Getting started with beekeeping is awesome—and choosing the right equipment makes all the difference in keeping your bees happy and you safe. Here’s my list of favorite beekeeping gear that I've used and abused over the last decade as a beekeeper. Don't see a product you need? That's because I haven't found one I love just yet. Keep coming back. I will update this list as I continue to destroy, I mean test out, new beekeeping products every month.

Beehives

NuBee Starter Beehive

If you're just getting started and don't want to spend a fortune on equipment, check out Galena Farms' NuBee 10 Frame Starter Beehive Kit. For $119, you get a brood box with 5 frames, smoker, jacket with veil, hive tool, entrance reducer, inner cover, lid, queen excluder and bee escape (If you're not sure what this is, that's okay. You probably won't need one your first year). It takes the guess work out of what you need for your bees that first month and the box is already painted!

Just keep in mind, this hive comes with 5 frames for this 10 frame box. Why? Because many people start beekeeping by purchasing a nuc. A nuc comes with 5 frames, so if you are buying a nuc, you can save some money with this set up. However, you will have to buy another deep box and super with frames later on. You'll want to have them on hand about a month after getting your bees.

Get this hive for just $99! Use coupon code BMS99 at Galenafarms.com. Offer ends April 30th, 2025.

Hive Bodies

If you're looking for some boxes made from high quality wood that will last a long time, I recommend the Eli & Ezra hive. It is made in the US from white pine. When you work with wooden boxes in the bee yard, you learn a thing or two about joints. These boxes have a rabbeted half blind dovetail. What is that? Most boxes have dovetail joints and I'm not sure why because they are not the strongest joint and you want STRONG joints on your bee boxes. When the beekeeper wants to open the hive, they wedge their hive tool between the boxes to pry them apart thanks to that sticky plant sap called propolis the bees use to seal the hive up. Often times, when a box just isn't moving, I go to the corner of the box. This destroys boxes and their joints. Rabbet joints are MUCH stronger than dovetail and what I use when building my own boxes. However, they it can be tricky to assemble a box with rabbet joints. The Eli & Ezra boxes use a combination of these joints called the rabbeted half blind dovetail. These joints not only make it a lot easier to assemble the boxes, so the corners are square, but they're stronger and the boxes last longer. These boxes are more expensive and do not come painted, but, in my opinion, well worth the extra cost.

Feeder 

Feeders are used to provide sugar syrup to a colony. There are entrance feeders, top feeders, and frame feeders. I'm not a fan of the entrance and frames feeders. Entrance feeders can encourage robbing since it is partly outside and frame feeders, although inexpensive, require the beekeeper to open the hive and get in the brood box to refill. I've also seen quite a few dead bees in these, even with the screen to prevent drowning. Top feeders are my recommendation. The Amish-Made Top Feeder with Slatted Boards is my go-to. I like this feeder because there's less chance for user error and it's easy to clean. Many top feeders require you to fill it up all the way and turn it upside down, using up a lot of syrup even if you're not wanting to feed for long. If you do not fill it all the way, it can lead to spilling and puddles inside your hive, which bees can and will drown in. However, with this feeder, you fill it up as high as you like and you can easily see how much is left without having to take the inner cover off and bother the bees. 

Honey & Feed

I don't have a particular extractor I recommend. I tried the Vevor 4 frame electric extractor. You can watch video where I use it and review it here. However, I've read mixed reviews from people stating it arrived dented and they couldn't get a refund. When an extractor gets dented there is the potential that it won't worksince it has to spin freely in order to get the honey out of a frame. Additionally, it was a real pain to take apart and clean. I mean it took my husband and I multiple tries (and a bit of swearing) before we were able to get it back together 

Comb Honey

I have been selling comb honey for about 7 years. It is how I started my beekeeping business, so I know quite a bit about comb honey. I can't say enough great things about SimplKomb's honeycomb cassettes. They're as cheap as a regular comb honey container, BUT you put the entire thing in the hive and then pop it out when the bees capped the cells. There is no cutting, no need for extra equipment, no need to shrink wrap the case. It is quite wonderful. Use coupon code LARYSSA for 10% off.

