Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: Violacea on April 13, 2005, 10:07:43 am
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I'm just really surprised at the number of beekeepers that wear bee suits and . . . and . . . GLOVES?! :shock: Maybe it's only because I have a few hives? Do bees get more aggressive when there are more colonies? *puzzlement* When I first started I wore long sleeves, but when summer came, that went out the window. Now I just wear a veil, and rubber band my short sleeves and the bottoms of my jeans.
So what do you wear?
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I have suited up completely everytime I got bees out of a wall. One never knows their temperment. Yesterday I suited up to check the hives and a good thing too. I had placed a clump of paper between the last frame and wall to steady the frames during moving. As I pulled it out yesterday it really disturbed a frame and the bees came out after me. I always prepare for the worse case. Something slips while your in the hive and end up needing the full gear and don't have it, then what?
I have also read that many times people have very calm bees and for some reason one day they are aggresive.
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(http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/lstclair/bees/mewithbees.jpg)
The hat is to keep them out of my hair. the glasses to keep them out of my eyes.
Now, the girls did get a little testy in fall, so then I started wearing a veil.
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Something slips while your in the hive and end up needing the full gear and don't have it, then what?
Like the day I was juggling drone frames and... dropped one?
Yeah. I dropped a frame full of bees. Here's what I did:
I closed my eyes and froze. Didn't move at all. Waited to be stung.
They didn't sting. After half a minute or so, I decided they weren't too upset, and slowly and smoothly, picked up the frame and put it back in the hive. And then I scooped up the bees (house bees, young, confused) with my hands (bare) and put them back in the hive.
I'd like to have the jacket with attache veil. They look nice.
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I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
I'm just really surprised at the number of beekeepers that wear bee suits and . . . and . . . GLOVES?! :shock: Maybe it's only because I have a few hives? Do bees get more aggressive when there are more colonies? *puzzlement* When I first started I wore long sleeves, but when summer came, that went out the window. Now I just wear a veil, and rubber band my short sleeves and the bottoms of my jeans.
So what do you wear?
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I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
Why would you want to keep such hives?????
Requeen........
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I wear the protective gear
shorts, tshirt and sandals.
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Who you kiddin' Rog, that great beard of yours is enough to keep africanized bees at bay! :lol:
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I like to use my veil and gloves but dont really need the gloves. bye :)
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Ok, I fully suit up - I'm chicken...... what can I say?
Beth :)
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I wear one of these. :D
(http://www.dadant.com/catalog/images/V01210.jpg)
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Veil only.
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Burglars? naw, really it's sort of embarassing how I got them, so much that I'd much prefer you think of me high-stepping all dressed in white, hive tools flying out of my hands as I do the double-windmill with my arms.
I plan to replace them with gentle queens - I have another post about how to acquire Carneoleans in this same forum.
I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
Why would you want to keep such hives?????
Requeen........
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Having the last look for honey yesterday to extract this season ( there was not enough) just a little bit of an awkward bump of the 2nd. super & I had a lot of angry bees. A couple still managed to sting through my gear around both wrists so what would it have been like without the protection ?
A freind beleives I have a savage lot to contend with but they have been great producers in my first year with them so requeening with something of a more gentle nature is the aim for the coming spring.
On the subject of seatbelts in road veichles I would have been beheaded in a truck rollover if I had been wearing a belt. These days it is compulsory in Australia to wear them if the veichle you are driving is fitted with them as all new veichles are.
Great forum, I can learn a lot from experiences of people in the northern hemisphere & I can really appreciate FordGuys situation.
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Geoff, why dont you re queen this next fall? Queens cost less in the end of the season and your hive would get a good jump start next year too. bye :D
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I think it is better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I am just starting out so later on when I am more experiansed I might try it with out some protective gear. I don't plan on ever doing any thing magior with out it though. I felt bad for John the time he got those 200 stings. I woould have had gear on. Becouse even if you are careful accidents still happen. If he had one on he would not have gotten it that bad.
