Tips for Buying Used Beekeeping Equipment
Beekeeping gear, specifically beekeeping jackets, and suits should be washed and sanitized before they are put up for sale. However, expect that some dark stains due to propolis might be more difficult to remove.
If you have plans to buy used beekeeping clothing, make sure that both the hat and the suit are still in satisfactory shape and condition. They shouldn’t have any signs of excessive wear and tear, nor should they have any holes, no matter how small.
Table of Contents
Used Extractors
Honey extractors are another area where it might be more cost-effective to opt for used beekeeping equipment to save expenses. It also includes other pieces of machinery required for preparing honey. Just make sure that you follow the necessary steps for cleaning and sterilizing these pieces. Doing so will significantly lower the risk of contamination.
Used Beehive Tools
You can use either heat or chemicals to sterilize hive tools. This is made possible by their plain metal construction. However, there are also hive tools that feature wooden handles that could be porous and may also harbour spores, bugs, and others. In such cases, you have to be extra careful. Or better, you might want to avoid buying them second-hand, especially since you can get new ones at affordable prices. You need equipment like an oxalic acid gas vaporizer for controlling varroa mite infestations in beehives, but it requires careful handling to ensure both safety and efficacy.
Used Beehives
Buying used beehives is a completely different story and this might be a bit challenging for a new beekeeper. After all, the beehive is where the colony will stay. It’s also the very place where diseases and pests may arise. This is why you have to make sure that you only buy used beehives that are guaranteed clear of both pests and diseases. To stay on the safe side, it’s best and safest to buy only from reputable sellers or beekeepers in your area.
It’s also imperative that you only shop for second-hand hives from apiaries that are free from diseases. But how will you know if they are indeed disease-free? Before anything else, make sure you ask about the inspection history of the used hive that you’re planning to buy. If you also want to buy the hive together with the bees in it, it will also work in your favour if you request a honey culture test that will allow you to assess the current state of health of the entire colony.
