five decades of hands-on beekeeping experience
BeeQuipmentSA has been at the forefront of supplying quality beekeeping equipment to hobbyists, and beekeeping enthusiasts in Johannesburg and beyond since 2007.
BeeQuipmentSA is owned and run by Mike Miles, a registered beekeeper, based in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, Gauteng. He started keeping bees at the age of 15 with a beehive in his garden in Salisbury, Rhodesia.
He relocated back to South Africa in 1982, being South African born, and continued with his hobby whilst working on the mines in the Free State. After moving to Johannesburg, he continued with his interests in beekeeping and today runs ± 90 beehives in and around the Johannesburg suburban areas, and on several farm sites in Gauteng and the North West and Limpopo Provinces.
BeeQuipment was started in 2007 by Mike given the lack of available beekeeping equipment outlets in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Initially the business focused on beehives but with the growing interest in beekeeping as a hobby by suburbanites and people living on plots and smallholdings, the beekeeping outlet has grown into offering the full range of equipment which any hobbyist or small-scale beekeeper would need.
He relocated back to South Africa in 1982, being South African born, and continued with his hobby whilst working on the mines in the Free State. After moving to Johannesburg, he continued with his interests in beekeeping and today runs ± 90 beehives in and around the Johannesburg suburban areas, and on several farm sites in Gauteng and the North West and Limpopo Provinces.
BeeQuipment was started in 2007 by Mike given the lack of available beekeeping equipment outlets in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Initially the business focused on beehives but with the growing interest in beekeeping as a hobby by suburbanites and people living on plots and smallholdings, the beekeeping outlet has grown into offering the full range of equipment which any hobbyist or small-scale beekeeper would need.
Elephant dung is certainly the best form of smoker fuel – but smoking it does things to you!
Full beekeeping product range
The administration, orders, and sales of BeeQuipment is in the capable hands of Doreen who assists Mike in the daily running of the business. The outlet is based at Mike’s suburban residential home in Randpark Ridge, Johannesburg.
In addition to standard Langstroth beehives, supers, frames, and trap hives we also stock the full range of protective clothing, accessories and tools for beekeeping, beeswax foundation sheets for frames, and publications on practical beekeeping for South African conditions.
In addition to standard Langstroth beehives, supers, frames, and trap hives we also stock the full range of protective clothing, accessories and tools for beekeeping, beeswax foundation sheets for frames, and publications on practical beekeeping for South African conditions.
BeeQuipment is able to retail locally made products unique to the South African beekeeping sector’s needs.
A particular speciality of our business is honey extraction equipment. BeeQuipment retails locally made stainless steel honey extractors, both manual and motorised 12 frame models. We have also designed a smaller 6-frame manual extractor for the hobbyist. We are the only beekeeping outlet which sells South African manufactured honey extractors on a commercial basis.
In addition, given Mike’s contacts in the South African manufacturing sector, where he works with a number of clients in his private consulting practice, BeeQuipment is able to retail locally made products unique to the South African beekeeping sector’s needs. He has designed a bee feeding product, BoosterBee™, in conjunction with a large reputable food manufacturing outlet in Johannesburg which has resulted in both nectar and a pollen nutritional substitute feed for honeybees for African conditions.
In addition, given Mike’s contacts in the South African manufacturing sector, where he works with a number of clients in his private consulting practice, BeeQuipment is able to retail locally made products unique to the South African beekeeping sector’s needs. He has designed a bee feeding product, BoosterBee™, in conjunction with a large reputable food manufacturing outlet in Johannesburg which has resulted in both nectar and a pollen nutritional substitute feed for honeybees for African conditions.
Although relocating bees from unwanted sites into beehives is not one of our core services, when carrying out this essential task every caution is taken not to harm the bees!
Beekeeping organisations
Mike Miles assisted in building up and promoting the activities of the Johannesburg based Southerns Beekeeping Association over the past number of years. He was the Chairman of SABIO, the South African Bee Industry Organisation, the national body of beekeepers in South Africa from 2013 to 2019.
In addition, given his legal background and main line of business, he was instrumental in drafting changes to the national statutory legislation on Control Measures in Beekeeping in South Africa in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He also assisted with the drafting of national legislation on a fully comprehensive Beekeeping Act which was given to the Department of Agriculture for consideration.
In addition, given his legal background and main line of business, he was instrumental in drafting changes to the national statutory legislation on Control Measures in Beekeeping in South Africa in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He also assisted with the drafting of national legislation on a fully comprehensive Beekeeping Act which was given to the Department of Agriculture for consideration.
