By: Darryl Gabritsch
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
A lot of books and bee schools tell you what major equipment you might need such as protective equipment, hive components, honey production, etc. Seldom does anyone tell the inexperienced beekeeper what tools and tips there are to make beekeeping less expensive and less time consuming. Listed below are time and money saving tips as well as the majority of the tools I use to make my own beekeeping equipment. A beekeeper can save a lot of money if he/she learns how to make his/her own equipment. You don’t need a lot of carpentry skills, but you must learn how to safely use any power tools before using them. I’m not a carpenter by any stretch of the word. My bees are healthy living in what I make for them. It’s OK to make minor flaws in the final products. The bees don’t care if there are imperfections. They will fill in holes and gaps with propolis and wax. All costs listed below are approximate. Costs will vary among vendors and locations.
1. Tips.
A. Structured self-education. Learning how to keep healthy honey bees can be intimidating for new beekeepers. There is a lot to learn and the information out there can be overwhelming. Set goals for what you want to learn each year then read good books and watch YouTube videos by experienced beekeepers.
i. Join your local beekeeping club and ask for a mentor then set up mentoring sessions with the mentor at least once a month; preferably more often during key times (Spring buildup, Summer honey harvest, and Fall to get ready for Winterizing the honey bees).
ii. Enter the Master Beekeeper Program (MBP) if your state has an one. The MBP is a self-paced program that teaches the beekeeper how to become a better beekeeper. The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA) has the best program in the nation (biased opinion of course).
iii. Read books, articles from national beekeeping magazines, and watch reputable YouTube videos by professionals in the industry. I usually advise my mentees to stick to .edu (university) sites, .gov (government sites), and known reputable sites such as, but not limited to: Honey Bee Health Coalition, MAAREC, and leading beekeeping author websites. Try to avoid backwoods beekeeper-type YouTube videos until you determine what is science based and what is simply opinion. Going through the Master Beekeeper Program will help you figure out which sites and books are good and which ones promote bad habits and unreliable information. Start procuring books for you own library. I’ve slowly built up to over 90 books that I periodically re-read or search through when I prepare classes and beekeeping articles.
a. 1st year. Get my first bees and enter the Master Beekeeper Program with the goal to be a Master Beekeeper in three years (NCSBA earliest timeline at the time) and use the MBP program as a study guide structure for my education. I also had the goal of getting my bees through the season alive. I read several books including The Hive and The Honey Bee (best book on the market in my opinion). I also attended state beekeeper conventions to learn more. Complete the Certified Beekeeper requirements if your state has one.
b. 2nd year. Make some splits, extract honey, process beeswax, and learn how to make my own woodenware. Continue reading books and watching videos on beekeeping. Complete the Journeyman Beekeeper requirements.
c. 3rd year. Continue reading books and watching videos on beekeeping. Make splits with different methods and complete the MBP Master Beekeeper requirements.
d. 4th and 5th years. Continue reading books and watching videos on beekeeping. This year I will be focused on mass honey production and queen rearing by grafting.
B. Inexpensive smoker fuel. Bag up free long leaf pine straw or buy a bale of pine straw and store it in a bag in a covered storage area t6 have inexpensive, dry smoker fuel all year long. I don’t store it in my house in order to keep chiggers and ticks out of the house.
C. Down season effective time management. Take advantage of Fall and Winter months to get ahead on equipment production. The time to make a part is not exactly when you need it. If you anticipate apiary growth you can make and assemble extra woodenware and have complete frames with foundation ready when you need it the most. Example: I built 20 honey supers and wired in foundation in all the needed frames in November and December in anticipation of using them in March during our major nectar fl.ow in North Carolina. Doing it in December allowed me leisurely construct the pieces on a relaxed timeline.
Last year I built woodenware and wired frames and foundation in December to expand my apiary to 15 hives starting in March through aggressive splits. I went from two hives to 14 hives in six weeks with aggressive splitting using the On The Spot (OTS)/cell notching Queen Rearing and equal split techniques.
D. Cheaper woodenware. Get or make a first item to use as a template then mass produce the item yourself without needing to take measurements; simply use the template piece to set up saw blade spacing settings. I usually buy a wooden itein (hive body, honey super, hive top, etc.) first then copy the design to use a template unless it is more time beneficial to simply buy the item in bulk. Example: I don’t make my own frames since you can buy them for about $1 or less when you buy a case of 100 frames or more. For most wood items I make careful measurements to make component part templates. I then use the unassembled component templates to quickly set up power tools to the correct dimensions by using the templates instead of measuring the out the saw spacing each time for each part.
