By: Jim Thompson
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
I help run a bee museum and thus buy all kinds of bee equipment. Some of the equipment is good, some of it is trash, and once in a while it is a pure rip off. Back when A.I. Root was alive, he published a column entitled “Humbugs and Swindles” in Gleanings. That column averaged about two situations per year. He had definite proof of the things that were going on and gave the individuals involved ample time to respond to his letters.
I form display boards of the different pieces of bee equipment so a beekeeper can see if it is something that fits their situation. Remember that in other countries bee equipment may not be the same size. In Canada, the hives are ¼” wider than in the United States. In China, the hives are definitely a different size and type the eyelets they use to protect the frames are slightly smaller. Then there is a difference in the hives that are being used around the world and don’t forget that in some cases there is a language problem and the translation is not necessarily correct.
I have purchased over 2,000 bee items that were on Ebay and only once have I had a problem. The item was not what it was advertised to be. It was written as an “Electric Bee Smoker Professional Transmitter Kit Apiculture Beekeeping Accessory.” After waiting several months for it to arrive, it was too late to leave feedback. What did I get? A glorified plastic smoker bellows. There was no electrification, no wires, no off-on switch and certainly no instructions. When I complained to the seller, he told me that it was electric. I responded that it had no wires etc. His response “Why did you buy it then?” Then he said send it back and he would refund my money. I said that I would gladly send it back but I would like some assurance that I would be paid for the return postage and would be sending it to the correct address. I sent him the address that was on the package. His response was that it was the wrong address and he would send me the correct address. He never did. Thus I went through Ebay and fortunately I had paid by PayPal so eventually I got my money back. It only took another 6 months. They had to get a response from the seller. I noticed that the seller still advertised the item for a couple of months afterwards and used the same wording.
Blue flexible plastic material for bellows and plastic end pieces with fancy cutouts.
I know that there are some electric bee smokers and I have one that emits a supposedly high pitched sound that only dogs can hear, two smokers that have batteries that power a fan, another smoker with a wind up motor, another one powered by a propane cylinder and several others operated by bellows. It is hard to beat the bellows powered smoker.
Sometimes bee clubs have their members form a large equipment order so they can get a quantity discount. This sounds good but in practice there is usually someone that can’t get their order or money together and that person normally has the biggest order. It is best to order equipment by yourself.
Have you ever noticed the bundled units of equipment that dealers put together? I’ll address the beginner outfit for now. It will have the basic equipment plus a small hive tool, bee brush, frame grip, and the most inexpensive gloves and veil. Why? Those things are cheaper and help keep the cost down plus some of the items you don’t need or use. Why not order the kit locally or by telephone?
That way you can talk to the people and ask how much the kit would be if you substituted or eliminated some items. If they won’t substitute items, are they someone you want to deal with? The same sort of reasoning goes with bee keeping advice. Are they beekeepers or strictly sales people?
If you are buying bees, are there any guarantees? What if your bees or the queen arrive dead? If you are buying a hive, how many frames are you getting? Some sellers claim that nine frames per super are enough. What they are actually doing is getting an extra hive to sell after they have sold nine and you may have to deal with burr comb. Ask around to see if the dealer is reliable and has a replacement or partial refund and if so, for how long. There were a few people that would take your money and not send the bees. People in the local bee club can tell you, as this information usually isn’t written.
Stay away from buying used equipment until you have had experience in diagnosing and treating disease. Often someone has a deal that seems too good to be true and likes to deal with new beekeepers. I have seen a few beekeepers get out of beekeeping because they had to burn their equipment.
Be leery of some of the advice that is offered on the internet as there are people with many different backgrounds giving advice. Couple with that the locations where the people live. A common tendency of human nature is not to brag or admit mistakes. Thus if a person invests in a type of expensive equipment and it doesn’t work well, they seem to relish seeing others purchase the same type of equipment. I guess that they call it “Misery loves company.”
Several firms advertise on the internet in such places as: Ebay, Alibaba, Amazon, Walmart, Otto, Flipkart, Rakuten, Newegg, and others. I would suggest that you pick the ones that operate in the country where you live and avoid the ones in foreign countries. Pick those that have some sort of guarantee that you will get the item ordered or your money back.
With people buying half of their needs off the internet it seems a common practice and there are lists of things to always buy on the internet as: electronics, medicines, luggage, baby supplies, books, pet food, exercise gear, and clothing basics. Also there are lists of items to never purchase on the internet such as: art & decor items, furniture, mattresses, large appliances, cars, musical instruments, groceries, and makeup. Although I don’t completely agree with either of these lists, I feel that you lose the personal touch of seeing, touching, and discussing the product and could be cheated.
Device that clamps on frame and then shakes it.
I have noticed several bee items on the internet and some of the items can be purchased cheaper than you can buy elsewhere. However you may have to wait a long time before the item is delivered. Sometimes the item that you purchase is a replica or a knock off of the original. Other times you may encounter an item that is way too expensive for the job to be done. For example a box that you put a frame in and it will blow the bees off or a device that will clamp onto a frame and shake it for you. Remember that some things may not be legal for use or not really beekeeping items.
What should you do? Find a local beekeeper that has kept bees for a few years. Attend local bee club meetings. Most bee clubs will let you attend without joining right away. Volunteer your services to help an experienced beekeeper. That way you will get some experience, knowledge of what equipment is needed, what type of hive is preferred, where to purchase equipment and whether or not you like beekeeping.
