Beekeeper Supplies
It is essential that the right supplies are used in beekeeping. Beekeeping is a hobby that could be dangerous. When the right supplies are used, beekeepers can reduce the change of being injured. Supplies are needed for the management and the maintenance of the bee colonies as well as for the extraction of the honey from the hives. Find out all about beekeeper supplies all in one place.
When beekeeping, a great deal of importance is paid to the safekeeping of the beekeeper as he tends to the beehives. This is achieved in a number of ways.
One way that beekeepers protect themselves is by wearing protective clothing. Protective clothing includes a hat and veil, gloves and a beekeeping suit. Protecting the face from being stung, takes priority since it is the most vulnerable body part. It is extremely important for even experienced beekeepers to protect their faces with a hat and veil. The beekeeping suit consists of a light weight, white full length suit. The bee’s sting cannot pierce the material of the suit, in this way the beekeeper will not suffer from the bee’s venom. Gloves are a critical part of ensuring the beekeeper’s safety, although some beekeepers find them cumbersome to perform the work they do in the colony with the gloves on.
A “smoker” is used by the beekeeper to settle down the bees for the beekeeper to work with them. This piece of equipment burns different fuels to release smoke. A variety of different fuels are utilized in the smoker. The fuels used by some beekeepers include rotten wood, corrugated cardboard, pine needles, burlap, twine, and hessian. Sometimes they would use such fuels as aerosol cans of smoke, compressed cotton, and pulped paper. The smoke initiates a feeding response with in the bees in preparation to possibly having to leave the hive due to a fire. Another affect of the smoke is to suppress the alarm scents given off by the guard bees of the colony, when they realize that the colony is being intruded. As the colony is confused, the beekeeper has an opportunity to open the hive and work without triggering a defensive reaction. Find out all about complete guide beekeeping in one place.
The beekeeper leaves food for the bees in the form of sugar syrup, even though they are able to secure food for themselves. This prevents starvation during bad times of the year and it also stimulates the laying of eggs. The beekeepers use a device called a feeder to feed the bees. A variety of different feeders are available on the market. In the winter, division boards, pall and hive top are used as inside feeders. An entrance feeder is used during the summer when the bees are very active and outside a great amount of the time.