Practical beekeeping advice

Beekeeping Buying Guides

Straightforward advice to help you choose the right beekeeping equipment and use it confidently. Our guides are organised by task, so you can start with the part of beekeeping you are working on today.

Getting Started

Begin here if you are choosing your first equipment or setting up a new apiary.

First hive

Choosing Your First Hive

Understand the main hive types, materials and practical differences before deciding which system is right for you.

Best for: New beekeepers buying their first hive or comparing National, Langstroth and other formats.

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Honey Harvesting

Follow the harvest in order: remove bees safely from full supers, then prepare the frames for extraction.

Step 1 · Remove the supers

Clearing Honey Supers

Compare bee brushes, clearer boards, homemade solutions and blowers to find a suitable way to remove bees before extraction.

Best for: Anyone preparing to take full honey supers from the hive.

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Step 2 · Prepare the frames

Uncapping Honey Frames

Compare forks, cold and heated knives, rollers, electric planes and automatic machines, plus the trays and tanks needed for a tidy workflow.

Best for: Choosing an uncapping method for a first harvest or improving an existing extraction setup.

Read the guide