The purpose of a veil

[David LaFerney]

On my way home from work one day this week I spotted a freind of mine inspecting his hives so I stopped to talk.  He was just wearing a tee shirt and jeans and a veil - no gloves or even sleaves.  While we were talking I noticed that he had 2-3 bees inside of the veil with him.  When I mentioned it he said he wasn't worried about the bees inside the veil. 

I may not really understand what a veil is for.

[JP]

This is exactly why I choose to wear my jacket and veil combo. Veil only, bees inside veil, jacket with veil, no bees inside veil.

Ok if bees are nice to have some in veil, but whoa and behold wearing just a veil when they boil out on you, one day.


...JP

[iddee]

Number 2 reason is to keep the bees off your face and head.

Number 1 reason is to make the beek comfortable.

The bees can sense if the beek is nervous or afraid, and will attack accordingly.

Your friend was comfortable, therefore, so were the bees.

[buzzbee]

An angry bee inside the veil is worse than 10 outside!The anticipation of whats going to happen is worse than waiting for the Heinz to come out of the jar! :-D

[bigbearomaha]

bees do not attack, they defend.  perhaps aggressively, but it is not the same thing.

only time  I wear a hat/veil is when  I know  I am intentionally going to aggravate them, such as during a cutout.

Most times, if only doing routine inspections or observations on settled hives, no real need for it, at least for me.

Big Bear

[Highlandsfreedom]

I wear mine for comfort but I still go in shorts and t-shirts

[Koala John]

I wear a seatbelt when driving, leg rope when surfing and veil (with jacket) when beekeeping. I've had random experiences in all three that have taught me that most of the time everything is just fine, but things go wrong when you least expect them...........

[RayMarler]

I think he was correct, bees outside the veil are the bigger problem. The bees inside his veil were most likely only concentrating on getting out, just like bees in the house fly to the windows, inside a veil they try to get out. That's my experience at any rate. I've been fortunate not to have such angry bees inside the veil, but I have had some mightily angry ones outside it at times.

[deknow]

i agree with jp...i'd happily don a veil without a jacket (we often work smaller/known hives in tshirts with no veil), but the jacket makes it so easy to seal up the veil...the tie down veils/helmets take a long time to put on and tie up...and even then, they are never bee tight.

jacket tucked into pants, pants tucked into socks....any sweat "dripping up" isn't sweat!

there are two kinds of bees that can get into a veil...the kind that's trying to get out, and the kind that is trying to sting you.

deknow

[broke-t]

If you have ever been stung on the face you know why to wear a veil. One angry bee can swell an eye shut.  Not worth the chance.

Johnny

[mherndon]

I've got to get me one of those combo outfits.  I have the helmet and vail and always bees in with me.

Mark

[luvin honey]

Uh, to keep the bees out of your face. Bees inside the veil would NOT be welcome to me!

[DBoire]

I have a shirt veil combo and I find that when looking aground i tend to turn my shoulders to see, other wise I'm spinning my head under the veil and it is irritating.  I've been considering a tie down head veil.  Can one move their head more freely with one?

[David LaFerney]

Uh, to keep the bees out of your face. Bees inside the veil would NOT be welcome to me!

Me neither.  If I even think there is a bee in there I'm getting out.

[bee-nuts]

I have a jacket combo and pants and a regular veil.  when its hot and I dont want to sweat to death I use the veil with a long sleeve shirt.  I dont know if I have a bit more defensive bees or what, but half the time when I work my girls they come out and bounce right off my veil.  I would rather they do that then sting me in the face.  One day I will get brave enough to go without gloves but not any time soon.  Some days I think, hey I could have got away with nothing.  The next, I think man I would have got stung twenty times.

[sarafina]

I noticed you guys who talk about not wearing a veil are from non-AHB areas!   :evil:

I guarantee you would wear one if you ever had the misfortune to come across an AHB hive or hybrid.  They do NOT passively fly around inside your veil w/o stinging.

[luvin honey]

I only use a veil when opening the hives--no jacket--and just try to get the best seal possible with the strings. I've gone without gloves many times, but facial stings make my face swell like a balloon and just are not worth all the questions I have to answer.  :roll:

Sometimes when a dozen or 2 are head butting I am so glad for that veil!

[Two Bees]

Personally, I think it's stylish!   :-D

[Dracono]

Let me tell you I live in Catalina, Arizona and we have mostly Africanized Bee's here and I am very HAPPY TO HAVE MY VAIL ON!!!
I saw a friend who got stung in the eyelid and it swelled her eye shut for 3 weeks.... Now if that's not reason to wear a veil I don't know what is it sure beats going blind if your stung on the eye ball where you could go blind permanently!!!

The Veil and your Smoker are your 2 BEST FRIEND when it comes to Bee Keeping I think!!!
that's my 2 cents worth.

Dracono

[G3farms]

I will have to agree on the smoker and veil. I like to wear my veil when going into a hive and if all is going good then flip it off. A little smoke most times will go a long way.

G3