Just my thoughts,
Brian
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Anywhere from street clothes (I was tempted to say nothing, but thought that might be misinterpreted) to a full bee suite (love my golden products suit). But most often wear a jacket with a zip on veil and usually wear gloves. I used to not wear them so much, but one time opened a hive that seemed ok, picked up a frame and my hand got gang stung. Now I take off the gloves when I need the dexterity and leave them on the rest of the time.
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I wear a full suit, but I'm new to this.
However, I'm starting to get more and more comfortable, and am thinking of "downgrading"...I feel a little clumsy in my gloves and want to be as natural as possible...
might keep the veil though...at least for A WHILE
peace and oranges
wombat
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Last year, I stopped wearing the veil when I realized I had two very gentle colonies. But I think whatever you do, you need to have eye covering and (unless your hair is really short) a hat. Getting the girls tangled in your hair is unpleasant for everyone!
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Once you've seen how quickly a hive can mobilize, I think you will want to wear at least a veil. A awful lot of bees can sting you in a very short amount of time and it can be a hive that has been gentle up until then.
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I think its also an experience thing - for newbees like me, I feel more confident and relaxed in a beesuit. Handling bees without I hope to achieve once I know better. Also - cloudy days and cold days the girls are testy but when the flow is on they are real pussycats
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I wanted a suite to start with but my grandpa said I didnt need one so it kinda forced me into it. I wouldnt put on a suite if I was given one for free now, You just have to be relaxed around them. bye :D
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I always wear a viel and use gloves most of the time. I wear the full beesuit only when I am removing a colony from a building-it seems the bees are easier going when removed from a hollow tree,not half as excitable as they get when they are in between walls or floors. I have read somewhere that light colored clothing is better to wear around bees so I also wear light colored street clothes around the hives when doing inspections.
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Lesli I gotta say that either you have wimpy bees :D or some sort of bee karma!
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It's true that I do talk to them, and treat them with respect. :) I think they were just really happy bees last summer. I bought them as nucs in late June, so I fed them pretty much all the time until the September goldenrod flow, so as far as they were concered, life was pretty darned good.
It's interesting that in spite of everything I've read about packages being gentle, blah blah blah, and in spite of spraying iwth sugar syrup, I got stung no fewer than five times when I hived my five packages this spring. And that was with a veil. I don't get much more than a little redness when I get stung, so it was no big deal, but I worried that the girls were hot.
Nope. They were probably just tired and cranky from the trip... or something. In any case, they've settled down and are now just fine.
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Lesli, Did they get inside your viel or get you someplace else? I have not been hit installing packages yet but the friend whose bees I was hiving,got stung twice on the ear, his viel didn't have elastic or a drawstring. It was the type that just drapes over your head-a fine mesh-not screened.
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I did the first package without a veil, and got tagged on the jaw. In spite of my hat, a bee also got tangled in my hair and I got a sting on my scalp. So on with the veil. One more sting on the arm, one on my back (bent over and got tagged where my shirt rode up) and a bee climbed up my jeans and the last one was on my leg.
I think once I got stung, in spite of smoke, etc., I was probably "marked" for the whole session. Since I don't swell from stings (even 5 in a short period of time), it doesn't bother me.
By the way, I'm happy to say that the girls are not hot or anything.
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Lesli my word I saw your pic and had to look twice you look so much like my sister wow
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Hello All,
I started my bees last April. All Summer, my outfit was a tyvek suit, veil and one glove. This gave me my clumsy, protected hand and my agile, sensitive hand. It worked really well. By Fall, they had built up quite a bit of honey and started to get a little testy, so I got stung on the hand (the agile one).
This last Saturday, I found that my hive had produced a swarm the day after I came home with my new queen for my intended split. After reading about how gentle swarms are, I began trimming branches away from the swarm so that I could easily fit a ladder and box under it. No suit, no veil and gardening gloves. Just as I prepared to climb the ladder and knock the swarm into the box, I put on my suit and veil - just in case. As I was ten feet up on the ladder, knocking the swarm into the box, I began to feel something on the back of my hand. Then my wrist. Then I realised what was happening with my "gentle" swarm. I climbed down the ladder quickly and scraped the stingers out of my hands, wrist (right up to wher the rubber band on my sleeve was) and the gap at the back of my neck. Thank goodness I thought to put on my veil! A sting in the eye, while ten feet in the air would have been bad news. After talking to a friend who used to keep 200 hives, she said that she always wore a veil and suit, because you just never know when something unplanned can happen.
