Why Choose A Light Colored Beekeeping Suit?

[deanmontford]

Bees are attracted to bright colors similar to what flowers have. That's why when planning to purchase a beekeeping suit, it is safer to choose light colored ones. Skip those bright-colored suits and purchase neutral-colored ones. This should keep the bees away from you while doing your beekeeping.

[Tommyt]

I think the colors are to be Light so you are not looking like Natural Predators
Like Brown/Black bears and such
JMHO lernt :roll: from reading on Dis' Page

Tommyt

Welcome to Beemasster

[tecumseh]

the bee 'see' at a different wave length than humans.  some low tone colors seem to matter little.  bright reds or blues should be avoided. 

[Hemlock]

Haha, (I deleted a knee-jerk comment based on a poor reading of the question) sorry about that.

However, I didn't know there was an argument over Light vs. Bright!?  Is there actually a beek somewhere who's suit resembles a Dandelion?

I didn't think calm queen-right bees cared what color you're wearing.  Or defensive stressed bees either...

[L Daxon]

 bright reds or blues should be avoided. 
[/quote]

I thought I read somewhere that bees couldn't see the color red. :?

[AllenF]

I have always heard that about dark colors.   Bees do go to a black veil, but I think there is more to that.  I sometimes wear my work shirts when messing with the bees after work.   They are black and dark blue.  I don't think JP owns many shirts other than black.  But I have never read anything about the reds or blues or bright colors.  Maybe someone can post a study on them. 

[Kathyp]

i wear whatever.  if they are ticked off, they are ticked off.  my white jacket never deterred.  i will suggest that you check you jeans for holes.  it is uncanny how they can find that one hole and go for it.......as i found out yesterday......

[Bee Happy]

I can only go on what I've seen personally. I had 2 dark dogs and one white shepherd (with a tinge of gold/orange)
the dark dogs learned (very quickly) to give the hives a good 60 foot berth. They quickly developed the habit of taking alternate paths if the hives were between them and their destination.
The almost entirely white dog strolls past the hives within 5 to 10 feet depending on were I walk. As far as I can discern with my human nose they all smell like dogs, but may of course have a different thermal signature because of absorption or reflection.
my own conclusion - white works well enough for the dog to be used in the gear.

[L Daxon]

Funny about the white and dark dogs.  I have a solid black cat who will occasionaly join me when I am sitting at my main hive and he will walk (though slowly) right up the hive, sniff a bit, and occasionaly sit within one foot or closer to it and I have never seen him get stung or flinch.

That being said Saturday as a first I was working a hive in black rubber gloves and the minute I took the cover off, it seemed like several bees made a beeline for my hands and the gloves.  Haven't notices them doing that particularly with my white leather bee gloves.

I have noticed that JP wears mostly dark (navy, black) shirts in his videos and wondered about that as I had read in more than one book that you should avoid dark colors when working the hives.

[manfre]

I'll only ever wear a white suit. It's too hot down here to wear anything darker.

[Tommyt]

Don't Ask........... Don't Tell

Better yet

Don't Wear a Rainbow Suit :-D

[schawee]

i wear whatever ,bluejeans and blue,brown, grey,dark blue shirts.never bothered the bees,but my brown dog stay far away from my hives.   ...schawee

[AllenF]

I have seen on Ebay some nice colored suits, pink and camouflage colored.

[David McLeod]

Well, I hope I'm not bursting any bubbles but I regularly do cut outs and my work uniform is BLACK. All I have used for protection is a budget mann lake jacket and veil and most of the time I don't use that due to the heat. I average one sting per job.

[tecumseh]

hemlock writes:
However, I didn't know there was an argument over Light vs. Bright!?  Is there actually a beek somewhere who's suit resembles a Dandelion?

tecumseh:
for most of the stuff I do I pretty much wear day to day garb when I work bees.  tans and whites and blue jean colors work well.  dark pants can be an issue... based on the number of stings left in the material. 

The state bee inspector here uses a day glow orange sheriff jacket that he tell me is unnoticeable by honeybees. 

[Hemlock]

WAIT!  Your State inspector,  dresses like a Sheriff,  who dresses like a Dandelion?! :-D  WOW! can you guys party!

Odd though, many flowers that are orange to yellow attract bees...

[CapnChkn]

I have wondered about this myself.

I've handled bees wearing blue jeans and whatever else all along, and I can't say they care one way or another about what color I wear.  I CAN tell you that the color makes a difference when you are out in the field standing in the sun.

If you have to "armor up" against nervous bees, light or white colors will reflect the heat a LOT better than dark colors.  The black of the veil screening is to avoid having the fibers "glow" in the sunlight, blocking your vision, so that would be the only black fabric on an engineered suit.

[Scadsobees]

All that white stuff is so nerdy.

I usually go with the black leather chaps, black leather coat, a black feather boa for my neck, and a hockey mask.  Just because I'm AWESOME!!! 

:mrgreen:

[Tommyt]

All that white stuff is so nerdy.

I usually go with the black leather chaps, black leather coat, a black feather boa for my neck, and a hockey mask.  Just because I'm AWESOME!!! 

:mrgreen:

Now thats what I'm Talking about ........... you ROCK  :devilbanana: