Start Up Gear

Completely Biased Recommendations based on HUNDREDS of hours of use

MUST HAVES

Protective Suit: It’s always good to have a protective jacket on hand. You might want to observe your hives, need to weed eat around them or need to check activity during odd weather patterns. And, we always recommend wearing protective gear when inspecting.

I like Texas Bee Supply gear because it’s functional, well designed, durable and washable. Choose a fencing veil (as opposed to a round veil) for best visibility. $70ish

You will only ever see me in a full ventilated suit. I am allergic to stings (large local not anaphylactic) so, even in 114 degree heat, I'm suited up. You can wear your bathing suit underneath to stay cool. I like the Texas Bee Supply suit because it's durable - I'm constantly snagging mine on barbed wire or tree branches. The legs have two way zippers - which doesn't mean much until you forget your phone in the inside pocket of your pants. And the fencing veil provides solid visibility. It's also easy to remove so you can put the suit in the washing machine.

Gloves: We’ve tried ever type of glove out there and the goat skin gloves are simply the best protection and they last. I like this affordable pair from Amazon. Gloves are personal. Expect to try a few varieties. Pro tip: protect your wrists by holding on to the sleeve of your suit and make sure the cuff is inside the leather of the glove. Never wear rings during an inspection.

Hive Tool: The hive tool is essential for any work with your hive. We find the style with the hook on the end the most user friendly. This two pack is a good deal. As soon as you can't find your hive tool the first time, you'll realize why having many is wise. If you're using top feeders, you can leave a hive tool inside one of the boxes so it's always there.

Smoker: You don’t have to have a smoker, I will always bring mine. If you want to do inspections on your own - it’s a good idea to have one. We have three different types and they all work fine. It’s the tool you will come to love to hate. Keeping them lit is a challenge for even seasoned beekeepers. I’ll teach you my secret!

Bee Ware: If your bee ware comes flat packed and needs assembly, please take the time to GLUE and nail the joints. That will increase the longevity of your boxes especially in Texas heat. Over time nails can rust and a wobbly box is no match for bee propolis.

NICE TO HAVES

Double Waxed Foundation Frames: Available from Pierce or Acorn these plastic frames have many advantages - they are resistant to wax moths. If you have wax moths in a hive, they cannot chew through the plastic which slows their destruction. Bees seem to adopt thes foundation quickly allowing them to get right to building comb and making honey. The BLACK frames make it easier to see eggs in comb. If you're wondering, I LOATH plastic. I insist that our honey go into glass jars and I avoid plastic everywhere I can. Why plastic frames? WAX MOTHS. I never ever want you to have to scrape frames or equipment of the slimy nasty sludge they leave behind when destroying a hive.

Top Feeders: I'll link to the one I like and expound more on this in a blog post that I will link.