Hobbies And Interests
Beehive Equipment
The wooden beehive is the single most important piece of beekeeping equipment. Use a set of plans for building a homemade beehive to find the precise measurements that must be used. The measurements must be exact to provide the right amount of space between the hive components or else the colony may abandon it. When building the hive, select a strong wood like cypress that will not rot or warp. Build the beehive from the ground up. The hive stand can be a simple wooden plank set upon bricks to elevate the hive off the ground. For the rest of the hive, assemble the layers out of hardwood boards at least ¾ inches thick to properly insulate the hive. The boxes are held together by cut interlocking box joints and nails. The bottom board is the transition piece between the stand and the hive, and it must have clearance of 3/8 inches between its top along the two shorter sides and the deep super chamber above. If too little clearance is given, the bees will fill the space with sticky pollen which binds the wood like glue. If the clearance is too great, the bees will fill the space with honey comb, blocking access to and from the hive. The deep super chamber is followed on top by the queen excluder, the shallow super chamber and the inner and outer covers. All of these components are constructed similarly using the box joint and nail construction, though in different sizes according to the plans. The honeycomb frames fit into the deep super chamber and must be sized to fit perfectly without extra space along the vertical sides. If the combs tilt due to misalignment, the honey can flow prematurely and leak out.
Beekeeper Suit
The beekeeper suit protects humans from bee stings and bites. The suit is comprised of a set of strong gloves and a netted veil that covers the face and hair. Strong garden gloves made of leather or denim can serve as beekeeper gloves. To make a veil, purchase a circular piece of mosquito netting with a diameter of at least four feet. Find the center of the veil and sew it to the center of an old baseball cap. Sew a thin layer of heavy felt around the circumference of the netting to weigh it down and keep bees away from your face.
Maintenance Equipment
Hive maintenance equipment includes a smoker, a hive tool and feeders. A smoker can be made from an old metal tea kettle with an elongated spout. Use a thin, lightweight six inch length of pipe to extend the spout, and seal the pipe to the kettle using black electrical tape. Use the smoker to calm the bees when accessing the hive by filling the kettle with grass and burlap, lighting it on fire, and placing the pipe inside the hive. The smoldering grass and burlap will emit thick smoke that calms the bees. A makeshift homemade hive tool is simply a metal crowbar used to pry the hive components apart. The sugar syrup feeders can be made at home using a Mason jar with five to six holes punched in the lid with a nail. Fill the jar with a solution of one part water to two parts sugar and invert it in the super chamber. Place the jar on two elevated sticks with half inch diameters and allow the sugar solution to slowly drip out, feeding the colony.