So, for a while anyway, I plan to be safe not sorry. I'll probably shed my gloves again, once the weather and the bees go back to being calm and happy..
Melissa
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I wear a veil,and sometimes gloves.
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Lesli my word I saw your pic and had to look twice you look so much like my sister wow
In those glasses, I thought I looked more like a drone. :)
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My son and I wear shorts and tee shirts for comfort and pest control.
Shorts are cooler and allow finding ticks as they crawl up our legs. There is no cuff to worry about. Crawling bees up the trouser legs are not a problem.
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http://www.bugbaffler.com
I saw a lot of people wearing these at the Master Beekeeping workshop here in Mead, NE.
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I suit up to the hilt
and its a good thing with as many misstakes I
make!
the other evening I was hit 10 times when they all went after me!
well it seemed like all of them! :shock:
it was all at once, If I were without armer I would have been a goner
for sure
they found my zipper hole in the front of my veil
two in the neck, woke up at 3am with a golfball in my throat
at 5 am we were on our way to the hospital to get some stuff to make the swelling go down they looked at me like I was CRAZY :lol:
so ya I think I will always were a suit and tape is probly a good idea too!
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I am a novice but I always wear a veil , long sleeves , velcro bands on my pants legs, and gloves. I also wear a Tyvek suit if I intend to do more than just inspect. Having had a bear attack my hives and their change in attitude since, now I am a little more cautious. :shock: I am not always calm when the girls start bumping me and especially not calm when they sting -it's a personal goal to be like my instructor at John C. Cambell Folk School and always be calm with bees. One of the reasons I started keeping bees was to learn to slow down and move less frenetically!
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http://www.bugbaffler.com
I saw a lot of people wearing these at the Master Beekeeping workshop here in Mead, NE.
now MB, That has got to be the coolest (temp wise) suit I have seen, but get a bad hive and skin to close to the screen and they might still get you, mean hive im talking about
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Hi Guys,
I am a new member. I just got my first hive of bee's yesterday. My uncle had a bear problem, and decided to give them to me. The bear had destroyed his honey super, so I got just the brood box. I quickly constructed a new super and asked my uncle to come coach me through the installation. He forgot his veil so I gave him mine since he was going to be taking screws out that we secured the lid with during the move. I was standing about five feet from the hive while he worked. As soon as the lid came off two of the bees stung me on the forehead. My uncle couldn't believe it. He said the bee's had always been gentle. Do you think the bear attack could have changed their temperment?? Or was I just asking for it standing so close with no veil?
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Lots of things affect their temperment. Many that we aren't even aware of. I have just gotten some robbing under control (I hope) and my normally calm bees are very defensive. Closing them up for a move, the jostling and bumping would surely get them ornery.
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>now MB, That has got to be the coolest (temp wise) suit I have seen, but get a bad hive and skin to close to the screen and they might still get you, mean hive im talking about
I've now been using one for about a month. I bought the jacket and the pants and just wear shorts under it. For routine work on calm hives I love it. But I do get stung through it when it's stuck to my by sweat and the bees are a little wound up. But in this heat, it has been well worth it. :)
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I wear a full suit, vail, and gloves. I like to keep bees, not get stung, so it's full protection for me. I have gotten so I skip the suit and wear just a hooded sweatshirt and vail, with gloves. :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol:
peggjam
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I wear the protective gear
shorts, tshirt and sandals.
That's my protective regimen also. I don't wear a tinfoil hat anymore also.
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I have an ultra breeze jacket, does that count as a suit? Used to hardly ever wear even a veil, but the doctors added a potassium suppliment that interacts with me and other med's I am taking, so they do NOT like my smell anymore. Anyone with me I encourage strongly they wear something because they have turned on others when I am around...
