It’s October. The leaves are turning, the flowers are fading, and the bees are buzzing a little less than they were a few weeks ago. So it’s time for my annual attempt to answer the age-old question, “What should I buy a beekeeper for Christmas?” You can start by checking out my suggestions from 2018 and 2019, which are all still solid ideas. But I’ll reflect on my year and do another list based on the things I've found most useful over the last year.
Before jumping in, know that I am not affiliated with any of these companies or products. I include links so it’s easy for you to find and buy them if you choose, but I don’t make a penny from any purchases. Everything here is included because I like it, not because I’m shilling products.
Top Pick, Under $10
Screen Repair Kit
These screen repair patches aren’t pretty, but they’ll give me a couple extra years between replacing veils
Beekeeping veils are quite delicate, and the first part to fail is the mesh screen around the face. In my experience, the screen on a veil is good for about a year before it develops rips and holes. The solution most beekeepers use is to either duct tape the screen (which might work for a day), or buy a new veil every year or two. The duct tape solution is cheap but it’s not a long-term solution. The new veil works but it’s wasteful and expensive. That’s why I started using a screen mending kit a few years ago. It’s under $7 and has enough material to make several patches. With this kit , I can get three years out of a veil before replacing it. The only equipment required to apply the patches is a hair dryer. It bonds to the veil much better than tape, doesn’t block nearly as much air flow as tape, and it’s cheap. A good bit of kit for a beekeeper’s toolbox, if you ask me.
Top Pick, $10-$20
Mason Bee Nesting Box
A mason bee hive hung on a tree next to our garden with fresh nesting tubes installed
Hanging a mason bee hive can be a good way for a beekeeper to support native species. Small native bees pollinate plants that aren’t blooming in large enough numbers to get attention from honey bees, so a mason bee hive can improve pollination in a little family garden that can get ignored otherwise. A mason bee house is also a fun way to avoid being a “one trick pony” and get experience with a variety of species. While I’ll never learn everything there is to learn about honey bees, keeping mason bees has been valuable in providing an alternative perspective and a greater context about how my honey bees fit into the larger world of pollinators. Mason bees do require a little work—nothing like honey bees, but anyone putting up a nest should do some online reading about the process, or get a kit that includes good instructions. Just about any nursery or garden supply store will sell mason bee hives, which come in a wide variety of designs and prices. But a cheap one is fine to start with and will only run about $18.
Top Picks, $20-$50
Beekeepers like to read about bees. It’s one of the best ways for us to stay on top of new scientific developments and best practices, and also just to immerse ourselves in bee stories. I’m putting two options here—either one, or both, would make a great gift for a beekeeper.
American Bee Journal
American Bee Journal is the go-to magazine for beekeeping
The American Bee Journal is a staple publication that’s been around since the mid-1800s, and it’s a good option for someone who’s not already getting a bee magazine. ABJ comes out monthly and costs $29 for 12 issues, which is a real bargain considering the amount of information packed into each magazine. Over the years, I’ve subscribed to the two big bee magazines in North America—the other being Bee Culture—and ABJ has won the competition for my subscription dollars. (To be fair, I haven’t read Bee Culture since they hired a new editor about a year ago.) If a beekeeper gets just one magazine to keep up-to-date on the hobby, this should be the one.
2 Million Blossoms
2 Million Blossoms is great for more seasoned beekeepers
Wrapping up its first year of publication, 2 Million Blossoms is a newcomer to the world of bee-related literature. But its creator and chief editor, Kirsten Traynor, is not. She’s a honey bee biologist and former editor at American Bee Journal. The magazine is sent quarterly and costs $35 for an annual subscription. 2 Million Blossoms won’t bore a seasoned beekeeper with articles meant to help new beeks get started. It covers all types of pollinators and the flowers that feed them, which is refreshing as someone who’s read the same beekeeping tropes year after year in bee-focused magazines.
Top Picks, $50-$100
Leatherman Skeletool
Keeping pliers, a knife, and a screwdriver on your belt can save a lot of trips between the bee yard and the workshop
Most people have a Leatherman or a similar multitool sitting around their house. I’ve got them too, and really don’t use them because I’m not keen on jamming a chunk of metal into my pocket all day. But the Leatherman Skeletool is different. It’s the first multitool I’ve been able to carry day after day. The thing that makes this tool better than the others is the spring-loaded clip that fits around a belt loop. I don’t have to put it in my pocket or fumble with a sheath. I just hook it to my belt loop and forget about it. That is until I’m working my bees and I find a screw that needs tightening, or a bolt that needs loosening, or a bag that needs cut open. This little tool costs $65, but that’s only about a nickel for each time it’s saved me from hiking up and down the hill between my bee yard and my workshop.
Pollen Substitute
Bees collecting Mann Lake pollen substitute
Pollinators don’t pollinate for free. The relationship between flowers and pollinators involves an ancient form of payments, where a flower offers sugars and proteins to a honey bee, who in turn pays for the loot by (accidentally) fertilizing nearby plants. A vast majority of this pollen is taken back to the hive, where it’s used for its protein. But there are times when pollen is scarce, and beekeepers can provide a substitute in order to ensure their bees can raise healthy brood. This 10 pound pail from Mann Lake is $70 on Amazon (it’s only about $40 on the Mann Lake site, but you’ll have to buy a few of them to qualify for free shipping). For most small hobby beekeepers, the 10 pound pail will last a full year.
Top Picks, $100-$200
Lyson Hive Stand Brackets
Picture credit: Betterbee.com
A lot of beekeepers don’t think about hive stands until the moment they need them. As a result, many hive stands are made from whatever was available on short notice—often cinder blocks—which may be functional, but can also be an eyesore for beekeepers who dote over the beauty of their apiary. I usually build my own stands using a few 2x6x12 boards connected with steel rods. They’re great and relatively cheap, working out to about $18 in materials per hive the last time I checked. But they’re heavy, hard to level, and tricky to move. A better option may be this hive stand kit from Lyson. I don’t own one of these, but it appeals to me because it uses easy-to-assemble steel legs paired with 2x4 boards. The legs can be independently adjusted, so leveling should be far, far easier than with my homemade stands. The manufacturer claims a kit can hold up to five hives, though I suspect the fit would be too tight for my taste. Up to four hives is probably more reasonable. The kit sells for $95, but shipping the kit and purchasing 2x4 boards will likely push it closer to $130. Assuming it comfortably holds four hives, that brings the price down to about $33 per hive—quite affordable compared to most pre-built hive stands, and I’d argue better thanks to the ease of leveling.