Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: twintrades on June 10, 2011, 05:49:48 pm

Title: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 10, 2011, 05:49:48 pm
Just was wondering if anyone has made a beesuit ?

Would a tyvek painters suit work ? With a homade veil.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: caticind on June 10, 2011, 05:59:36 pm
Whatever you do, just make sure the veil attaches to the suit with NO GAPS!  Zippers are best.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: rbinhood on June 10, 2011, 06:08:35 pm
YEP! That's all I ever wear, it consist of my Liberty overhauls, a checked flannel shirt, brogans, old straw sunhat, and a veil made from a pair of the old ladies nylon stockings.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 10, 2011, 06:15:09 pm
Not much out on the web about homade stuff. Just trying to be cheap here.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: wayne on June 10, 2011, 06:32:51 pm
  I bought a second hand set of hunting coveralls at a yard sale. A used Pith helmet and hood off Ebay and leather palmed work gloves from WalMart for my first suit.
  Since then I bought a new hood and several sets of new gloves. And the coveralls work great for hunting too.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: divemaster1963 on June 10, 2011, 09:53:03 pm
tyvek suit is what I use. got it from a safety supply store. made a Vail out of netting from walmart and used coat hangers as loops to get Vail off of the face and string to tie it down around the waist. same design as the hard wire ones. got a brimmed safety hat for 10.00 helps to keep the head cool. but most of the time just shorts and tee shirt unless they are in a bad mood.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: joebrown on June 10, 2011, 11:09:44 pm
Try finding another Beekeeper in your area. Many beekeepers accumulate equipment over the years. I find people wanting to get out of beekeeping and buy all their stuff. I have 2 suits and 3 veils because of this. Good for showing the bees to non beekeeping friends

I have my grandfathers old veil, which my great grandmother made years ago. It consist of a pillow case for the neck, hardware cloth and string!
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 11, 2011, 12:36:56 am
So what would be the thickness to keep stinger out my skin ? I have an old set of grey coveralls i would bleach lighter. Then i could make a attached veil.

Or just hob cobble somthing together like the tyvek suit and had hat veil. Not out to win a fashion contest ! :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: joebrown on June 11, 2011, 06:44:06 am
I have been stung through bee suits, sweat shirts, jeans...you name it! If they want you they will crawl around probing your clothes till they find a weak spot. So if you are worried about a sting proof outfit it will need to be thick. However, if it gets hot you will be absolutely miserable.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 11, 2011, 07:35:59 pm
I think i got it
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: wisnewbee on June 11, 2011, 09:40:12 pm
Tyvek does not breath. That's why they use it for house wraps. You are going to be way too hot in that. I would stick with basic white. I'm using the Honey Maker suit which is cotton/poly blend and it gets hot! Yes, I occationally get a sting through it. The worst is when they crawl up your leg. LOL. I now use an additional elastice band on my pants cuff. The suit has elastic at the ankles, but they still get up my pants legs. Ouch! You could just use  a set of white cotton painters coveralls. Add a good veil and gloves. I'd recommend a soft leather like deer or goatskin. It ill help if you add a nylon gauntlet to the gloves to help protect your forearms.

Wisnewbee
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 12, 2011, 12:28:44 am
Thanks im workin on gettin something made here might post a pic when im done.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: wayne on June 12, 2011, 07:57:20 pm
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/sgtwal/bees/clintonswarm003.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 12, 2011, 08:26:42 pm
Nice pic there wayne. Love the winter camo suit !

Im making a straw hat with veil tonight. ( thanks goodwill )
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: Scadsobees on June 13, 2011, 09:52:01 am
I just use a spring jacket and my veil.  Never had a problem with gaps, have had a few bees in my veil but only one sting on my head.

Now I don't bother with either so much...  ;)

But I found out this weekend...if you drop a comb covered with bees on your lap, jeans won't stop stingers!!  :-D
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 13, 2011, 01:54:34 pm
HAha Owch !! :evil:

Ill post a pic of my Hobo veil in a sec.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 13, 2011, 02:05:05 pm
Sorry for the model hard to do a self pic. ( just glad the camera didnt break !)

Its got a elastic band on the top and a draw string bottom. I haven use a sewing machine sinch highschool. (took me 1 hr to spool a bobbin though.) Not to shabby !

ON me
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10682.jpg)

On bird toy 1 
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10684.jpg)

                2
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10683.jpg)
         
                 3
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10685.jpg)


Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: Katharina on June 13, 2011, 03:38:13 pm
All I wear are rubber kitchen gloves with this cotton gloves for applying moisturizer inside of them.  This cuts down on sweaty hands in the rubber gloves.  The second items I wear is a hat ($15) from Walmart's camping section and a veil I've maid myself.  Much thinner material then the commercial ones, so don't get caught on a shrub with it.  It gives me a very good view and I have not had any issues with it.  I do sew in some piping to keep it away from my face.  I'm having trouble showing an image of it.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: caticind on June 14, 2011, 12:19:50 pm
Nice hat, twintrades.  The satin ribbon is an excellent touch.  Way to work with what you've got.

I can't tell from the photo if the bottom band is lightweight.  I can't emphasize enough, you want it either tight enough or weighted down so that bees cannot crawl between your shirt and the veil.  A veil, no matter how well made, can become a serious liability if you get bees trapped on the inside!
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: blue balloon on June 14, 2011, 06:28:05 pm
I find that when a bee gets inside the vail they dont realy want to sting you. They just want to get out now the trick is to stay KOOL :shock:
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: AllenF on June 14, 2011, 07:01:54 pm
I thought the trick was to keep them out of your hair.
Title: Re: Anyone have a homade bee suit ?
Post by: twintrades on June 14, 2011, 07:28:40 pm
The bottom is acutally a lenght of cord i found. And it acts like a reg veil. Or i can pull it tight around my neck. Acts like a hooded sweatter.