If you know a beekeeper, you might be looking for a good gift for them. No matter how experienced the beekeeper is, there are many things that make good gifts for beekeepers, including protective gear such as veils, jackets, suits or gloves, tools such as a bee smoker, hook hive tool, and frame perch, or hive carrier among other things. We’ll provide information on some of these gift ideas for beekeepers, as well as a few others.
Protective Gear
Beekeeping Suits and Jackets
Beekeeping suits and jackets should have enough space for movement and comfort. They should have closures at the wrists, ankles, and waist to keep bees out.
Beekeeping Helmets
Beekeeping helmets are often ventilated and have wide brims with hooks for holding a veil. Some helmets are also made of plastic.
Veils and Gloves
When working in a hive, beekeepers must protect their faces and eyes. Nylon veils fit over helmets for this reason. Some have drawstrings on the bottom to keep the veil tight to the beekeeper’s body.
When looking at gloves, cowhide gloves are the best because they are thick. However, their thickness makes them more difficult to work with.
Goatskin gloves are thinner and easier to work with, but don’t protect as well. Beekeepers who don’t want to work barehanded can wear either glove type.
During the summer, they can use long gauntlets to protect their wrists and arms. Gloves should fit snugly rather than loosely like beekeeping suits or jackets.
Beekeeping Tools
Stainless Steel Bee Smoker
Stainless-steel beehive smokers produce safe cool smoke to help calm bees and protect beekeepers from stings when they’re performing hive maintenance. This one is 11 inches from the bottom to the tip of the nose, and the canister is 4 inches in diameter. A heat shield protects the smoker from burns.
Kinglake J Hookhive Tool
This hive tool is made from steel, painted red, and very hard to bend or break. It’s 10 ½ inches long and beekeepers can use it to scrape the beehive frame. It’s also useful for prying hive bodies and supers apart. The tool’s sharp edge can be used to scrape beeswax.
Kinglake Standard Hive Tool
This is another great tool for separating hive bodies and supers. It helps beekeepers easily lift frames and scrape off excess wax and propolis from walls and frames.
Miscellaneous Beekeeping Equipment
There are a few extra pieces of beekeeping equipment that can make a beekeeper’s life easier.
Stainless Steel Frame Perch
The perch holds three frames when it is securely fitted over the hive body. It’s a must-have for any beekeeper’s apiary.
Mann Lake Hive Carrier
Beekeepers can use hive carriers to take pressure off their backs when moving hives and supers. Heavy-duty steel tubing makes this hive carrier durable. It can handle 150 pounds.
Swarm Commander
Beekeepers need Swarm Commander to attract honeybees to their hives. Each bottle contains 2 oz of Swarm Commander spray, a pheromone created to attract feral honeybee swarms. Beekeepers can establish new colonies with little effort when swarms are lured into their hives. The spray is completely safe for bees, and it lasts for a long time. This is one of our favorite gifts for beekeepers.
Ratchet Tie Down Straps
These are useful for keeping covers on hives, or for transporting them. The straps are made of high-quality material, and the S hooks have a safety lock, so you can secure your hives without worrying about damaging them or your vehicle. They include bungee cords, soft loops, and a storage bag.
Mann Lake Double Sieve
The double sieve has two screens for removing large pieces of wax. The top sieve is 1200 microns and the bottom is 353 microns, so it filters out nothing but honey. It is made from stainless steel and measures 10 inches in diameter by 5 inches in height.
Muck Boots
Neoprene boots are great not only for beekeepers but for anyone who has to work outside. Gusset construction keeps workers dry and comfortable. The boots are waterproof and have breathable air mesh linings and durable rubber soles. A comfort lining, a gathered collar, and strengthened toe and heel areas ensure that dirt, mud, and water stay out.
You can kick them off, and the rubber outsole is slip-resistant and shock-absorbing. These are easy to clean and can be worn after a quick rinse.
Aichose Refractometer for Sugar Content
Beekeepers can measure the sugar content of their honey with this tool. The device is portable and does not require batteries, so even a new user can use it. The temperature compensation function minimizes the effect of temperature on results. Its large-scale range of 0-80% makes it versatile.
Honey Bucket with Honey Gate
This is the easiest way to collect honey. Whether the beekeeper is a beginner or an expert, they can collect honey in this 5-gallon bucket. The tight-fitting lid and honey gate keep all the honey in during extraction.
It is also useful for filling feeders with syrup and is a great addition to any beekeeping supply kit. It’s made of durable HDPE plastic that can withstand extreme temperatures and has a metal handle for easy carrying. It measures 11.875 inches long by 11.875 inches wide.
Premium Fuel for Bee Smokers
Beehive smokers keep bees calm, so beekeepers can check on their hives. Jute smoker fuel produces light, cool smoke. A lighter or match is all you need to light it, and it will burn for a long time. You get 2 pounds of beekeeping smoker fuel. It can be cut into strips and used as fuel or pellets for bee smokers.
These are just a few ideas for gifts for beekeepers. If you know what your favorite beekeeper needs, great! Otherwise, think about the kinds of concerns they talk about regarding their beekeeping business – do they have problems with angry bees, or have a hard time collecting honey? Listening for cues like this can help you come up with ideas for gifts for beekeepers.