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I have a good cool breeze type jacket, a Vail and 2 standard hooded jackets. I only use them when conditions require it. Rainy weather, pressure change or full cloud cover. I normally check the attitude of unknown hives by getting close to them to see their reaction and touching them at the entrance. They will let you know their temperament.
One thing though, I depend on the stings to stay healthy, particularly my left shoulder. If I do not get stung on a regular basis, I lose range of movement. I also do not usually react to stings except they hurt for a few minutes.
I always tell my students to wear what ever it takes to make them comfortable around their bees. I do not like thick leather gloves because you end up crushing bees. The gloves coated with sting pheromone and every time you put them back in the hive the bees get more aggressive.
Jim
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You guys do realize that this is a 9 yr old thread.
Ultra Breeze Jacket. Love it.
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As a matter of fact no.
I quess it is a classic thread. :-D
Jim
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The full getup! I'm not allergic, only small local reactions early in the year. But ever since that one sting, two summers ago, where the bee got lucky and hit a vein in my neck, I suit up all the time. Venom got into the blood supply and went system faster than anything. Ended up in ER. Never effected my breathing, but beet read from head to toe, hives, swelling with blue fingers. Not whining about it, it was actually a pretty amazing process to follow! Yea, I know I'm crazy....
So that, combined with the fact that we have skunks, there's always one hive with queen issues, times with little/no forage, etc., you just never know what going to happen out there.
Those times where I lift the lid on a normally docile hive and they fly at me like a train coming out of a tunnel, I'm glad I have it all on.
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Our bee club had a guy with MS come in and give talk about Apiatherapy or bee sting therapy. His wife stings him on the back regularly and it keeps the MS away. Apparently the active ingredients in the sting have an antibiotic effect, so the sting may actually have brought on a Herxheimer reaction.
In other words the antibiotic effect may have killed off a lot of bugs in you, that you don't know you had and their dead bodies overloaded your blood system in taking them out. We all have low level infections in us. These can cause minor inconveniences right up to full blown diseases. Dr Weston Price determined this back in the 1920's when he did a root canal on a patient who very soon got a very bad case of arthritis which was cured by removing the offending tooth.
This is a guess but the H effect is not uncommon with various therapies both standard and alternative and includes the antibiotics you get from an Allopathic Doctor.. The H. effect has been argued endlessly as to whether it is just too much therapeutic measures or the therapy is done improperly, however...
I suspect that bee stings may even have a therapeutic or prophylactic effect if done properly occasionally.
However 'doing it properly' may be the key.
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I have a Top Bar with an observation window. I just wear street clothes. I've taken out a couple of bars to inspect comb development and have worn the same. I did buy a jacket with attaching veil and clothes for when we harvest.
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I wear a veil and a white long sleeved shirt.
It gets too hot here to wear a bee suit.
Oh yes I put elastic strips around my ankles, bees love to crawl. :shock:
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Yes I admit it. I wear a suit with a zip on veil and gloves. I really don't enjoy getting stung and bees fly at my face when I open the hive or smoke them. I may re-queen a few of my hives this fall. will have to wait and see. Any way I love keeping bees and protective equipment make it possible for me to enjoy bees.
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two for me please. one for each hand
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For me, since I'm still fairly new and would rather play it on the side of caution - especially down here in south Texas where there are some nasty feral bees, any time I'm going into a hive or a removal/cut-out situation, I wear my full vented bee suit, gloves, boots with rubber bands at all possible entry points.
With that said, it really all depends on the circumstances . . . i.e. what hive is it? Mine or a cut out . . . what's the weather like? Sunny day, or other . . .
If I'm just checking on the girls, or maybe changing a feeder on a new hive, or making sure fire ants haven't invaded anywhere, I'll avoid getting all dressed up in hot gear.
I did a small removal this week that I started out in full gear, but once I vacuumed about 1/2 of the bees off the hive, I took a water break. Up to that point, none of the bees seemed the least bit interested in me, and the temps were in the mid 90s and I was dripping with sweat . . . so I stripped down to a pair of shorts and no shirt or gloves and finished the job without incident.
