Best Gifts for Hobby Beekeepers
Is there a beekeeper in your life that is due for a gift? We usually want to buy gifts for our loved ones based on their hobbies and interests, but unless you partake in that same hobby it can be difficult to know what to get.
That’s why I’ve compiled a list of gifts for hobby beekeepers that any seasoned or aspiring beekeeper would love to get. From small gifts, to large ones, there’s something for every beekeeper here.
How to Find The Best Gifts for Hobby Beekeepers
Practical
Practical gifts are always great because everyone wants something they can actually use. Beekeeping supplies such as tools, protective clothing, books, and jars for honey would all be great practical gifts. Of course, if you are looking for a larger gift, any beekeeper would be overjoyed to receive a new beehive.
Thoughtful
It’s also nice to give thoughtful gifts as well. Gifts that you know the recipient would like, but probably wouldn’t think to buy it for themselves. Thoughtful gifts are always a nice surprise. Thoughtful gifts for beekeepers include bee themed decor, honey cookbooks, and flowering plants and trees.
Price
Gifts for beekeepers can vary in price from just a few dollars to several hundred dollars. Before shopping you may want to decide on how much you would like to spend on your gift. That way you can filter out items that are not in your price range.
Books and simple tools can cost $10 or less, but would certainly put a smile on any beekeeper’s face. If you would like to spend more on your gift, beekeeping suits and beehives are sure to be greatly appreciated by the recipient.
Best Gifts for Beekeepers
Reading Material
Beekeepers are always learning about their craft. That’s why books and magazines are great gifts for beekeepers. For beginners, Beekeeping for Beginners is a great guide book. It offers a step by step guide to teach any budding beekeeper all the fundamentals of beekeeping.
Another personal favorite is The Backyard Beekeeper. This book is has a ton of information and lovely photos throughout. The Beekeepers Bible is a highly popular book that both beginner and experienced beekeepers would love to own. It goes over everything from the history of beekeeping to how to care for bees, and how to use beeswax and honey.
- Hardcover book
- The ultimate guide to beekeeping
- Includes recipes and instructions to how to make beauty products, candles, and more
- Fully illustrated with lots of photography
Another cool gift for people who like reading is a magazine subscription. With a subscription, the recipient will receive a new magazine issue every month for a whole year. Bee Culture is a popular magazine for beekeepers. Just be aware, if you choose to gift a magazine subscription, it takes 6-10 weeks for the first issue to arrive. So, make sure you order ahead.
- Covers topics relevant and interesting to beekeepers
- One new issue a month
- Each issue only costs $1.67 when you subscribe to 1 year
- Can ship within the US
- Good for big and small beekeepers
Beekeeping Tools and Supplies
Beekeeping tools and supplies are good gifts for hobby beekeepers because they are so practical. The only problem is, if you aren’t a beekeeper yourself, it’s hard to know what tools or supplies to get. To learn more about beekeeping supplies, see my post here. The good thing is that there is a variety of supplies in all price ranges, so you are sure to find something that will fit in your budget.
- 10 kinds of BEEKEEPING TOOLS, including: Hive Smoker, Frame Grip Scraper, Sweep, Honey Knife, Frame Lifter, Clip, Wire Embedding, Marker, Water Feeder, Beekeeping Glove.
- HIVE SMOKER made of stainless steel produces safe cool smoke. Heat shield and hook protective guard that surrounds the smoker to help prevent burns.
- BEEKEEPING GLOVES: Premium Goatskin Gloves, Durable cotton sleeves and goat skin hands for flawless protection, comfort and resilience. Cotton sleeves provide total arm coverage with elastic closure.
- PACKAGE INCLUDES: Double sieve honey strainer, stainless Steel frame holder, stainless steel uncapping fork, yellow nylon durable honey gate and bee queen catcher.
- Double Sieve Honey Strainer Size: The mesh bowl has a diameter of 9 with a depth 4 and features extendable arms with a total reach of 15.5.
- PREMIUM QUALITY: These products are made of 201 stainless steel, wood and nylon. All materials are sturdy and of high quality.
