Beekeeping Kit

A bee keeping kit is the most important part of beekeeping. You will need all the protective gear and honey removing apparatus that you can get to give you sweet, sugary honey. It is a sweet source of nutrition and income for the whole family.

The basic bee keeping kits come with a hive that has its own specialties according to the one you order, a swarm box or catch box, beekeeping protective wear (that is, a veil and a suit), a hive tool, a smoker with a heater guard, PVC gloves with material arms and elbows, queen excluder and a bee brush.

The uses of each of the above items that are included in a bee keeping kit are as follows:

* The hive is where your bees are going to stay and make honey
* The swarm box is used to collect bees and keep them there
* Protective gear is a must if you want to avoid getting stung badly by the bees. Of especial use is the veil that keeps you head out of reach of the bees.
* A hive tool to a beekeeper is like a hammer to a carpenter. It is used to open hives, pry frames apart, scrape the wax and propolis from the hive parts.
* A smoker is useful to keep the bees at bay. The smoke when injected in the hive can make the bees think that there is a fire. So, they store up the honey in themselves and are less likely to bite you.
* A queen excluder, as the name suggests, is to exclude the queen bee from the other bees.
* PVC gloves are a part of the protective gear.
* The bee brush is used to brush bees away from the frame where you want to work. It gently moves the bees out of the way.

Along with a bee keeping kit you will need bees, too, if you are intent upon beekeeping! You can get them from a local beekeeper association or a vendor. There are some other things that you must keep in mind. You should be ready with all the equipment before you get the bees home. You should always keep referring to good beekeeping books and magazines to update your knowledge. Make a journal for keeping records of bee activities, the plants growing in the area and the important dates such as when the hives were medicated and the honey is harvested.

You should also have the phone and address of the local beekeepers association and the names and numbers of other beekeepers. If your budget allows you get some bee-sting cream, butane lighter for the smoker, a five gallon bucket with a cloth caddy to hold the tools, a sweatband, blank labels for jars and a honey recipe book.

As you advance in your beekeeping practices, you can take other tools and equipment that you may think suitable. Usually this basic bee keeping kit can last you long. You may not need replacements. Beekeeping is a profitable occupation that gives you honey and wax for sale. You can have the honey for your family too and still be able to sell. That's the beauty of it all. You can gain a lot from beekeeping besides sheer enjoyment.