Keeping bees. Part 2: Getting the right kit

Alison Benjamin

09 February 2012

If you've decided beekeeping is for you, now's the time to order the hive and equipment. If not, there's still time to enrol on a beginners' course ready for beekeeping this year.

There are three main hives to chose from:

• The traditional cottage garden hive, called a WBC.
• A national hive, which is a series of bottomless wooden boxes stacked on top of each other.
• The plastic funky-looking beehaus.

When I started, I really wanted a pretty WBC but quickly realised that in a small space a national was easier to use.

Other essentials are:

• A beesuit for full body protection.
• A smoker can that blows smoke to calm the bees when you open the hive.
• A hive tool to get you into the hive.

A number of beekeeping suppliers take orders online or by phone. Many sell beginners' budget kits from around £350.

Make sure the pack includes a beesuit, rather than just a veil, and a mesh floor for the hive which helps to control the varroa mite. Don't buy second-hand because it could harbour diseases.

Ask for recommendations for suppliers if you're on a course. Or try your local beekeeping association.

Each beekeeper has their own preferences. I swear by Marigolds as the perfect beekeeping gloves, for example, rather than leather gauntlets. 

The hive and components come flat-packed or pre-assembled. Unless you are an Ikea wizard, I'd suggest paying a bit more to get it delivered in one piece.

Next month: Buying bees.

Alison Benjamin is co-founder of Urban Bees with Brian McCallum. Their latest book is "Bees in the City: The Urban Beekeepers' Handbook" (Guardian Books, £12.99). To buy a copy, visit our Shop.