Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Honey supers are usually not as deep as the brood boxes, because frames filled with honey are
extremely heavy. By making the boxes shallower they will be easier for you to lift. The size doesn't
limit what the bees are capable of producing, because when they begin to fill up you'll simply add
another box to the hive.
You'll want some protection starting out, especially a bee veil to protect your face. Veils are usually
considered the minimum protection to wear when working your hive, and for many experienced
beekeepers it is all they wear. Depending on your comfort level, you can wear a full protective suit.
Gloves can often create more problems than they are worth because they make it easier to acciden-
tally squash or mishandle the bees. However, they are handy when you're starting out and a lot will
depend on your comfort level.
I highly recommend joining a beekeeping club before purchasing your bees. Find some of the more
experienced beekeepers and inquire when they will be working their hives, and visit them during
that time. You'll get a chance to observe what a full hive looks like, and your beekeeping mentor
can explain what you should be looking for whenever you open your hive. You can also practice
handling supers and frames and see what level of protection you feel most comfortable with. I've
never owned a full suit, but I absolutely cannot bring myself to grip the frames without wearing a
pair of gloves.
thOrny MatterS
Bees release an alarm pheromone when they are killed or when they sting something, which can trigger
more aggressive behavior from the remaining bees. Take care not to crush or pinch bees while working the
hive and you'll be less likely to get stung.
One of the best tools I've ever purchased was a frame grip. It acts like a pair of pliers to grasp the
frame and help you lift it out. It minimizes your contact with the frame so it'll be less likely to
kill your bees when lifting the frames out. It also keeps your fingers from grasping directly on the
frame so you're less likely to get stung by trapping a bee under your fingers.
A hive tool is a crowbar type of instrument specifically designed to help lift the lid, and separate
the hive frames so you can lift them out and examine them. Bees will stick the frames together
with a sticky substance called
propolis
to secure them. Just pop them loose to lift them out.
You'll also want a smoker. A smoker will create a cool, persistent stream of smoke that will help
calm the bees while you're working with them. Often when you open the lid of the hive, the bees
will pour out of the top. When you're ready to replace the top, you should use the smoker to drive
the bees back down into the hive so you minimize casualties to your worker bee force while work-
ing the hive. It's impossible to check the hive without accidentally squishing a few of the worker
bees, but you obviously want to minimize that as much as possible.
