Yes I'm a new bee and I'm sure over time I will not wear bee clothing (I'm not scared of bees) but for now I like the idea LOL.
I have a vale, pants and a jacket but they seem thiner than what I expected. I have shirts thicker that this. I'm ok with getting stung sometimes but this does not seem like much protection.
I will be getting bees mid April.
dprater
I bought a full bee suit when I got started(only a short time ago) and I only used it 3-4 times. Unless you have cranky bees, a veil and some gloves is all you need. I found when I stopped wearing gloves and the full suit I was a lot more gentle with the bees.
The important thing is that they are loose. When you are sweaty and the cloth is stuck to you it doesn't even slow them down stinging you except that the stingers don't stay in you so much...
Get at least 1 size too big. When the cloth stretches over your skin you are vulnerable.
I started out without a suit and had cranky bees. Wound up not working with them much and getting stung a lot. The main thing will be experience over time, but you will get a lot more experience with a good suit and learn to trust it and be more comfortable.
In addition to having some room in your suit I would also receommend that you buy so that the pant legs are a little long. That way they overlap your shoes. My sons veil came a little off of his hat and he got bees inside his veil so I sewed them onto the hat. They also can come in through the slits that allow you to reach inside to your pants pockets, sew those shut also.
Once your bee tight you'll be spending a lot more of your attention to the things that you should be.
My bees behaviour changes depending on what part of the season it is - dearth, robbing, fat dumb and happy, predators feeding on them etc. There are times when I honestly don't think I need a suit or veil and there are other times if I look at them wrong, it's on!
Old Blue
Been lit up and done that, in ...
Kali-bone-ya
You will get stung ya get use to it :) I have a ultra breeze full suit i have not used yet guess there pretty good when it comes keeping the bees at bay.
I read ya can work your hive in shorts in the ultra breeze mybe i'll give it a try this year.
I know my mann lake jacket is thin and i get stung if i get in to my hive any amount of time but thats ok.
I hate to get my ultra breeze dirty thats why i have not used it yet plus i just got it in dec. .
Beekeeping isn't the same without the stings! :-D
Quote from: GLOCK on March 17, 2012, 06:05:44 PM
You will get stung ya get use to it :) I have a ultra breeze full suit i have not used yet guess there pretty good when it comes keeping the bees at bay.
I read ya can work your hive in shorts in the ultra breeze mybe i'll give it a try this year.
I have experienced working hives in shorts under my ultra breeze. It's a great way to go. While my fellow beeks were sweating up a storm in their jackets and veils - I was cool as a cucumber in my shorts and full ultra breeze suit. Try it, you'll like it. :)
Ditto on the vented bee suits. I use the jacket.
Now that we have all mentioned how tough we are... loose it what makes the suit work. Seal up any openings. Either tuck the pants in or rubberband the cuffs around your ankles. I find the suspense of waiting to be stung when a bee gets inside your clothing (as you frantically try to figure out a way to get it out) worse than the sting itself. I have an ultrabreeze and adore it. I used it last season, and hand washed it before putting away for the Winter. It cleaned up amazingly well. My only complaint is that the elastic in the cuffs is TOO strong, and I have trouble zipping it closed over my rubber boots. It is too bulky to go inside my boots. Pricy too, for a beginner, I got mine as a Christmas present from my Hubby.
Watch what you lean on (or sit on :roll:) with the light suits. I got stung a couple of times while hunkering down by trapping bees between the back of my thighs and my lower leg. Or kneeling on bees.
JC
If you're just starting out you may not know where this beekeeping venture will take you. You will discover soon that collecting swarms and doing cutouts are a great way to get free bees. You may want a full suit for that so I would think bigger picture before you make a decision.
i just use the jacket/hood combo. i hate getting stung because i swell up so much. the jacket is plenty as long as i don't wear jeans with holes in them :-(
I wear a Dadant Poly/Cotton jacket with the hooded veil for most days. When things are a bit more fiesty, i have a Brushy Mountian Beemaster 100% cotton also with the hooded veil. Like Mike said, I keep them loose and have yet to have any problems. The Dadant has double layer on the back of the hood. I haven't noticed the full suit being extra hot, but on hotdays I wear shorts under it. My hives got really hot towards the end of the summer last year and I was really glad to have the suit available. The Dadant is excellent for the "normal" days. Zippers are good on both and the hood attachments have yet to be breached by the REALLY persistent few that seem determined to get to my face.
I don't know about everyone else, but I always wear a layer of clothes under my bee suit. If you are worried about being stung, wear a thick sweatshirt and you will rarely have a stinger penetrate to the skin.