bee suit and gloves or not?????

[Rebel Rose Apiary]

Like JP says....smoke your hands....and keep the smoker going, so you can smoke them again in between checking frames, etc. The smoke makes an invisable shield that seems to work to keep the bees from going after your hands. I also smoke my jeans, socks, arms, etc. before I start. It seems to work well unless I get into a hot hive!

Put a little bit of cornstarch on your hands and rub them together well....then put on the nitrile gloves....it keeps them from sticking to your hands and it keeps you from sweating! It works great! You can even double up and use two pair of nitrile gloves....get the correct size and they are about as good as not wearing any gloves.

Always keep a veil, as your only have two eyes....things can happen and it is best to protect what you cannot replace.

White long sleeved shirts are good too....I cannot stand a sting in the armpit!
I go bonkers! I would rather be shot with a 9mm at close range.

The above posts seem to have about covered it all...but make sure that you are not allergic before you try anything without a suit, etc.

Good luck!

Brenda

[WOB419]

This is worth working on.  Bare hands will enable you to be more gentle.  I am now working my bees with just a T-shirt and shorts so I stay a lot cooler. 

What do you do when they crawl up your shorts? ;)

I'd like to transition away from the suit, but last week was so cool that I actually liked wearing it. However, the bees were so clingy that I ended up with a couple in my veil crawling around my face and one in the armpit.. Talk about unnerving! Nothing that you can really do about it when you're all bundled up, covered in bees and standing next to a completely dismantled hive...

So far they have not explored the region within the shorts, but I suspect that I have just jinxed myself with that statement.  I have some string in my shed near my bee equipment.  I have thought about tying it around each leg at the bottom of the shorts just in case.  At least that would provide me with a warning in time to protect my boys.  But again, they haven't showed any interest in going up my shorts.

[SlickMick]

This is worth working on.  Bare hands will enable you to be more gentle.  I am now working my bees with just a T-shirt and shorts so I stay a lot cooler. 

What do you do when they crawl up your shorts? ;)

I'd like to transition away from the suit, but last week was so cool that I actually liked wearing it. However, the bees were so clingy that I ended up with a couple in my veil crawling around my face and one in the armpit.. Talk about unnerving! Nothing that you can really do about it when you're all bundled up, covered in bees and standing next to a completely dismantled hive...

So far they have not explored the region within the shorts, but I suspect that I have just jinxed myself with that statement.  I have some string in my shed near my bee equipment.  I have thought about tying it around each leg at the bottom of the shorts just in case.  At least that would provide me with a warning in time to protect my boys.  But again, they haven't showed any interest in going up my shorts.

They will  :-D

[luvin honey]

Rubber bands at the bottoms of my pants have kept them out of my pants pretty well. :)

[NasalSponge]

In time you learn to read your bees....most of the time anyway. I usually just wear gym shorts and a light colored tee, but if I am going deep I throw my veil on the ground behind me. You need to do only what you are comfortable with, time and understanding will bring more ease.

[Natalie]

I don't do the shorts near my hives. Its a matter of time before you do have a bee explore.
I wear jeans or cargo pants and use those velcro boot bands that just wrap around the bottoms of the pant legs to keep nosy bees out.
I forgot to put them on once and it was just last week.
A bee quickly made her way up the pant leg.
I would rather strip my clothes off in the middle of my yard than take a sting anywhere she was heading so I took my pants off and shook her out.
Then I went right into the house and got my bootbands.
I also got stung one day while I was in my house, a bee had gone up my pant leg when I was out gardening near the hives and I wasn't aware of it.
She must have been hanging out there for a while before she decided to sting, luckily it was below the knee.
I say, if you haven't gotten a bee up your pants wearing shorts then your shorts are really tight or its just a matter of time. ;)

[Uncle_j]

I dislike bees-in-the-pants moments too. (Shrudders)

[jclark96]

 I had a bee in my shorts today, since I don't wear gloves, I just grabbed her and put her back into the hive. I do wear a homemade veil, I got stung in the eyelid once. My veil  is a "dixie cup" with tulle sewn to the brim. Today I even had a dark shirt and dark shorts.
 My beekeeping mentor would suit up, and get stung alot. Like previously stated "Bee-armor" builds up pheromone. Get rid of the gloves first, move slowly, don't breathe on them, use a little smoke. :-D

[alfred]

 take a page out of these guys book...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2036631/garth_and_he_no_0001/

their youtube chanel

http://www.youtube.com/user/NudeBeekeepers

[Tucker1]

I made the transition over slowly, and still use my suit for deep inspections when I'm disassembling the hive to look at everything.

I started out getting rid of the leather gloves. They were just too bulky and made working the hives difficult.  I moved to thin rubber/latex or plastic gloves for a while then eventually just went to bare hands. The latex gloves took too long to put on, plus they riped.  I work my hives without gloves now.

After watching a lot of older gentlemen work hives without suits or veils I thought ........ Hmmmm, I'm a senior citizen, I should be able to do that !!  So I started doing partial inspections, without a suit or veil. That amounts to looking at several frames on the top super or brood box, feeding the bees, etc.  I haven't gotten into trouble yet and my legs are still pretty good, so I can run if I need to. I work the hive with shorts.

I've watched several experienced BK's work hives without suits, gloves or veils, wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts ..... they just seem to have a special touch.  I don't know if it takes skill, experience or the onset of Alzheimer's.

Whatever you do, go slowly.

Good luck !!

Regards,
Tucker1

[SlickMick]

The only reason I continue to use a veil is that I cant imagine the agony of being stung on the eyeball

Apart from the risk of losing my sight

Mick