My bees seems to be very docile and I am comfortable with no protection, just light smoke.
Last Saturday I was doing an inspection, I was on Frame 4 and my wife was videoing and a bee went in my mouth, didn't sting me, but startled me to where I dropped the frame of bees, it dropped on the table top I have my hive on, fortunately, it didn't fall flat, it landed upside down, but standing upright against the side of the hive, of course they went crazy but in 3 minutes they were back on the frame or had gone back in the hive and filming resumed.
Maybe he smelled Carbon Dioxide near my mouth.
I did have safety glasses on that protect near my eyes and after this Faux Pas, I will add surgical mask.
I see many Beekeepers that prefer to go with no protection but even on a good day and the bees are calm, very easy to get one in the mouth.
LOLOLOL that would have been a painful sting inside the mouth.
LESSON LEARNED:
If you prefer to tend your bees with no protection, think about a minimum of safety glasses and a surgical mask.
You can get safety glasses for 3.50 at Home Depot and Lowe's and a pack of surgical masks are cheap at your favorite pharmacy, they may even have masks the same location you get the safety glasses.
Thanks
Bruce
Just get the dust mask while you are at HD.
Any sting on the face is not nice. I've got stung above the eyebrow catching a swarm. It didn't hurt much but there was some swelling by the corner of my eye. I don't usually react much to a sting. That's why I would always recommend at least a veil. It's better to have protection and not need it then the other way around.
Lucky she didn't give it to you! And yes, the perfect scenario - tense situation made 10 time worse by dropping a frame of bees... ;)
When I went back to finish the inspection........there was 20 little faces peeking over the top of the frames like Kilroy waiting to see what happened next.
They were in Guard mode, short smoke and they all went down.
I have two calm hives, i would have gone into with no protection... a week later, if i wouldnt have been suited up, i would have gotten eaten alive!!! Put alittle smoke on the entrace, cracked it, put some smoke in, took off the cover and it was like they turned into yellow jackets, boiled out and got all up in the air head butting me just going nuts...
Lesson I learned, you never freaking know when they will flip switch. Then this evening, way calmer again, but not like they were yet..
Things may change, I am picking up 2 more NUC's tomorrow.
Bruce
If doing anything other than a light intervention I suit up. I don't like to be stung but I spend a lot of time around my hives though with nothing on. Often I work within 20 feet of them and I do get stung all along.
When I started out, I used to sit right between my 2 hives. I spaced them far enough so that I could sit down. I also would have a chair on one side, facing the hives and sit there. I never got stung sitting and watching.
Sometimes if I was away from my hives for more than a week, when I first walked up I would get stung. I would slowly walk back and watch them and would be able to sit right next to them again. I seemed that the more time that I spent around the hives the less they bothered with me.
Jim
I just went out there now to open a vent and I did put long sleeve heavy shirt, gloves, veil.........light smoke at the front door because I was trying to open the vent door right above the entrance, there was already a lot of in and out traffic and imagine how much that increased when my big paws were wrestling with the door...........so lots Flying near the front and I had shorts and sandals..........still none of them seem bothered enough to be aggressive.
(https://s14.postimg.org/dg33k5zwt/IMG_4054.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/dg33k5zwt/)
I can only hope, the 2 NUC's I pick up today are as calm.
Stay tunec
Quote from: Captain776 on May 01, 2017, 11:56:08 PM
.there was 20 little faces peeking over the top of the frames like Kilroy waiting to see what happened next.
Love the Kilroy reference - that's how I'll see them from now on, though!
Quote from: tjc1 on May 02, 2017, 11:30:40 PM
Quote from: Captain776 on May 01, 2017, 11:56:08 PM
.there was 20 little faces peeking over the top of the frames like Kilroy waiting to see what happened next.
Love the Kilroy reference - that's how I'll see them from now on, though!
That's exactly what they look like......peeking over the top of the frame
(https://s12.postimg.org/8u1fprwsp/IMG_4057.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/8u1fprwsp/)
"Things may change, I am picking up 2 more NUC's tomorrow."
One way or the other, they surely will.
You just never know if a skunk or something had been messing with them bees during the night. You and anyone near could have a face full of bees before you can get the cover back down. I would not be advocating such minimal protection.
When we inspected the NUC's at the Bee Farm today, they were docile.
For now until I see how all 3 react to each other and being inspected, I will be protected.
Quote from: Captain776 on May 03, 2017, 09:02:48 AM
When we inspected the NUC's at the Bee Farm today, they were docile.
For now until I see how all 3 react to each other and being inspected, I will be protected.
Good call. Always protect the face is a good rule to live by