(http://s28.postimg.org/z9e0cliyx/Merrywood_9454.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/z9e0cliyx/)
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I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
I'm just really surprised at the number of beekeepers that wear bee suits and . . . and . . . GLOVES?! :shock: Maybe it's only because I have a few hives? Do bees get more aggressive when there are more colonies? *puzzlement* When I first started I wore long sleeves, but when summer came, that went out the window. Now I just wear a veil, and rubber band my short sleeves and the bottoms of my jeans.
So what do you wear?
why don't you requeen?
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I work bees in SW Florida and a jacket, veil and gloves are put on every time I do a removal or enter the bee yard. I have a tyvek coverall with booties and hood that I use on the really nasty ones.
Why?
One of the State bee inspectors went into a yard to do the annual inspection. The owner was there and swore the bees were Europeans and very mild.
The inspector lifted the lid, blew two or three puffs of smoke into the top and watched the bees move down into the hive. No suit, no gloves, no veil.
In the next minute he got stung over 500 times and spent 3 days in intensive care.
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I work bees in SW Florida and a jacket, veil and gloves are put on every time I do a removal or enter the bee yard. I have a tyvek coverall with booties and hood that I use on the really nasty ones.
Why?
One of the State bee inspectors went into a yard to do the annual inspection. The owner was there and swore the bees were Europeans and very mild.
The inspector lifted the lid, blew two or three puffs of smoke into the top and watched the bees move down into the hive. No suit, no gloves, no veil.
In the next minute he got stung over 500 times and spent 3 days in intensive care.
Dang that's nuts!
This may seem obvious, but since I am 1. Not in FL and 2. never had an inspector come to my place . . . just wondering . . . is it standard practice for an inspector to go into a strange yard unprotected? Or was that particular inspector just being negligent?
I would think that anyone in potential AHB areas would be extra cautious when working with strange bees, especially an inspector.
I've learned from experience doing removals that a colony can appear to be somewhat mild tempered one minute and practically explode the next. Of course doing removals is a different than inspecting hives in a yard, but the fact remains that we are invading their space anytime we go into a hive, so respect and caution are at the top of my priority list.
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To make the poll more accurate, distinguish between leather gloves and latex gloves. The former is to prevent stings. The latter is to prevent propolis from getting to your car's steering wheel.
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I usually wear boots and long pants and a button up long sleeved shirt - just work clothes made of tough cotton material. I haven't been stung through them. And a good hat. If bees walk up under my shirt, I undo the top buttons and let them out.
I always take a veil every time I open a hive but rarely have to put it on.
In very hot weather I'll sometimes wear shorts and a singlet. I get stung a lot less this way than when I used to work with overalls, veil, gloves. I'm interested in trying clear impact goggles or something like that though.
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>I've learned from experience doing removals that a colony can appear to be somewhat mild tempered one minute and practically explode the next.
Exactly. That's why I would always wear a veil... and usually wear gloves. Things can happen very quickly. I stepped in a hole once (gophers probably) and went down with a brood box that hit the ground and broke apart. Bees everywhere. If I had not been wearing a veil, I probably would have been hurt very badly.
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>I've learned from experience doing removals that a colony can appear to be somewhat mild tempered one minute and practically explode the next.
Exactly. That's why I would always wear a veil... and usually wear gloves. Things can happen very quickly. I stepped in a hole once (gophers probably) and went down with a brood box that hit the ground and broke apart. Bees everywhere. If I had not been wearing a veil, I probably would have been hurt very badly.
Indeed. I was inspecting a hive which had been in my yard for about a month after removing it from a customer's compost tumbler. Checking for the usual and found that the bees had complete attached all of the cut comb to the frames, except for one or two. It was the middle of July, which in San Antonio, means temps around 100, so the comb was a little on the soft side to say the least. One of the sections that had not been fully wax welded to the frame came loose as I was looking over the comb. It started falling and I was able to redirect the fall to the top of the neighboring box. Which was not good, but better than falling several more feet all the way to the ground. (The comb was only attached on one side and at the bottom and the bees had eaten through all but one rubber band.)
