When you first start beekeeping, you only need a handful of materials. However, as your operation grows, you might be surprised how much equipment you accumulate.
As time passes, you might purchase little signs, honey bottling equipment, and anything else you need to take care of your bees and harvest the products of their hard work. Maybe you even start a new related hobby, like candle making, using the skills you learned.
Depending on the size of your beekeeping business, you might not be clear on how (or where) to store all your stuff.
In addition to the benefit of decluttering, storing and cleaning your equipment properly is critical because good storage practices will save you money on repair and replacement.
Keeping your gear organized and spic and span also keeps your apiary productive and safe; sanitizing your equipment prevents the spread of disease among your bees.
Here are the top tips for storing your beekeeping gear.
Devote a designated storage area
Most beekeeper hobbyists will agree that, without a designated storage area, their equipment tends to spill all over their yard or house. For beginner beekeepers, this is most true at the end of their first summer when the equipment they used weekly is no longer needed.
All that stuff can end up sitting in one place for days or weeks at a time, which could stress the beekeeper unnecessarily. The best way to prevent such a mess is by devoting a specific space around or in your home for the sole purpose of housing your gear.
A part of the garage, a large closet, or a shed will do. As long as it’s got a roof and it’s near the apiary, it’s a good place to secure your equipment. That way, you’re not running between your equipment space and bees all the time.
The most important consideration to keep in mind when selecting an area is to protect your equipment from the elements. This includes potential pests, moisture, and other threats.
Clean equipment before storage
Before storing your equipment for the season, you need to sanitize and clean it.
Use a hive tool to scrape away debris from hive components and honey supers before putting them away. When storing your beekeeping suit, be sure to sanitize that as well. To prevent damage to your hat, suit, veil, and other garments, consider hand washing them.
Hang your veil to air-dry before being stored; this prevents mold or any other damage. Then, clean every piece of equipment one by one. They’ll attract fewer pests when they’re clean and pose less risk of disease to your bees when you reuse them next season.
Even though you’ll be exhausted from the busy season, you’ll thank yourself later for your diligent cleaning efforts.
Keep your storage area organized
Dedicating an area for your equipment would be pointless if you didn’t organize it so that you knew the location of everything for easy retrieval. This is why it is necessary to create and maintain an organizational system.
Your beekeeping suit and accessories will be the first gear you’ll likely use when the season starts again, so keep them together and close to the front.
Group other related equipment. For example, your bee brush and hive tools should be kept together in the same location.
The bottom line: research shows that keeping your workspace clutter-free, efficient, and clean makes for a stress-free beekeeper – and well-cared-for, happy, productive bees.
Reach out to Dadant & Sons for more storage tips
Your beekeeping journey can be fun, but it’s definitely a challenge. Check out our favorite book on First Lessons in Beekeeping to learn more about the highs and lows of this rewarding hobby/business – and how to make the experience as rewarding as possible.
As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the proper care of your bees and your beekeeping babies. We’re here to help.