Bee suits

[Hachi]

I have a hive of the meanest nastiest bees you could imagine....

Trying to manage them I thought of two questions:

Is there such a thing as an impenetrable bee suit on the market?

If so, where can you recommend I go for a truly mahoosive full bee suit one with loads of room?  UK suits are a little tight and small.

Thanks

H

[Joe D]

When I got my hives they were the worst in the fall.  The next spring they swarmed, I caught the swarms, then they were nice.  I did replace a queen or two with a Cordovan Queen.  Love those yellow bees.  I haven't found a suit that when they really wanted to they couldn't get you.  I got a big suit from Dadant.  Good luck




Joe

[Oblio13]

I have a "Golden Bee" jacket and really like it. Never been stung through it, only when they get inside. I've been thinking about getting their full suit.

[tjc1]

I got a decent suit from Jawadis online - heavy cotton and tho they've never gotten inside, a very determined bee once stung me through the suit ( where there was bare arm underneath). I think that if you wore long sleeves and long pants underneath you'd be pretty impermeable - but you might be very hot!

[SawBee]

I have a "Golden Bee" full suit.  I've only been stung once and that was because I got my chin to close to the veil.   I got one sting through the veil while my chin was up against it.  Otherwise, its very tight.  Only your ankles, right above you shoes are exposed.  Cover your ankles in some way and keep your face away from the veil and you should be pretty secure.

[Anybrew]

Hey Sawbee, its good the see that someone else gets stung on the chin through the veil. I thought I was just a freak with a chin issue. I feel better now. :)

[splitrock]

2 years, and zero stings through my golden bee suit. I can't say enough about how well they can protect.

[JackM]

Well of course we need to get the other brand some atta boy.  I have Ultra Breeze.  Two years, no stings.  My understanding is they are rated for Africanized.  You can order them way big. 

[capt44]

When I'm going to work a hive of mean bees I use a full suit with zippered hood from Mann-Lake Ltd.
Only thing I add is leggerns and where the zipper for the hood meets at the front I put a cotton ball in and zip it up.
That closes all holes.
I very seldom use it for it is hot to use especially in the summer.
I mostly use a tie down Veil, a heavy white shirt, bee gloves (vented) and a bunge cord around my waist to keep bees from crawling up inside my shirt.
This setup is a lot cooler.

[OldMech]

I usually dont wear anything. A sting or two never bothered me.. but as fall moves in I find them (the bees) getting more aggressive, and started using my veil.. just a veil with a tie string, but quickly found that the bees have their own sense of competition, pride and Honor. Among the bees, those who can get INSIDE a veil are the ones who are worshiped by those who remain. It is every guard bees ultimate dream to be worshiped by the rest of the hive...
   I have found that getting stung is preferable to having half a dozen bees inside the veil..  Getting stung sucks, but its no that big of a problem.. as opposed to the feelings of PANIC and claustrophobia that overwhelm me when a bee crawls up the back of my neck or into my ear and I CANT GET MY HANDS TO IT because of the veil..

   I have been looking very seriously at bee suits. Comparing, reading reviews etc...  it is my intention to increase the hives I have dramatically over the next few years.. so I am considering the Ultra Breeze.
   It is more expensive but seems to offer advantages I like. I have already had calls to do cutouts. I accepted a couple, and paid the price in stings. The Ultra Breeze "appears" to offer the best protection and longevity.   No bee suit is sting proof, and as I said earlier, a sting or two doesnt bother me.. its when the numbers start to get up around twenty that I take the most offense.  More than twenty and I know that in about 4 to 5 hours I will be sick. less than twenty and I dont have any noticeable reaction. So when collecting honey or doing a cutout I want good protection I can feel confident with.

[Palouse]

I have an Ultra Breeze suit and have never been stung through it, but I've only had it one season, and so far my bees have been pretty calm. I find that it's still hot unless there's a good breeze blowing; then it's great, especially when I'm wearing shorts underneath. If there's no breeze, though, I sweat like a butcher with that thing on.

