what's in your toolbox?

[mattiker]

As the subject says... What's in your beekeeping toolbox? I'm getting organised this year and want to heave a dedicated toolbox for inspections.

Cheers Matt

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Queen marking pen for each year
press in cage
queen clip
several lighters
hive tool
biro
hand held mister with lemon scent
queen cages plugged with candy
scissors
pen knife

I also always have a newspaper in the car.

 

[Rosti]

we've been here before but well worth another visit .... if just one vote then

A wind proof zippo jet flame lighter £12

but (putting aside the obvious) also

duck tape
match box - queen cage
manipulation cloths
drawing pins for marking frames
twine (14x12's can sag or rip sometimes)
pen knife
marker pen
magnifying glass - cant always look through the right varifocal bit to see eggs and sometimes sun angle difficult as well.

Bottle of sloe gin, best stop, I may be sharing too much.

 

[fiftyjon]

A lidded container for brace comb and wax bits.
Small screw top jar (for anything interesting found in the hive!)
A strap or two (ratchet)
Pieces of foam (for blocking holes or reducing entrances)
Notepad.

 

[REDWOOD]

bee brush, first aid kit, epi pen, bottle of water for putting smoker out safely, cocktail stick, camera, wd40 and duck tape

 

[MuswellMetro]

Everything so far mentioned but plus a frame rest and except the bottle of sloe gin....but it is a good idea

 

[psafloyd]

I have one of those long necked lighters and a can of gas. Bee brush, duct tape, drawing pins, staps, sponge entrance blocks, newspaper, spare entrance block, vinyl gloves, plus a few bits more, I think.

 

[unclesteen]

A charity swear box!!!

 

[madasafish]

Swiss Army knife. Wickes self igniting blowtorch ( no messing about with matches..) ,hive tool.And a cardboard length backed by wood to act like a manipulation cloth and cover over open top bars...

In my jacket, hydrocortisone ointment, plasters, marigolds, vinyl gloves. KFC hand wipes - to wipe stings...Paper tissue.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

What's in it - lots of things I don't need and normally a disgruntled bee.

What's NOT in it? That thing that I'll need next inspection.

 

[scuttlefish]

Lighter, notebook, matches, a couple of hive tools, bee brush, couple of porter escapes, scraps of newspaper, a couple of pairs of spare gloves*, queen clip, marker pen, uncapping fork (with the prongs stuck into cork so they don't stick into my hand!), knife, mouse guard (plastic, not feline), pencil, couple of dead earwigs.

Some good ideas in other posts though - must chuck in my penknife, some twine and a box of drawing pins.

* I just use plastics - proper gauntlets are on this year's shopping list!

 

[SixFooter]

A jet flame lighter (so much easier than matches) I have matches as well though.
3 or 4 hive tools as I lose them all the time.
Hammer and frame nails. A little spirit level. Battery powered screw driver + a few screws. Duck tape, water spray assorted Queen catchers, marker paint (this year & last year) drawing pins - paint scraper - better than a hive tool for scraping. A little torch, magnifying glass. Oh and some thick gloves just in case.
I have a set square as well, but I have no idea what for. It probably just fell in accidentally

Pencil, paper & string

 

[drfraz]

Gloves, a lighter, 200 cigarettes, bottle of fine malt whisky, spare passport & £5000 in used notes.... or is that the other kit?

 

[madasafish]

Gloves, a lighter, 200 cigarettes, bottle of fine malt whisky, spare passport & £5000 in used notes.... or is that the other kit?

Does that include a bribe to the Bee Inspector?

 

[Mart_got_hives]

A lot of stuff already mentioned (hive tool, lighters, knife etc) and also an Aspivenin and a tube of toothpaste in case of stings and my Beespy 3000 -well that's what I call it, it's just a mirror glued to a walking stick. Very usefull thing if you want a good look at the hive entrances but don't want to plonk yourself in the way of flying bees or annoy the guards, also lets me have a look at the mesh floors without having to stick my head under there.

 

[mbc]

nails a hammer, broad sheet newspaper and some bog roll

 

[victor meldrew]

nails a hammer, broad sheet newspaper and some bog roll

Alfresco ablutions ??
VM

 

[itma]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Talcum Powder. A little on the hands makes it much easier to put on and take off the rubber gloves ... so yes, there's a small pack in my toolbox!

My drawing pins are stuck into an old wine-bottle cork. Keeps them locatable and out of mischief. And I have a half inch tall cylindrical magnet that holds and pushes in a drawing pin.

 

[Gardenbees]

Queen marking pen, queen clip
Long-reach lighter, also a box of long cook's matches
Pieces of plain cardboard (light these to waft smoke at nuc entrances for quick inspections)
Wallpaper-stripping scraper tool (more handy than hive tool IMHO); also hive tool and old kitchen knife with the pointy end snapped off (v handy for cutouts and opening fondant packs etc.)
a big feather
pair of marigolds
drawing pins
(if applicable) entrance blocks, ApiLife Var strips or other seasonal bits.

Things not to include:
Body Shop honey lip balm (don't ask)
A brand of gloves which had a weird floral scent that the bees hated passionately and industriously (ow)
ordinary cigarette lighter (forget it: instant howling gale starts up as soon as you pick one up)
"bee brush". They soon retain the scent of irritated bee, and rile each frame in turn if you try to use them for their intended purpose, or so I've found anyway.

Future plans, as influenced by this thread:
Sloe gin. I like that idea.

 

[mbc]

Alfresco ablutions ??
VM

Yep, should have added a folding spade for those out apiary by the woods moments.