E. Make and keep unassembled templates. I have separate unassembled part templates that are marked with what it is, e.g. 8 frame end medium template, 8 frame side medium template, 8 frame end deep template, 8 frame side deep template, frame rabbet cut template (measured so the solid wood of the template rests between the tabletop saw and rip fence (the template also has a ¾” wide rabbet cut so the saw blade depth of cut removes enough wood to match a 1″ board thickness (¾” actual), 8 frame entrance reducer, etc. Example of savings are about half of the full price item:
i. New unassembled deep or medium hive body: $12 to $15
a. My cost to make the same item: $7.50 or less.
b. I don’t factor in the cost of the tools, since the cost becomes negligible after a while of making equipment; plus, I have the tools to make things other than for bees.
c. A 1″ x 12″ x 8′ untreated board provides six 8-frame end pieces or five 8-frame side pieces. You then have scrap lumber 8′ long and about 4″ wide (depending on whether you cut medium or deep board widths from the 1″ x 12″ board that can be used to make parts for other projects such as telescoping tops, hive stands, entrance reducers, etc. Put all scrap material into a large trashcan to save for future pfojects or test cuts.
d. New entrance reducer: $2. My cost to make the same item: $0.00 (Free) (scrap wood from other projects)
ii. New Telescoping top: $22
a. My cost to make the same item: About $1.50 each.
b. One sheet of 23/32″ or¾” untreated plywood makes around 16 tops.
c. The sides and ends of the telescoping top are made from scrap wood from the hive body and honey super projects.
d. I don’t use a metal top on my telescoping tops because:
e. It adds unnecessary costs (tools and sheet metal)
01. It adds heat (sun on metal makes a hot surface compared to sun on a painted surface).
02. The metal top isn’t needed. Two to three coats of paint will waterproof the top and last for decades.
iii. New sloped landing board hive stands: $12. My cost to make the same item: Free or less than $3.00. Sloped landing board, sides, end, and middle support bar cut from scrap material (free if using scrap, otherwise $3. 00 each if you buy wood specifically to make the stands).
F. Inexpensive wood.
i. Get 1″ x 12″ x 8′ boards for 50% off. I go to my local hardware store (example: Lowes or Home Depot) and search through the stack and pick out any boards with cracks or holes all the way through the board. Ideally the crack is on the outside 4 inches of the board (long axis) or on the end or edge of the board. That section is usually scrap that gets used for other equipment such as entrance reducers, hive stands, or pieces for the telescoping top. I then tell the manager I’m a beekeeper and ask for the boards to be marked half off. This trick works 90% of the time. If the manager comes back with anything less than half off price then I politely tell them no thanks and that they can put the boards back. The next time I ask for the discount I usually get it. Example: A normal 1″ x 12″ x 8′ board goes for $15. I get cracked boards for $7.50. Very little goes to waste if you save the scraps to use in other projects, thereby reducing the cost of the other woodenware items.
ii. Ask for a military discount ( 10% usually) for more savings if you are a retired veteran, active duty veteran or dependent of a veteran.
G. Inexpensive latex paint.
i. Search the paint section for mis-tinted paint. You can usually get a quart for around $3.00 and a gallon for around $9.00. New paint is around $16/quart or $52/gallon.
ii. It doesn’t matter if it is interior or exterior – (Painters will tell you it matters. My personal experience is that it doesn’t matter. Interior paint will mildew (discolor) over time. It’s still waterproof. THE HONEY BEES DON’T CARE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!
iii. I always put two to three coats of paint on the outside surfaces and ends of the boxes to ensure I have a waterproof seal.
iv. The base color doesn’t matter and you don’t need a primer coat. The first coat serves as the primer coat. I paint the first coat with the least desired color I have. I’ve used pink in the past since I got it at a discount. I covered it with a desired second coat color (also purchased at a discount).
H. Inexpensive, but good tools and equipment (but do your homework first).
i. Harbor Freight sells good quality tools
ii. I love my pneumatic nail guns. They are around $25 each at Harbor Freight. They are around $100 at Lowes and Home Depot for name brand items. I’ve used mine a lot for over 3 years with no problems.
iii. Get throwaway 2″ paint brushes instead of expensive brushes you need to clean after use (time management). A box of 36 brushes is $13 ($0.37 each brush).
iv. Get latex gloves to keep your hands clean for $8 for a box of 100 gloves.
v. Get l” ratchet straps: Four strap pack for $13
vi. Note: I save money where I can, but I buy higher quality tools and calibration tools from name brand vendors to ensure quality work.
I. Cheaper foundation and frames. Buy in bulk to save a lot. A frame can cost $2 in small quantities. Foundation is up to $2 in small quantities. Buy them in bulk of 100 or more and you can cut the costs in about half plus get free shipping from most large bee suppliers. I buy 25 lbs. of wired medium foundation (about 275 sheets) and store them until I need them. Wax moths don’t touch foundation, so you can store it for years. Can’t afford it yourself? Purchase the bulk items as a group and split the costs.
