When you start beekeeping as well as needing a hive or two and of course honey bees, there are a number of key pieces of equipment that you will also need.
Firstly you will need a bee-suit / bee-jacket, a good pair of gloves and a pair of wellies. There are a number of companies who manufacture and supply beesuits, they vary in cost, quality, weight, comfort and most importantly how well they keep the bees out. On our trade link page you will find a number of companies who supply clothing.
Next you will need a smoker and a couple of hive tools. You will lose your hive tool in the first few months of beekeeping so its a good idea to have two. There’s a blackhole somewhere in the universe that contains millions of lost hive tools.
Other equipment you will need is a bee brush, uncapping fork, a queen catcher and cage. A couple of good beekeeping books, read as much as you can, this will forearm you with the knowledge you will need as you start your beekeeping hobby.
The Haynes Bee Manual handbook comes highly recommended.
Other equipment you can buy later or borrow from your mentor/association.
The most important thing that you will need you can’t buy; it is the help from fellow beekeepers and that is where our association comes in. Being able to pick up the phone and talk to a mentor is so valuable to you and your bees. Your bees will have not read any books so they have no idea what they are meant to do, so they will do the most unexpected things from time to time that will the fox the most experienced of beekeepers.