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Poll

To wear, or not to wear?

Veil, bee suit, & gloves
59 (45.7%)
Veil, & bee suit
9 (7%)
Veil & gloves
23 (17.8%)
Veil only
20 (15.5%)
Other
18 (14%)

Total Members Voted: 1

Author Topic: Bee Suits?  (Read 42812 times)

Offline jayj200

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #60 on: December 01, 2014, 05:08:18 pm »
wait till the Africans come.


Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re:
« Reply #61 on: December 01, 2014, 09:21:29 pm »
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.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #62 on: December 02, 2014, 09:19:24 am »
>I hardly ever use smoke either.

It's worth more than the veil...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #63 on: December 02, 2014, 03:01:55 pm »
>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.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline Richard M

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #64 on: December 10, 2014, 04:09:11 am »
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.

Offline jayj200

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #65 on: December 10, 2014, 01:26:54 pm »
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. 

Quote from: Violacea
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?

Offline Richard M

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #66 on: December 10, 2014, 03:16:35 pm »
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. 

Quote from: Violacea
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!

Offline jayj200

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #67 on: December 10, 2014, 03:52:04 pm »
Real  Hard!

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #68 on: December 10, 2014, 11:28:29 pm »
Check these out . 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

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #69 on: December 11, 2014, 08:53:38 am »
>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.

My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline jayj200

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #70 on: December 11, 2014, 05:53:20 pm »
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.

Offline Richard M

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #71 on: December 16, 2014, 05:03:22 am »
I use one of these - 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

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. -



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 -



This shows the orientation of the zipper teeth when the veil is attached - forced upwards, putting a 180 bend in the fabric -



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.

« Last Edit: December 16, 2014, 06:15:34 pm by Richard M »

Offline pgayle

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #72 on: March 01, 2015, 12:16:14 pm »
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


Offline Maggiesdad

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #73 on: March 01, 2015, 01:36:01 pm »
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:

Offline GDRankin

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #74 on: March 01, 2015, 01:56:16 pm »
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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Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #75 on: March 01, 2015, 02:09:32 pm »
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

Offline Maggiesdad

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #76 on: March 01, 2015, 02:17:14 pm »
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

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #77 on: March 04, 2015, 08:14:08 pm »
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.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #78 on: March 05, 2015, 02:06:22 am »
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.
David L

Offline rookie2531

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Re: Bee Suits?
« Reply #79 on: March 09, 2015, 07:45:22 pm »
Better safe than sorry, I say.

 

anything