What Equipments And How Much is Needed to start Beekeeping
Information and questions in biology and science, before we start talking about the equipment and tools needed for beekeeping, here is some necessary information that you should know !
Before starting to talk about the equipment and tools necessary for beekeeping .. Please pay attention to the following :
If you are new to the world of beekeeping, and eager to build your first hive; You should avoid buying used equipment or trying to make use of boxes and tools used by friends or neighbors. Because the bacteria that cause American and European brood rot are found in old equipment. Hence your beekeeping journey will fail before it even begins. So clean, new equipment is the perfect choice.
The Langstroth hive is the most popular hive among the beginners as well as the seasoned beekeepers. That is why we will focus on it and explain its parts in detail. But we must know that there are other cells such as Warri cells and plate cells and each of them has its own characteristics. Whereas, Warrie cells are the closest to mimicking the space inside hollow tree trunks. So it is preferred by those beekeepers who keep bees naturally. In contrast, we find that the panel cells do not require the transport of the heavy hive boxes; So it appears to be the best choice for elderly beekeepers and those with physical disabilities.
The basic design of a Langstroth hive consists of a large lower box called the hive body, or breeding box. It is used to raise broods, and it is there that wax tablets are built; For the queen to lay eggs inside it. It is also used to store honey intended for bee consumption.
A second box is placed over the breeding box, and it is less deep than it, and it is called the honey box. The honeydew is used to store excess honey during the seasons of increasing the amount of nectar during certain months of the year; This is when native trees and flowering plants are in their prime; To be collected by the beekeeper later.
A Langstroth hive consists of other parts that facilitate the management of the hive and the collection of as much honey as possible. The hive body contains removable frames that hang vertically and are attached to beeswax or a plastic base; This stimulates the formation of the hexagonal honeycomb cells.
A barrier (queen's barrier) is placed between the breeding box and the honeycomb, with panels that allow only worker workers to pass through it, and it prevents the queen from laying eggs in the honeycomb.
The presence of food for bees is necessary to provide bees with additional food, when sources of nectar and pollen are scarce, as is the case in the late summer and winter season. It can be formed by filling ziplock bags with sugar solution and placing them on the brood frames inside the breeding box, taking into account the presence of a small opening in the bags for the bees to eat through. Other feeders are placed at the entrance to the hive or hung vertically in place of the brood frame. But all feeding methods - like many other elements of beekeeping - also have loyal supporters, as there are also critics, and of course each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Craft Tools
There are tools for beekeeping. First, the jumpsuits. All beekeepers wear at least a face mask; In order to protect their faces and necks from bee stings. And many beekeepers choose to wear full protective suits in addition to gloves. However, some experienced beekeepers like to work without gloves and without any protection. These clothes may cause an increase in temperature. But once the beekeeper gains more experience in dealing with bees, he can then determine the amount of protection he needs.
Every beekeeper needs a smoker; The stream of cold smoke numbs the bees, and that is exactly what the beekeeper wants when it hovers around the hives. The smoker looks like a rectangular metal jug with a smoke outlet and a handle. The handle consists of a trigger that drives the blower inside the smoker; To slowly burn cardboard, dry paper, or other materials.
The crowbar - a small piece of metal - is one of the most important equipment that beekeepers need due to its wide uses. One of its uses is to separate the honey box from the breeding. Where it is glued together by propolis (bee gum). This gum is made by combining saliva and wax with a gummy "resin" that has been collected from plant sources and is used to fill cell gaps. The end of the lever is sharp enough to scrape off old glue and wax discs, but not as sharp as a screwdriver or paint knife that can rip out and damage the wood. The lever is also used to separate the frames from each other for inspection.