[Michael Bush]

>Is there such a thing as an impenetrable bee suit on the market?

Both the Golden Bee Products suit and the Ultra Breeze are about as impenetrable as you can get.  I have never been stung THROUGH either one.  That is not to say I haven't been stung while wearing one... I have forgotten to zip my veil or had them run up my pant leg when wearing the Ultra Breeze jacket...

[edward]

I can recommend the http://www.bjsherriff.co.uk/ light weight an bee tight cool to wear.

The veil is made from small six sided mesh  ;)

When I have to battel a hot hive I put on sweat pants and shirt/hood under my full beesuit, It can get a bit warm and sweaty, but the have never stung me through double layers,  :evil: and beelieve my they have tried  :evil:


mvh Edward  :-P

[edward]

Took a look around the sherriff web shop and found this interesting beesuit that looks intersting and could bee just what your looking for, an under mesh to keep the suit away from your skin  :)

"Sherriff’s Beepro range features a new innovation in the shape of a substantial net lining acting as an extra body shield.

The thickness of the liner net holds the outer layer of the garment more than the depth of an average bee sting away from the body.

There is lining in the back of the hood,torso,upper arms and thighs offering extra protection where its needed!

Sherriff’s created the BeePro suit for use where the wearer is extra sensitive to bee stings and where a higher level of protection is required.
"

http://www.bjsherriff.co.uk/product/beepro-khaki/

mvh Edward  :-P

[Moots]

Took a look around the sherriff web shop and found this interesting beesuit that looks intersting and could bee just what your looking for, an under mesh to keep the suit away from your skin  :)

"Sherriff’s Beepro range features a new innovation in the shape of a substantial net lining acting as an extra body shield.

The thickness of the liner net holds the outer layer of the garment more than the depth of an average bee sting away from the body.

There is lining in the back of the hood,torso,upper arms and thighs offering extra protection where its needed!

Sherriff’s created the BeePro suit for use where the wearer is extra sensitive to bee stings and where a higher level of protection is required.
"

http://www.bjsherriff.co.uk/product/beepro-khaki/

mvh Edward  :-P

H,
Not sure of your location.... but the suit above looks HOTTER THEN HELL to me, and I see where it advises that it should NOT be worn without regular clothing underneath.  

I have the Golden Bee ventilated suit and have worn it quite a few times on hot days with nothing but a pair of shorts underneath.  I've never been stung through it or had a bee get in it.
LINK: Golden Bee Suit

From what I've read and heard, the Ultra Breeze is very similar in both style, quality and price.

[edward]

Looks can bee deceiving, the suit is made thin light of tight woven material that is cool.

They don't recommend it but I just wear shorts and a T shirt under mine

works for me in +25oC in the shade

mvh Edward

[Hachi]

Thanks everyone this is a real help.  One other alternative would be just a veil the square type I've seen in the USA but not common over here that covers the head and chest that you then wear normal layers over.  Are these supplied by the same people or do I need to search elsewhere?

H

[Oblio13]

If you have "the meanest nastiest bees you can imagine" and you're looking for "an impenetrable bee suit", I don't think any veil is an alternative. Sooner or later, they'll figure out how to get inside it. And to make regular clothes sting-proof, you'd have to wear two hot layers.

I have a friend who does that, and then covers the openings with duct tape. He thinks he's saving money and maybe he is, but I usually have everything done by the time he finishes suiting up.

I like to be comfortable, and I like to take the anxiety out of beekeeping. And I'm too lazy to spend ten minutes getting dressed.

[Santa Caras]

I'm courious as to why one would want to keep "mean and nasty" bees. Wouldnt a better solution would be to requeen with something a lil more gentle?

[edward]

I'm curious as to why one would want to keep "mean and nasty" bees. Wouldn't a better solution would be to re queen with something a lil more gentle?

 :-D And who is going to re queen the nasty hive?  :-D

And what will they bee wearing?


mvh Edward  :-P