Off the Urban Grid

Finding Used Beekeeping Equipment

As we talked about a couple weeks ago, there are a lot of great reasons to keep a beehive in your yard, doubly so if you’re gardening or growing fruit trees.  But if you want to get started, it does cost a few hundred dollars to purchase at least one hive, protective beekeeping gear, and of course, your bees.  To save money, you can look into used beekeeping equipment.

As with any hobby, people’s interest in bees comes and goes, so it’s not that hard to find stuff for sale.  If you buy from someone local, you may also be able to get some tips and advice on getting started with your first hive.

Where to find used beekeeping equipment

There are several places you can look.  Here are just a few spots where you can start:

• Craigslist — With sections for most major cities, Craigslist is a great place to start your search for a local person selling used equipment.  You can try browsing the “farm & garden” section or just do a search of all “for sale” items.
• Ebay — I mostly found new hives and equipment for sale when I perused eBay, but even the new stuff was often cheaper than what I’ve seen at other e-commerce stores.  Also, there were some used items.  Try searching for the specific thing you’re looking for (i.e. hive, smoker, bee helmet, etc.) rather than just “beekeeping equipment.”
• Beekeeping section of the “For Farmers” Marketplace — While this doesn’t offer a huge selection, it’s another place you can look.
• Local Beekeeping Clubs — Lastly, check into beekeepers’ clubs in your area.  Members may have suggestions for finding used (or even free) beekeeping equipment.

If you have any other recommendations for places where new beekeepers can find used beekeeping equipment, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Tags: beekeeping