Are you considering the exciting hobby of beekeeping? Whether you’re just starting out or already an enthusiast, understanding the essential equipment you need is vital for a successful beekeeping journey. In this article, we’ll explore what’s necessary and why, while also providing you with the opportunity to access high-quality equipment and support for your beekeeping venture.
Setting Up Your Hive
The foundation of beekeeping begins with the hive itself. For each hive, you’ll need:
Deep and Medium Boxes
- 2 Deep Boxes: These provide space for brood and honey stores.
- 3 Medium Boxes: These house the frames where bees store honey.
Why are these essential? Bees need adequate room for growth, honey storage, and raising their young. Different box sizes are becassue honey can be heavy and the smaller boxes heighten the load. Also, the larger boxes make it so there is minimal breaks in the brood nest.
Frames for All Boxes
Frames provide structure for the bees to build their comb and store honey. Well-fitted frames ensure an organized and healthy hive.
Bottom Board, Inner and Outer Cover
- Bottom Board: This forms the foundation of the hive.
- Inner Cover: It separates the brood from the honey supers.
- Outer Cover: It protects the hive.
Insulated lids are recommended, especially in regions with extreme temperature variations. They help regulate heat in summer and provide insulation in winter. In New Jersey I like to ave the insulated lid.
Top Feeder
A top feeder is a convenient way to supply bees with food, such as sugar syrup. It’s especially useful when establishing a new hive or during times of limited nectar flow. Using an internal feeder is crucial. Feeding sugar on the outside of the hive can list to a lot of problems like robbing.
Queen Excluder
A queen excluder is essential to prevent the queen from laying eggs in the honey supers, ensuring that the honey you harvest is free from brood.
Additional Equipment
A beekeeper will also need the following to maintain their bees.
Hive Tools
These tools are essential for efficient hive management. There are a couple different styles of hive tools I recommend buying one of each to learn which one you like most.
Bee Suit
While experienced beekeepers may forgo the suit, we recommend using one, especially when you’re just starting. A bee suit provides valuable protection and peace of mind.
Gloves
Though we carry gloves, we encourage new beekeepers to work without them. Becoming comfortable with your bees allows for a deeper understanding of their behavior and interaction.
Varroa Testing Kit
This kit is a must for monitoring varroa mite levels, a common threat to honeybee health. Regular monitoring is vital for keeping your bees thriving.
The Bees
Lastly, you’ll need the stars of the show: the bees! We offer nucs for sale and are currently accepting orders.
The total cost to set up two hives is approximately $1500. Pricing details for individual items can be provided upon inquiry. Supporting your local beekeeping store not only ensures access to quality equipment but also strengthens your local community. We appreciate those who choose to shop locally and are here to assist you on your beekeeping journey.
If you have questions or would like to place an order for nucs or equipment, please feel free to reach out. Beekeeping is a rewarding and environmentally significant hobby, and we’re here to help you get started on the right path.