Needless to say, the bees on that frame were not exactly pleased with this "save" and proceeded to let me know.
Thankfully I had on my full suit, despite the extra hot conditions.
That taught me a couple of things for sure. One, obviously to wear my suit when getting into the boxes, but also that the comb was way too warm to handle at that time of day under those conditions. Again, I realize most don't work with "cut-out" frames of comb from removals, but many have top-bar and others have foundation-less frames that may be subject to pulling away in extra warm weather. So I though this was worth sharing.
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I voted other..... I don't wear a full suit..... I simply wear a Bee Jacket , veil and gloves... I have never found the need for a full suit as a hobbiest...
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wait till the Africans come.
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I usually wear shorts and a T-shirt and if I get stung immediately I go back and get my ventilated jacket and veil. I hardly ever use smoke either.
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>I hardly ever use smoke either.
It's worth more than the veil...
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>I hardly ever use smoke either.
It's worth more than the veil...
I think I only got stung 10 times all summer... One of those was on my eyebrow. I couldn't find the stinger in the hair and my eye swelled pretty bad.
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Any fool can get themselves stung.
I've driven a car for 35 years, and in that time never hit anything hard enough to hurt myself but you know what? I still wear a seatbelt and I'd be pretty unimpressed if someone tried to sell me a car without airbags, ABS and stability control.
If you feel comfortable taking unnecessary/dumb risks by not using protecvtion, that's fine but I don't think encouraging others to follow your lead is all that clever.
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I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
I'm just really surprised at the number of beekeepers that wear bee suits and . . . and . . . GLOVES?! :shock: Maybe it's only because I have a few hives? Do bees get more aggressive when there are more colonies? *puzzlement* When I first started I wore long sleeves, but when summer came, that went out the window. Now I just wear a veil, and rubber band my short sleeves and the bottoms of my jeans.
So what do you wear?
and the bees are laughing look how we made the funny human jump through hoops.
what can we do next?
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I have two feral hives that are mean as snot. walk to within 50 meters and 10 of them start head-butting you until you run, arms flailing, screaming like a woman, sustaining various forms of bodily injury as you fall and bounce off the ground, to the amusement of anyone watching from a safe distance.
So yes, I wear suit, face mask, gloves, holy water, rabbit's foot, carry a bible, and wear leather underpants when messing with these hives.
I'm just really surprised at the number of beekeepers that wear bee suits and . . . and . . . GLOVES?! :shock: Maybe it's only because I have a few hives? Do bees get more aggressive when there are more colonies? *puzzlement* When I first started I wore long sleeves, but when summer came, that went out the window. Now I just wear a veil, and rubber band my short sleeves and the bottoms of my jeans.
So what do you wear?
and the bees are laughing look how we made the funny human jump through hoops.
what can we do next?
Lull him into a false sense of security and then nail him!
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Real Hard!
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Check these out . http://bugbaffler.com/collections/insect-protection. (http://bugbaffler.com/collections/insect-protection.) I'picking one these tops up to try out. I have heard tsome bees use them. Just where white tee under it and maybe run a few lines of that puffy stuff they sell for applying to shirts down the inside of the sleeves to lift it off the skin.
John
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>Check these out...
I love just the veil and usually have one in my back pocket when I'm walking around the place in case I get a wild hair and want to check a hive or a bee gets a wild hair and wants to come after me. Also nice for going to bee conferences in case you want to open a hive.
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I think Dirt rooster tried them and said he wont use them again in the heat the sweat makes them cling Wham been nailed again
If'n ya have a mean boxogirls? you decide. I did. It's the full Magilla every time.
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I use one of these - http://duncshoney.com.au/shop/4580906462/full-suit-with-fencing-veil/6985954 (http://duncshoney.com.au/shop/4580906462/full-suit-with-fencing-veil/6985954)
They're made in Pakistan and sold in the US as http://www.jawadis.us/786600.html (http://www.jawadis.us/786600.html)
I was pretty happy with it until a couple of weeks ago when the zipper kept popping open at the back between the two sliders and I find that once they've started to pop apart it's pretty well boogered and not a great idea for keeping angry insects out.