Bee suits are always useful to beekeepers, as they are used a lot. There are different suits for different beekeepers. Styles differ, such as a full suit or jacket. Some brands also have many different colors.
- Beekeeping suit natural cotton with removable round veil
- Elasticated waistband and elasticated cuffs, plus elastic thumb loops to keep everything comfortably in place
- Three pockets, cotton knee pads and two leg hive tool pockets
- Heavy duty zippers, durable double-stitched pockets
- Unisex bee suit design for men and women between 511 - 61 (180 - 185 cm)
Of course, the ultimate gift you can get a beekeeper is a beehive. Any beekeeper would love to receive a brand new hive as a gift. There are different types of beehives, but you can figure out the kind to get by looking at their existing hives.
See here for recommended complete beehives.
My personal favorite beehive right now is Hoover Hives. Not only are these hives gorgeous, they are also high quality and long lasting. For more information on Hoover Hives, see my full review here. Hoover Hives are available on Amazon, and from GalenaFarms.com.
I like to order from Galena Farms because of the great customer service and free shipping. Plus, if you use the coupon code COMPLETEBEEHIVES, you can get 5% off your order.
- 2 Heavy Wax Coated Deep Brood Boxes (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 9-5/8″) with High Quality Dovetail Pine Frames
- Heavy Wax Coated Medium Super Boxes (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 6-5/8″) with High Quality Dovetail Pine Frames
- 30 Food Grade Plastic Foundations, Coated with Real Bees Wax
- Wax Coated Solid Bottom Board and Telescoping Top Cover (Metal Capped)
- Includes Inner Cover, Plastic Queen Excluder (essential for Honey Production), Entrance Reducer, & Nails for Assembly
Novelty Gifts for Hobby Beekeepers
Novelty gifts for beekeepers are great too. These gifts are fun and thoughtful. And just because they are novelty items, does not mean that they are useless. Shirts, signs, and decor would be great gifts for beekeepers.
There are a lot of cool shirts for beekeepers that would be great gifts. The designs range from clever, to funny, to informational. There’s something any beekeeper would like.
Bee signs are popular gifts as well. They are cute, whimsical, and can be used either outdoors or indoors. A beekeeping sign would go particularly well with other bee themed decor, such as a door mat and throw pillows.
- Made in USA
- Tagless tag is printed on fabric inside collar, you cant feel it.
- UNISEX MODERN FIT SIZING | this shirt is slightly tapered to be a little less boxy than the old style of mass-market t-shirt.
- SOFT FABRICS | Shirts are a ringspun, 30/1 fine jersey knit on 100% USA-grown cotton.
- TOP QUALITY INKS | We use QCM screen printing inks. These are high quality inks - vibrant and durable, and highly crack resistant.
- Decorated 12 X 12 Caution Yellow Aluminum
- Original insect themed art
- Made in USA
- Suitable for indoor or outdoor use - 1 drilled hole for hanging.
- Screen Printed on sturdy .032 aluminum sign with rounded corners
- Features adorable print of bees and cute phrase “Honey Im Home”
- Fashion and function: Trendy print, plus durable coir fibers- great for high traffic areas
- Set of 4 Cotton Linen 18x18 Inch
- DOUBLE-SIDED DESIGN: Print on double side. The front pattern the same as the back. Pillow cover only, Insert is not included.
- EASY CARE: Machine wash available! Gently cycle only, no bleach, tumble dry low, do not Iron, low temperature if necessary.
- MATERIAL: The bee pillow cover is made of high quality cotton linen material. This fabric is soft and pleasant to the touch, durable and easy to clean.
Summary
Getting gifts for hobby beekeepers can be a bit of a challenge if you are unfamiliar with beekeeping. However, there are a lot of useful and thoughtful gifts that they would enjoy. Practical gifts for hobby beekeepers include beehives, bee suits, and supplies. Novelty gifts like shirts and decor are good choices as well.
This article was originally published on September 20th, 2020 and was updated for today.