Supplements

You do not have to feed your bees supplements, but adding them to your syrup will extend the shelf life especially when it's warm out. I've been using Honey B Healthy for over a decade with good results. 

Pollen

If you're going to feed your bees syrup, it is crucial that you also feed them pollen. Without both, your hive can be severely stressed out. Ultra Bee Dry pollen is my go-to and used by many backyard as well as commercial beekeepers. You can put it inside the hive, dry, or add syrup to it to make pollen patties.

Note to those in warm climates. When I kept bees in Hawaii, I did not feed my bees pollen or syrup. There were enough flowers blooming year round that it was not necessary. When you first get your bees, you can give them a little bit of syrup and pollen. However, you do not have to get your hive to grow as fast as possible before winter, like the beekeepers in cold climates. Sometimes it can do more harm than good because small hive beetles will lay their eggs in the pollen patties, leading to an infestation. The only time I recommend feeding bees syrup in warm climates is if your hive is struggling to survive - they have less than1 frame of honey for 4+ frames of brood or they are weak and you're not sure why. Feeding them is a way you can see if lack of food is the problem.

Pests

Small Hive Beetle Traps

A great way to keep small hive beetle numbers low is to put traps in your hive. I like to use two traps - one at the top of the beehive and one on the bottom. The bottom board trap is what catches the most beetles and the absolute best way to trap them is with this screened bottom with oil pan below. 

Usually the beekeeper learns that there are small hive beetles (SHB) in their hive because they take the lid of one day to find a bunch of them scurrying around on top of the frames. A great way to trap the beetles under the lid is with these towels. These towels can be found on most beekeeping website, and I don't receive a commission when you purchase these, so buy them where ever you're buying the rest of your gear. Place one or two right on top of the top bar of your frames and the bees will chew it up. Beetles get stuck in the chewed up towels when they walk on it. These don't work in every hive. Some hives prefer to propolize the towel and trap the beetles under it. If this happens, take your hive tool and squish any beetles under the towel using your hive tool before taking frames out.

Varroa Mite Test

Varoa EasyCheck is a great way to easily check a hive for varroa mites. You can make one of these test kits yourself using a canning jar and some hardware cloth, which I show people how to so in my online beekeeping course, but if you don't have those items already on hand, it's much cheaper to buy one of these kits. It also comes with directions so you don't miss a step when testing your hives.

Safety Gear

Beekeeping Gloves

Most beekeeping gloves are goatskin and often come all the way up to the elbow with elastic at the end to keep bees from crawling into the gloves, which they will do. This year, I purchased a pair of gloves from Apis Tactical and I love them! They have the longer option where the gloves come up to the elbow, but what I got are a shorter pair of gloves because it gets really hot in the summer. These gloves are made from soft goatskin, but come to the wrist and have a Velcro band to keep bees from getting inside. They also have ventilation on the top, similar in style to ventilated bee suits, to help keep your hands cool.

Beekeeping Suit

There are a lot of beekeeping suits out there. I've only owned 2 suits over the 12 years I've been keeping bees. My first suit, a regular heavy cotton suit my former employer bought for me, did the job and kept me from getting stung, but boy was it hot! This year, I got myself a ventilated suit. This suit from BeBees has three layers of mesh fabric to keep you safe from stings while keeping you cool in the summer months. The way I see it, you can always put layers on under the suit in the colder months, but when it's hot out, there's only so many layers you can take off!

Beekeeper Veil

I'm not a huge fan of wearing a lot of protective gear. Whenever possible, I like to open a beehive in baggy jeans, t-shirt, and veil. For most of my inspections, I like to wear this veil with helmet. The screen is made from wire so that it doesn't rip easily. It folds down nicely and is lightweight when I don't need the extra protection.

There you have it! Those are my favorite beekeeping tools and equipment. Do you have a piece of beekeeping equipment that you love you think I should try? Email it to me at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!