I had a closer look at it and suspect the cause is the way the zipper is fitted to the shoulders of the suit - the teeth normally face down when it's not done up but are pulled upwards and bend the tape in half through 180 degrees when the veil is zipped up, meaning that the zipper is in tension and trying to spring out and face downwards again.
This is the detail of the zipper join between shoulder and veil, which all looks fine. -
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/TrickieDickie99/20141216_134757_zps2de27be1.jpg) (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/TrickieDickie99/media/20141216_134757_zps2de27be1.jpg.html)
This shows the shoulder side of the zipper with the veil unattached - the way the tape's stitched on, the teeth want to point downwards -
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/TrickieDickie99/ab1cc290-c733-4f68-b3f2-761db8a017ba_zps3899209b.jpg) (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/TrickieDickie99/media/ab1cc290-c733-4f68-b3f2-761db8a017ba_zps3899209b.jpg.html)
This shows the orientation of the zipper teeth when the veil is attached - forced upwards, putting a 180 bend in the fabric -
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/TrickieDickie99/33afb2e6-db37-4e07-bcd0-c28af03f9a53_zps2183d974.jpg) (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/TrickieDickie99/media/33afb2e6-db37-4e07-bcd0-c28af03f9a53_zps2183d974.jpg.html)
I'm thinking this strains the whole rig and has contributed to the failure.
I dropped it in at an Industrial sewing place - he's going to fit a heavier toothed zip but with the tape showing on the outside of the suit - it won't look as flash but I think it'll do the job better. Also only one slider, so the veil will be attached permanently at one side of the suit. Will see how it goes.
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I always wear a veil and long sleeves. I like gloves, but the leather ones are too thick. I found these and they are worth the money. Dexterity is probably good enough to pick up a queen, but I usually take off the tip of a thumb and finger if I want to do that. They will last several trips to the bee yard. It takes a long time to go through a box, even using them for painting and cleaning.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kimberly-Clark-Professional-Purple-Nitrile-Powder-Free-Exam-Gloves-100-count/22582311
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Got my full suit from Susie in LA yesterday. :cool: Fits perfect...
Wife is already breathing easier. Got my epipen and benadryl in a little bag that looks like a honey bee.
Standing on the front porch in my bee suit, practicing with my smoker... looking at the freezing rain.
One of these days. :happy:
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Got my full suit from Susie in LA yesterday. :cool: Fits perfect...
Wife is already breathing easier. Got my epipen and benadryl in a little bag that looks like a honey bee.
Standing on the front porch in my bee suit, practicing with my smoker... looking at the freezing rain.
One of these days. :happy:
That's great I'm guessing the wife is able to relax a bit now. Just keep in mind that these little rascals can fit into places (cracks and crevices, holes and nooks) you would never dream. If I were worried about getting stung, I would use duct tape at the ankle and wrist bands to be sure no bees were able to sneak past those openings. I currently just use a couple of rubber bands where my suit meets my boots, but they still manage to sneak in when crawling up looking for a way back onto the nest. Normally these are not in "attack mode", just wanting to go home, but they are obviously still capable of leaving their mark and will gladly do so if trapped.
Aside from the rare occasion mentioned above, the only other times I get stung when I'm fully suited up is ...
A. When I'm working a colony that is extra aggressive and they get defensive enough to sting right through the leather part of my gloves - normally on the back of my hand.
or
B. When my suit sleeve pulls up a little around my wrist and rises above the leather part of my gauntlet gloves. Once in a great while, I'll have one determined enough to seek out that "chink in the armor" and land a blow right at my wrist line, despite wearing standard bee protection.
