Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Essential Beekeeping Equipment - The Beekeeping Veil

For many, the thought of beekeeping just makes
them squeamish. You say bees and they immediately
hear that tell tale buzzing sound and may even
recall a childhood memory of their first sting.
Those memories give most people an immediate
chill. In reality, beekeeping is not as tough as
many think. One of the things that makes this
hobby much safer is the tools that have been
created to go with it.

For instance, the beekeeping veil is one good
example. Bee stings on the face (especially
aroung the eyes) can be very sore, so the
beekeeping veil is a particularly important piece
of equipment.

This article will give you some insight into what
other equipment you will need for beekeeping.

Bees need a home and for that there are beehives.
The two general types are standard Langstroth
type beehives and top bar beehives. While both
will give a great home to the bees, the amount of
overall honey production from each varies.

The top bar beehive is a simplistic, inexpensive,
yet useful design. A honeycomb hangs from the top
of a bar and can be easily cut out when it is
ready to be harvested. The bees have to recreate
the entire wax structure every time it is removed
and as a result you get an overall higher wax
yield.

Your typical Langstroth type beehive can be a bit
more costly, but is a better option for higher
honey production. Which one do the bees prefer?
They are most concerned with their living
quarters being dry and undisturbed, so the choice
of which hive you get is really up to you.

Suit up or get stung! Beekeeping clothing is
optional but strongly recommended. Your suit is
comprised of a hat or helmet with a veil, sturdy
gloves, a full jumpsuit, and even some high top
boots. Keep in mind that even with all this on
there is still a small chance you can get stung -
if you keep bees, at some point you will get
stung.

But the more you become familiar with your bees
and the hive, the more confidence you will have
and the chances of getting stung greatly reduce.
This is why some beekeepers are able to go
without some of this protective gear. Of course
it can take years to achieve this level of
confidence. As a beginner you will want to invest
in the entire suit. You won't want just any old
gloves or veil. The apparel comes specific to
beekeeping and is designed in a way to give you
the best protection.

Carpenters use a hammer, writers use a pen, and
beekeepers use a hive tool. This tool is used to
help open the hive and scrape the frames clean.
The bee business can get a bit sticky and your
hive tool will help you pry apart what ever gets
stuck together that shouldn't be.

Spring, summer and even the fall your little
friends will find their own dinner. But during
the winter months things can be a bit scarce -
especially if you've been taking their honey. For
this you will want to get a bee feeder. This will
provide the bees with the nutrition they need
through those lean months.

In addition, you'll need a smoker to calm the
bees, and tools to extract your honey. As you can
see, there are many tools that all work together
and a lot more to see beyond your beekeeping veil.

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Val Wilson is passionate about all things
beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby
in so many ways, so if you would like more
information about how to start beekeeping, and
produce your own honey, go to
http://www.bestbeekeeping.com and sign up for the
FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

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