Kit??

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

westart

New Bee
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Location
Staffordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
Hi folks,
Just starting to prep for the new season and was wondering what everyone on here counts as essential kit to carry with them on an inspection and how do you manage to carry it all? Does it depend on what you intend to do or do you carry it regardlsess?

Cheers Westart
 
A plastic carrier with centre handle, two sides
Queen cage, marker, permenant marker, gas lighter, spare fuel, icing sugar, clips to hang spare frames on, scissors, can of fabispray, old film canister with holes in for putting spare queens in, hive tool, tip ex, spare plastic frame ends, and that's about it!
 
A plastic carrier with centre handle, two sides
Queen cage, marker, permenant marker, gas lighter, spare fuel, icing sugar, clips to hang spare frames on, scissors, can of fabispray, old film canister with holes in for putting spare queens in, hive tool, tip ex, spare plastic frame ends, and that's about it!

GOOD HEAVENS!!! And you use them only once in summer per hive.

You are like living ambulance.

What I use with hive water bottle that I can drink and wash my hands and a knife and smoker.
 
A plastic carrier with centre handle, two sides
Queen cage, marker, permenant marker, gas lighter, spare fuel, icing sugar, clips to hang spare frames on, scissors, can of fabispray, old film canister with holes in for putting spare queens in, hive tool, tip ex, spare plastic frame ends, and that's about it!

and a box of coloured drawing pins for marking frames
 
Enrico : I notice you haven't got a smoker to put your fuel in, newspaper for uniting or any hive records?
 
and a box of coloured drawing pins for marking frames

for one moment there I thought the last word was going to be "queens"
 
Since you don't inspect without reason, I take the things I expect to need.

For example, once all queens are marked, there's no need to carry a marker and crown of thorns.


But since I'm usually checking for healthy brood, I do carry a pair of tweezers... They live in the clip-top soda box with the hive tools.
I do carry a small tin can stuffed with spare smoker fuel and the baby blowlamp for no-messing-about relighting. Seldom needed, reassuring to have.
Likewise the small "tomato mister" with plain water.

If I was running an out-apiary, I suspect that the car boot would soon become a big toolbox, filled with things I wouldn't want to have to go home for! But I'm not and it isn't (yet!)
 
I have a remarkable ability to bring with me most things that I need, but leaving out one essential item. Sometimes its the hive tool, or the lighter for the smoker. Could be a queen cage, or if I do bring everything I may have forgotten to zip my suit up. Never learn.
 
That's really interesting, how some carry more than others and actually what they carry. I like to try and make sure I have everything to hand or at least as much as I can remember. Cheers Westart.
 
I take a smoker and hive tool, the rest of my stuff is in the car which is about 20" away.
 
smoker, two hive tools (in case disease found in one hive, can swap), rubber gloves, suit and matches. Stuffed under the seat of a moped.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top