Just thought you should be aware that there are times when I've been stung even though I was thinking I was protected. Not saying you should be paranoid, just aware that it can happen ;)
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I bought one and then went to Michaels and got some of the puffy fabric paint by tulip. Got for bottles for 3.00 each then used wax paper and turned it inside out and painted stripes about 1/2 inch apart then crossed the stripes 1/2 inch apart . let dry then hit it with the steam iron and puff I made the vented jacket . plus it about a 5 th of the weight. The lines may not look perfectly straight . but im not trying to win a contest for design . function over estectics . i mainly did the arms and shoulders. That is the area closest to my skin and i where a loosely fitted shirt under it. Now no more soaked shirt when doing cutouts and brood Inspection's. Total cost about 50.00
John
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Duly noted, GDRankin - and thank you!
The earlier mental image of Michael B. stepping in a hole and dropping a brood box just makes the hair stand up on my neck.... that wouldn't end well for me.
I'll be cautious.
Glen
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I always wear a veil, been popped around the peepers once too many times not to. The rest of the gear is a Tee shirt, smoker, bee gloves and long pants. Picking up a couple stings on the upper arms doesn't bother me as much as it used to. For serious hive pull downs it's a full moon suit, veil and gloves. Currently have mutt bees in Florida and they can get aggressive on a bad day.
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Depends on which hives I'm working. I have one hive that is really aggressive - was stung 20 + times last weekend 5+ on the left ankle that ended up so bad it felt and acted like a badly sprained ankle. AND that was fully geared up. Other hives I generaly go gloveless and if it is just a quick look see then just a veil.
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Better safe than sorry, I say.
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I, like Richard M, have a Dunc's Honey suit. Ventilated front and back. Took the fencing veil off to wash it and we spent about an hour getting it reattached!!!!
I've noticed that you have to have the neck zippers really overlapped well as the little beggars will get in.
I usually suit up if doing some serious work on the hives ...... robbing, getting into the brood box etc, especially with my more excitable girls; but then I know which ones they are!
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I know this topic is a little old but I wanted to chime in..
My mentor used to only wear a veil. he said it was always too hot to wear all of that protective clothing. One day (before I started working with him) he lifted a hive body off the hive and it broke and fell apart. He took around 250 stings and almost died before he could get to help. After that, he always wore a jacket veil. That's what I wear along with jeans. I wear gloves most of the time because stings in my hands seem to hurt and itch worse than anywhere else. When I first got into beekeeping there seemed to be this badge of honor about getting stung. Now, I have been stung quite a few times and it still hurts. not as bad as the first time but there is still pain there. I say why take a chance? You can have the most gentle bees in the world but if a super falls apart or something else happens to get them stirred up, it isn't worth dying over to be cool and look cool. Getting stung up not only hurts, its not only dangerous, but it also makes bad press and discourages people from getting into beekeeping.
Just my humble opinion...
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I have tyvec painters jump suit. Cost $10 big box store. Some I cut the legs short so I can put it on with my shoes on. A long sleeve dress shirt with collar up under veil works pretty good/ Have and use hood veil that fits over ball cap or cowboy hat. Cheap rubber gloves from dollar store. Also have chemical gloves from harbor freight that go to arm pit for when bees are extra mean,cost less than $10. To see eggs I remove veil. If everything is going smooth and hot out I wear less.
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I used tyvec suits to remove poison ivy once. Hotter then hell and did not breath at all. I was soaked in sweat after 5 minutes. I can't imagine wearing it as a bee suit. I only use a ventilated jacket for bees. Not sure what I will do if I get a hot hive. Probably just wear long pants with my jacket rather than shorts.
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I wear a white cotton shirt I bought at a thrift store for $1.50 and put velcro on the collar to keep it closed.
I put on a veil and a pair of gloves when working a hot hive.
I put a bunge strap around my waist to keep bees from crawling up my shirt and it's something to tie my veil strings too.
I also put straps around my ankles to keep them gals from going up my britches legs.
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Once you've seen how quickly a hive can mobilize, I think you will want to wear at least a veil. A awful lot of bees can sting you in a very short amount of time and it can be a hive that has been gentle up until then.
That's true!
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I almost always wear a jacket with a zip on veil, and gloves, which I guess is "other:
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I currently only have a veil but I figure I'll get a jacket before I get my bees. For now, I'm cruising fakebook marketplace and craigs list looking for deals. If need bee, I'll buy brand new when the time comes.