The 5 Basic Beekeeping Tools – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

Every trade or hobby has its own set of special tools to make the work easier. The following are bee keeping’s 5 most basic and useful tools.   Beginning beekeepers should have all of them before installing bees into the beehive.

Smoker-the smoker is must-have for every beekeeper. The smoker is used to calm down the honeybees before inspection or harvesting.

Essentially, a smoker is a closed kettle with a tall body and an air inlet to let oxygen in. They are available in copper and stainless steel varieties

A smoker is usually 7 inches in height, though some larger varieties can be as tall as 10 inches. The spout or nose of the smoker is bent to allow the beekeeper to smoke the hive easily without lifting the outer cover fully. 

You place burning wood chips inside and you use the bellows to create smoke. The smoke leaves the chamber of the smoker through the spout. 

When smoking the bees, give the smoker two large puffs with the bellows and allow the available wind to carry the smoke into the body of the hive.

Never lift the outer cover of the Langstroth hive without using your smoker first. Do not over-smoke your bees, because it can reduce their activity level for 2-3 days. 

Hive tool – the hive tool is another essential tool in any beekeeper’s arsenal. It allows the beekeeper to remove stuck woodwork and noiselessly remove propolis from sections of the Langstroth hive.

The hive tool has two parts: the wedge or blade and the handle.  Hive tools are often fitted with brightly-colored, plastic-coated handles helps the beekeeper locate the hive tool after it has been placed on the grass.

Some hive tools have chiseled ends that allow the beekeeper to carefully pry apart stuck frames.  Hive tools are relatively cheap.  You can buy a fairly good hive tool for less than $25.

Again, manufacturers produce hive tools using different metals. But if you want something that will last for a long time, purchase a hive tool with a stainless steel wedge.  

Uncapping Fork – the uncapping fork is used during honey extraction to remove the wax caps from the cells full of stored honey.

The uncapping fork resembles a flat, wide fork with numerous metal points. The fork is simply inserted into the top layer of the hexagonal cells and carefully lifted to remove the caps.

There are three popular types of uncapping forks: the flat fork, the bent fork and the Swedish uncapping fork.

The flat fork is the simplest type and is used only during honey extraction.

The bent fork is used to open brood cells to check for mite infestations.  The bent tines of this tool allows the beekeeper to open individual cells without disturbing the other cells.

The third type, the Swedish uncapping fork, is equipped with an additional blade which allows the beekeeper to remove burr combs from the wooden frames to keep them from sticking together.

Hive Stand – Eventhough Langstroth hives have stands of their own, you may want to invest in an elevated stand that will raise the entire hive structure another 12 inches off the ground.

Hive stands also protect the bottom section of the Langstroth hive from rotting and helps discourage animals like skunks and other smaller mammals from disturbing your hive.

Brush – any soft-bristled brush can be used to gently brush away bees during routine inspections of the hive. Since you can’t pick up handfuls of bees just to get to the frames, a soft-bristled paint brush is the most convenient choice and economical.

As with any other tools, you can spend a lot or little.  Keep in mind that quality tools may cost a few dollars more but may last years longer.