees use to seal cracks in the hive), making it a vital component in your beekeeping tool kit.
- Frame Grip
A frame grip is a tool designed to help you remove and handle frames of a beehive with ease. It’s not a required tool but is certainly handy. A frame grip helps you firmly grasp the frame, making it easier to inspect the hive and collect honey without damaging the comb.
For beginners, a frame grip is an excellent addition to your beekeeping tool kit, as it makes handling frames more efficient and reduces the risk of rupturing the comb or injuring bees.
- Bee Brush
A bee brush is a soft-bristled brush used to gently remove bees from the frames or equipment. When inspecting a hive, you may need to move or relocate bees without harming them, and a brush is the best way to do this.
The bristles of the brush are soft enough that they won’t hurt the bees but firm enough to encourage them to move out of the way. This tool is especially helpful when you're harvesting honey-filled frames for transporting back to your extraction location. The fewer bees going home with you, the better.
- Bee Feeder
A bee feeder—just as the name implies—is used to feed your bees sugar syrup, particularly in early spring when nectar is scarce, late summer during dearth, or the winter months when the bees may not be able to forage. Various types of feeders are available, including frame feeders, entrance feeders, and top feeders. Check out this video “What Type of Feeder Should I Use with My Beehive?” to learn what types of feeders are available and how to use them.
With new colonies, you may need to feed your bees continually for months to help them build strength and establish the colony, especially if you’re starting with a nucleus colony (nuc).
- Honey Extractor and Other Extraction Equipment
If you're planning to harvest honey from your hives, a honey extractor is a tool you will eventually need. Honey extractors come in two main types: manual and electric. They work by spinning the uncapped honey frames inside a drum, using centrifugal force to pull the honey from the comb.
A common method of removing honey-filled comb from a beehive is using a fumigant along with a fume board. The smell from the fumigant is unpleasant for the bees, so they vacate those frames for easy removal. Once removed, a variety of tools can be used to decap the honey cells in preparation for extraction, including a manual or electric uncapping knife and a plastic uncapping punch.
Now the uncapped honey frames are placed into the honey extractor, you either turn the crank or use the electric motor to spin the honey out. This allows you to harvest honey without destroying the bees' comb, which they will reuse. Honey extractors come in different sizes, so choose one based on the size of your hive and the amount of honey you plan to harvest. This typically is not a first-year purchase.
Conclusion
As you dive deeper into beekeeping, investing in the right beekeeping tools will make all the difference in your success and enjoyment. Whether you’re inspecting your hive, harvesting honey, or managing your bees’ health, these tools are essential to getting the job done efficiently and safely.
For beginners, the basic tools beyond the bee hive itself, like a smoker, protective gear, and hive tools, are sufficient to get started. Over time, as your skills and confidence grow, you can upgrade in each of these areas until you home in on the perfect tool to enhance your beekeeping experience.