Apiary visit packing list generator
Generate a packing list for your next apiary visit based on the tasks you plan to do.
What are you planning to do today?
Your packing list
Based on selected tasks, hives: 4. Adjust with your own standard kit and local practices.
Tools & equipment
- Hive tool (plus spare)
- Smoker and enough fuel
- Lighter or matches
- Frame grip or specific tools you prefer
Protective gear
- Veil / jacket / suit
- Gloves (plus spare)
- Appropriate footwear
Task-specific items
- No special items beyond your standard kit.
Few things are more annoying than arriving at the apiary and realising your hive tool or smoker fuel is still at home. This helper builds a packing list based on the work you plan to do.
What are you planning to do today?
Tick the tasks you expect to do on this visit:
- Routine inspections
- First spring inspections
- Swarm control actions
- Make splits or nucs
- Install packages or nucs
- Add or remove supers
- Harvest and extract honey
- Apply varroa or other treatments
- Feed colonies
- Move hives / transport bees
Number of hives you’ll work on
Not the total in the apiary – just how many you expect to actually open or move.
Distance to the apiary
- A short walk / bike
- Short drive
- Longer drive (over 30–40 minutes)
Your packing list
You’ll see a list grouped into:
Tools & equipment
Examples:
- hive tool(s), spare in case one is dropped
- smoker and enough fuel for all planned hives
- lighter or matches
- frame grip or other tools if relevant
- specific tools for your selected tasks (e.g. queen cages for splits, fume board for honey harvest, treatment applicators)
Protective gear
- veil / jacket / suit
- gloves (plus spare)
- appropriate footwear
Task-specific items
Based on your selections:
- extra frames and boxes for splits or adding space,
- feeders and feed,
- supers and queen excluders,
- straps and stands if moving hives,
- bags/buckets for honey frames, etc.
Paperwork & notes (optional)
- notebook or printed inspection sheets,
- pen/pencil,
- phone with offline notes (if you use an app).
You can choose to include a “notes” line under each group if you like to add your own extras.
How to use this list
Use this before you leave for the apiary:
- glance through the sections,
- quickly gather items into a box or crate,
- tick items off as you load them into the car.
Over time, you’ll probably learn which items you always carry and which ones are only sometimes needed. You can then rely on your own standard kit plus this helper for special tasks.
Related tools & resources
- Hive Inspection Checklist Generator – plan what you’ll actually do once you're there.
- Varroa Monitoring & Threshold Helper – if today’s tasks include mite checks.
- First-Year Season Planner – see which months usually need more gear and prep.