The Bee Brush

Ok...bee hygiene is very important, and that is why you need a bee brush! Its very important to brush each honeybee at least once a week, so they don't become matted. Braiding their hair helps, especially the queen. I am so kidding about all of that, except for the part where you need a bee brush!

A bee brush is a short-handled flat brush about 14 inches long, and resembles the brushes sold for sweeping snow off a car's window. A bee brush usually has a wooden handle and yellow bristles, and is a fairly inexpensive investment. They are a simple tool, but invaluable...don't try to use a substitute. Leave the snow brush in the car!

The purpose of one of these brushes is to gently move a crowd of honeybees off a frame or lid, or other piece of equipment. When removing honey frames for extraction, the bees must be brushed off...the fewer left hanging around for the extraction process, the better! It is important to use a flicking motion... flick the bees off, rather than rolling them with the brush bristles. A rolled bee is usually pretty indignant, indignant bees are in a mood to sting, and their attitude is contagious! So...flick, don't roll. And...flick them back into the hive, if possible. The sooner they can get back to work, the better...for both you and the hive.