1. What you haven’t thought about can hurt you!
Safety in the Apiary
What you haven’t thought about can hurt you!
Our topic for the next 20 minutes: safety. My husband and I have been beekeeping for several years and we have found out, sometimes the hard way, what you haven’t thought about can hurt you.

2. Bee Stings! Smoker Safety Heat Exhaustion Muscle Strain Cuts, Falls
Chemical Exposure
Six subjects I’ll briefly cover. The apiary is beginning to sound like a dangerous place.

3. Wear protective clothing!
First Line of Defense:
Wear protective clothing!
Oh those bee stings! First question from most potential beekeepers: am I going to get stung? First let’s talk about prevention. The bee jacket is imperative. I use a jacket, hood and gloves. The fancy pants aren’t necessary but I do recommend loose fitting pants. (Wore a pair of tight jeans once. Didn’t take much effort for those bees to access my uh skin.) Also use duct tape or straps to secure the bottom of pants. Yes I’ve had a bee crawl up into my pants before. Not a fun experience. And once more the voice of experience here: Be sure bee jacket is zipped all the way to the top and the hood is closed completely. I won’t tell you about the time I was so anxious to get into my hive I forgot to zip both jacket and hood. Gloves in my opinion are essential. Mine fit perfectly. I don’t crush bees when wearing them and I don’t get stung. You can find well-fitted gloves out there and they are worth the money. Enduring stings might seem like the brave thing to do but those girls are giving their lives when they sting you. And if that doesn’t get your attention just remember: Less bees, less honey money. (No scents makes sense!
And washing your beesuit on a regular basis gets rid of the smell of pheromones which upset the bees.)

4. When the inevitable happens,
Remove stinger fast!
Apply Benadryl cream, toothpaste(?), vinegar(?)
Ice it!
Benadryl cream works for me. You can also take Benadryl tablets but according to my pharmacist you shouldn’t use both together.
Having an epi pen handy cannot be emphasized enough. There has been more than one instance of a beekeeper who had been stung on a regular basis suddenly reacting severely to a sting. So get a prescription and go to your nearest CVS. Don’t take a chance on not being prepared.
Epipen: A Life Saver!

5. Caution: Fire!
This is a smoker. One of a beekeepers most essential tools. You will be learning how to light a smoker at Johnson Farm. But what could be the safety issues with a smoker?

6. When you light your smoker matters!
Lighting a smoker with a hood on is not a good idea. You will find that you don’t see clearly through the hood and the possibility that a spark could ignite your hood is not something you want to take a chance on.

7. Where you put your smoker matters!
Light your smoker before you suit up and before you go to the apiary.
Then be very mindful of where you set it when you’re not using it. Your apiary could go up in smoke. A beekeeper in the Georgia Beekeepers Association almost caught her house on fire. Her apiary was in her backyard.
Where you put your smoker matters!

8. your smoker is important!
How you transport
your smoker is important!
If you have more than one apiary or if your apiary is away from your property think twice about transporting a burning smoker. I’ve heard more than one story about smokers in the back of pickups or even in the back of an SUV. This could happen to you.

9. For keeping you and your Smoker out of trouble!
One of these works
For keeping you and your
Smoker out of trouble!
This is a neat idea I heard at a conference for transporting a smoker. I saw them at Tractor Supply recently for $10 or you could get one at an army surplus store. Just remove your ammo before inserting smoker.

10. And if the worst case scenario happens being prepared is a good idea
And if the worst case scenario happens being prepared is a good idea. A small fire extinguisher can be a life saver. Get one and keep it handy.

11. When the Heat Is On! 1.Drink Plenty of Water 2.Take a Break
3.Watch for signs of Heat Exhaustion
in Fellow Beekeepers
When the Heat Is On!
Heat exhaustion. It can happen to you. July, August, heck September too 90+ degrees wearing all that protective clothing you can get overheated before you even know it.
Keep a bottle or thermos of water handy.
Take frequent breaks.
And if you’re lucky enough to have a partner keep an eye on him or her.
Signs of heat exhaustion include irritability, dizziness, nausea.

12. Beware: Muscle Strain **Strength training also can be very helpful.
We all know this. There’s a right way and a wrong way to lift heavy loads. Think before you lift a heavy box of honey or frames.
If you’re not already doing some form of strength training now might be a good time to start. It goes a long way in preventing muscle strain.
**Strength training also can be very helpful.

13. WHAT’S WORRISOME ABOUT THIS SETUP?
Does that hive look a bit precarious?.
And what’s going to happen when the beekeeper tries to access this hive?
Have your hives on a secure stand.
and if you need assistance for reaching into a tall hive have a sturdy device to stand on.
Also if you’re working alone always be sure someone knows where you are and when you should be finished.

14. Catching a Swarm from a Ladder
One of the most dangerous things a beekeeper can do is climb up a ladder to catch a swarm of bees. There are easier ways to catch swarms including the bucket on a stick trick. A young man in Georgia is in a rehabilitation center tonight recovering from falling off a ladder while attempting to catch a “free” swarm of bees. He sustained major head injuries and as a friend told me he will never fully recover.

15. IMPORTANT PROTECTION WHEN APPLYING CHEMICALS
Lewis Cauble talked to you last week about treating your bees. If you are using chemicals to treat your bees, you should be using the protection recommended for the chemical.
You do need to use protection when using chemicals even if one is considered an “organic” chemical. My husband uses a vaporizer to apply oxalic acid to our hives near the winter solstice. A respirator, protective gloves and safety glasses in addition to your bee suit are recommended. We use them. You should also wash your bee suit after using chemicals to remove any residue.

16. You can spend a lot of time looking at beekeeping tools and there are many options as to what you keep in your tool kit. But your beekeeping tools are not complete without

17. First Aid Kit makes it Complete!
A first aid kit! Beekeeping is fascinating and fun so have a good time with your new hobby but be safe out there!

18. Good Judgment Comes From Experience,
And a lot of that comes from Bad Judgment.
-Will Rogers