J. Become your own assembly line to save time and energy.
i. When you make items one component part/ step at a time you get into a rhythm that speeds up the process for that component part. When you build one piece at a time you slow down the overall process when you have to reset power tool settings, spacing, etc. to get ready for the next part to be made or assembled. Example: Make all your side boards at one time for the 20 hive bodies you intend to build. Then set up the table saw spacing again to make the end pieces for the same 20 hive bodies. Then make the cuts on the end boards where you can use the rabbet spacing template you made to set up the cuts to make the frame rests and rabbets for the side boards (I use¾” rabbets on 3 sides (side boards and frame rest) to speed the assembly process up.
ii. I often don’t have the time and energy to do multi-step projects as I get older, so I break the tasks down into steps to complete incrementally over time. I store the component parts until I find time to complete the next step. I have racks built to hold assembled frames and boxes.
iii. Example: To get an unassembled frame with foundation ready to put in a hive the steps are: Remove the wedge cleat, assemble the frame, put tacks in the wedge, drill (clean out) out the foundation wire holes in the end bars, insert grommets into the end bar holes, insert cross wires into the end bars, crimp the wire (tensioning), trim the foundation to fit in the frame so it doesn’t bow, insert and tack down the wedge, then finally embed the cross wires into the foundation. Who has time to do 100 at a time (getting supers ready for a nectar flow)?
iv. I might go over the shed and do nothing more than put angled starter tacks into wedge cleats and store them in a box until they are ready to go into a frame. The next time I might go over and use a cordless drill and 1/8″ drill bit to bore out the end bars on assembled frames. The next time I might insert grommets in a bunch of frames. Each completed smaller step saves time in the long run or when you really need something, but don’t have time to complete all steps at the same time.
v. If making hive bodies, telescoping tops, etc., I might saw and store extra component parts to assemble at a later date.
K. Use quality tools for precision and power tool calibrations. I buy higher quality, name brand power tools from my local hardware stores and reputable on-line dealers. Power tools are an area where I don’t cut corners. I use quality, but reasonably priced, DeWalt table saws, sliding compound miter saw, miter saw stand, and DeWalt dado stack blades (fit the DeWalt table saw arbor better than higher price name brand blade such as Freud- I have both…Freud blades get stuck on the arbor, DeWalt blades don’t get stuck). I also buy quality precision tools to calibrate the power tools and to make accurate alignments. Ensure you learn how to safely operate the power tools before you use them!
i. Woodpecker tools: https://www.woodpeck.com/
a. This is the brand I use for most of my calibration and alignment tools, squares, one-time tools such as dado-stack gap gauges, etc.
b. You have to watch for production runs of their one-time tools to get niche tools when they periodically make them again. I love the dado setup fixture & gap gauges to get the dado blade width correct the first time I run the saw through a scrap piece of wood.
ii. Infinity tools: https://www.infinitytools.com/
a. 8-Pc. Precision Tool & Project Setup Blocks
b. I use these to set up my gap widths such as for slats in a slatted rack.
iii. Power Tools I use to make most of my woodenware and produce equipment (with purpose in parenthesis).
a. Black and Decker corded leaf blower model # BV3600 (room and power saw cleanup)
b. WEN 12-Inch Variable Speed Drill Press Model# 4214 (specifically to make queen castle feeder holes and sugar shaker lid holes) – not needed by most beekeepers
c. Kobalt roller stand Model# SGY-WS5 (wood in-feed support)
d. Bostitch 6-Gallon Single Stage Portable Electric Pancake Air Compressor with 50′ hose
e. DeWalt 10-inch job site table saw. Model # DWE7491RS (rip cuts, dado cuts, and sloped board stand slope board’s 45 degree angle cuts)
f. Kobalt 42-Inch saw horses (two horses for wood outfeed)
g. DeWalt 12-inch sliding miter saw Model# DWS780 (crosssuts and 45 degree angle cuts on sloped hive stand base)
h. DeWalt heavy duty stand model# DWX723 (holds sliding miter saw – It’s usually a package buy with the miter saw)
i. Bag for plastic jars for sugar shaker jar kits (temporary storage of the jars as I make the shaker lids)
j. Scrap wood trash can for use in other projects (32 gallon or larger)
k. Trash can (for trash)
l. Rubber stall mats (clean, level, comfortable working surface in my barn)
iv. Specialty tools (with purpose in parenthesis).
