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Quick Overview
Ease of Assembly
Structural Design
Durability
Value for Money
With the Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beekeeping Starter Kit, you get a complete Langstroth beehive and an electric honey extractor all in one. While this is great value for money, its high price point might turn away some beginners.
Ever since humans discovered the many benefits that honey bees offer, things have never been the same. The honey bee has proven to be one of the most beneficial insects humans have ever found. However, the interdependence between humans and the honey bee comes with its share of challenges. The honey bees need to collect, feed, and store food for its expanding colony. We as humans on the other hand, want to harvest as much honey as possible in addition to other useful honey bee products such as wax, pollen, royal jelly, and many others.
The design of the beehive is the first crucial step that will mean a thriving or failed honey bee colony. Bees are very particular when it comes to where they stay. The beehive should meet certain requirements for it to sustain are healthy and prosperous colony. In this article, we’ll be reviewing the Goodland Bee Supply GL 2BK2SK QEXER, a beginner beekeeping starter kit and see if it meets the necessary requirements.
About the Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beginner Beekeeping Starter Kit
The Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beginner Beekeeping Starter Kit comes fully packed with most of what you need to get started in beekeeping. The package includes:
- A 2 frame, stainless steel 110v electric tangential honey extractor
- 2 brood boxes with 20 frames and Pierco foundation
- 2 super boxes with 20 frames and Pierco foundation
- An entrance reducer
- A queen excluder
- An informational DVD
The only crucial missing items are the bees (of course) and beekeeping protective wear. The hive box is built using durable kiln dried pine and has all that is required by the bees. The kit comes unassembled so as to avoid breakage during shipment, which is understandable. The good thing however, is that all key joints are easy to link together and assembly is a breeze.
Features
- Has a full telescopic cover that protects the hive from nature elements.
- Comes with an inner cover which helps create a dead air space which creates an area of insulation from cold and heat.
- Comes with two brood chambers for raising the young ones.
- A queen excluder is available to keep the queen from laying eggs on top supers.
- Two super boxes are available.
- Made of pine that is kiln dried. The hive box also comes with 20 large and 20 small frames. These frames come with pre-waxed plastic foundations, black in color.
- A bottom board that covers the floor of the hive is available.
- It has an entrance reducer that keeps off intruders such as mice and that also allows free air flow into the hive to keep temperature levels within the required level.
- Comes with an electric honey extractor that can serve from 1 to 10 hives. It is built with a 16 gauge stainless steel tank, has sealed bearings, and steel gears. It can extract two deep, shallow, and medium frames at once. The extractor also has 3-leg stand that allows you to place a 5 gallon container beneath the extractor.
- A free informative DVD for the beekeeper.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Well built hive box to provide a great home for the bees.
- Comes with a full telescopic cover that shelters the bees from nature elements.
- Well-designed hive box with a queen excluder to keep the queen in its rightful place.
- Made of top quality pine wood that is durable and friendly to the bees.
- Quality for money.
- The electric honey extractor can service up to 10 hives.
- Easy to assemble.
Cons
- The high price-point can be off-putting for those on a budget.
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Further Thoughts
The Goodland Bee Supply GL 2BK2SK QEXER hive is a starter kit that makes it so much easier for the beekeeper to build and nurture a successful bee colony. Though the hive box is delivered unassembled, this helps protect the components from damage during shipment. It is however easy to assemble the box given the fact that key joints interlock easily. The unit provides a spacious interior and a desirable outer design that ensures the hive provides the right home for the bees.
The Hive Design Explained
A standard hive is simply an enclosed structure that allows the bees to raise their young and grow their colony. A man-made hive also referred to as the beehive allows the beekeeper to raise the bees within a setting that allows for easy monitoring and management of the bees. Traditional hives do not offer the convenience that is possible with the modern starter beehive kits. The latter tend to be more sophisticated and have improved significantly over the years.
The interior of the hive is made up of hexagonal shape cells referred to as honeycombs. These tiny cells are used by the bees as storage containers for pollen and honey. It is also the houses where the brood is raised. Duties are assigned in the hive based on the bee type. The leader is a queen bee with its followers referred to as the worker bees. She produces fertilized eggs that hatch into worker bees or drones.
The worker bees will collect pollen and nectar from plants then carry these to the hive. Besides this, they will tend to the queen, brood, store food, clean the hive, and maintain the hive’s interior structure. Worker bees also guard the hive from intrusion.
The man-made hive is basically designed for honey production and not necessarily to raise a bee colony. The hive will be harvested a number of times within the year and are maintained by a professional beekeeper. This will help ensure maximum honey production and still maintain a productive bee colony.
A colony will thrive and grow new swarms each year only when a good home is provided. The Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beekeeping Starter Kit provides a good home for honey bees to raise brood and maintain a sustainable bee colony.
Conclusion
Have you been looking for a well packaged hive kit that comes with all you require to get started in beekeeping? Well, here it is. The Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beekeeping Starter Kit is one of the best you can get in the market. All the starter accessories required for beekeeping are together in one single package. This starter kit comes highly recommended.
Do you own the Goodland Bee Supply GL-2BK2SK-QEX/ER Beekeeping Starter Kit? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of it.
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