a. Rubber mallet (paint lid closure)
b. Mis-tinted latex paint (painting)
c. Harbor Freight 2″ paint brushes (painting)
d. Harbor Freight Hardy nitrile gloves (painting)
e. Paint can opener (painting)
f. 16 oz claw hammer (nail set to sink exposed nails and pneumatic staple gun mis-fires)
g. 6-inch diagonal wire cutters (trim off excess wires and exposed nail ends)
h. Large flat tip screwdriver (nail set to sink exposed nails and pneumatic staple gun mis-fires)
i. Harbor Freight: Pneumatic nail gun# 63156 (woodenware assembly)
j. Harbor Freight: Pneumatic stapler# 68029 (woodenware assembly)
k. Zero clearance table saw insert plate (cut thin parts cuts such as frame cleats for quilt boards and ventilation boxes)
l. Woodpeckers one-time tool: Dado setup fixture (precise dado width storage – or Use a %” bolt, washers and nut to store pre-set dado stack blade configurations so you don’t have to figure out the stack configuration each time = time saver)
m. DeWalt 8″ dado set (works best with the DeWalt table saw – other brands get stuck on the arbor)
n. Metal yard stick (straight edge for marking and use as cutting edge guide – such as trimming foundation)
o. 16′ tape measure (measure 3″ down
from hive body top for handle placement)
p. Woodpeckers one-time tool: Gap gauge (precise dado blade width measurement)
q. Woodpeckers tool: Clamping squares (quickly align woodenware angles)
r. Johnson squares (7″ and 12″) (power saw blade angle calibration)
s. Infinity Tools: Precision setup blocks (precise blade height setup such as for slatted rack tenon joints)
t. DeWalt cordless drill with 1/s” drill bit (bore out frame end bar holes to be easier to insert brass grommets)
u. 2 lb. brass hammer (used with the arch punch to knock out sugar shake jar screen mesh)
v. Wiss 10-inch general purpose scissors (trim 1/s” wire mesh for sugar shake jars, ventilation boxes, etc)
w. MSC brand 2¾” Arch Punch (for sugar shake jars)
x. AdTech high temp mini glue gun (glue 1/s” wire mesh circles into the “Simply Jiff’ peanut butter jar/sugar shake jar lids)
y. Harbor Freight: Pittsburg 7 oz tack hammer (long head tack hammer for frame wedge/cleat nailing)
z. Crimp wire groove spur embedder (small head) (Best size and type head for wire embedding)
aa. Crimp wire spur embedder (large head) (worst head type for wire embedding – shown for comparison)
ab. Wood handle foundation wire crimper (Best type wire crimper – available on Amazon) (I use wire cross wires for honey supers since I won’t need to cut out queen cells)
ac. 15 lb. fishing line (for cross wiring foundation) (I use fishing line on brood chamber frames since I
may have to cut out queen cells and need to cut through the fishing line to make queen cell splits) ad. Metal wire dispenser (homemade item)(for dispensing untwisted wire for foundation cross wires) ae. Form board (shown with deep hive body on it with fishing line cross wires) – Board is used with metal wire cross foundation wires. Form board is periodically coated with mineral oil to keep foundation from sticking.
af. ‘Medium frames with metal cross wires (with and without foundation) (comparison of wire vs fishing line)
ag. Nail kit (small parts box with various tacks, hive staples, box cutter, grommet tools, etc. in one place)
ah. Diagonal wire cutters (trim off excess foundation wires when you trim the foundation to fit frames) ai. Small tip grommet tool (shown with and without Plasti Dip coating)
aj. Plasti Dip coating (keeps tools from rusting)
v. Nail kit containing:
a. Electronic parts storage box (Plano brand from Walmart is the one I have, but any will do)
b. 7d galvanized nails for hive body assembly (if not using pneumatic nail gun with 1 ½” staples)
c. ¾” nails for frame end bar nail (horizontal side nail)
d. 5/8″ nails for frame cleats (wedges)
e. 1 ¼” nails for frame assembly
f. Hive staples (I keep about 10 in the box to quickly attach bottom boards if needed)
g. Foundation pins (I stopped using them – I wire foundation with wire or 15 lb fishing line)
h. Brass or aluminum grommets (horizontal wire when wiring frames for foundation)
i. Grommet tool (small tip to easily unload the grommet). Dipped in rubber “Plasti Dip” (to keep tool from rusting)
j. 6″ diagonal wire cutters (cut foundation wire from spools)
k. Small head brass wire embedder tool (embedding cross wire into foundation)
l. Box cutter razors
m. Small multi-tool
n. Sharpie marker and ink pen to mark items as needed
Final thoughts. You can become a very successfully beekeeper if you set realistic goals, have patience with yourself; knowing you will make mistakes, and maintain focused on getting better. Success story: I went from literally only knowing that honey bees fly, make honey and can sting you to being a Master Beekeeper in three years and having enough knowledge to be published in several magazines to pass along the shared knowledge with others. I live by the motto: Knowledge is power…SHARE IT.
Darryl Gabritsch is an NCSBA Master Beekeeper and has been beekeeping in North Carolina since 2016. He has been published in several magazines and mentors the next generation of beekeepers.
