Even the gentlest bees have their days while a dearth and after a predator stops by to see or inspect them. Due to this reason, if you are an amateur beekeeper, one of your integral investments will probably be a beekeeping suit which is also called a custom bee suit. It’s an efficient gear that aims to protect you from stings and provide you with the desired comfort while executing the messy tasks like maintaining beehives or extracting honey.
A good bee suit comes with a number of advantageous features; however, from among extensive choices available in the market, picking up the right bee suit may leave you overwhelmed. To turn this tricky job into a piece of cake, consider checking out this exclusive guide to bee suits and award yourself a safe and exciting beekeeping experience.
Types of bee suits – Narrowing down the options
Bee suits can be categorized in different types and the following are the most useful ones among them. Let’s delve deeper and take a look! Oz Armour unique protective gear is made from the finest heavy-duty fabric and will last for years. The Fabric is breathable, has unrivaled sting protection and has undergone stringent testing for your safety. Beekeepers inspecting honeycomb frame at apiary at the summer day. Man working in apiary. Apiculture. Beekeeping concept.
1. All in one
This type of bee suits offer full coverage and come with potentially fewer gaps, declining the chances of getting bees trapped into the suit. Typically, all in one bee suits feature fencing style veils and hoods. Like comfort pro bee suit could be example of this.
2. Gloves
Gauntlets or gloves help you to prevent bees from crawling up your sleeves. They usually come with elasticized cuffs that ensure added protection. Most of the beekeepers prefer using latex gloves as they render a more comfy feel and allow your fingers to perform more fiddly tasks while inspecting the hive.
3. Boots
Solid boots, exclusive leggings, or wellingtons, add more functionality to your beekeeping attire as they protect your feet. However, you need to be careful and take care that bees don’t congregate around the top of your boots and pave their way inside.
4. Separates
Separate bee jacket or smocks allow you to wear them with trousers and hoods or veiled hats. This system is beneficial as in case you get any of the items damaged, just replacing that specific part of the outfit will do. Besides, their tricky sizing lets you manage them conveniently.
Features that make a bee suit perfect
Every bee suit should feature a few things that evidence its efficiency and effectiveness. Let’s check out what they are!
- Adequate deep pockets that are robust enough to keep items like hive tools and other beekeeping equipment.
- The fabric should be ventilated and breathable; however, it should also shield your skin from stings.
- Fastening and zippers should be durable and qualitative.
- Fabric should be smooth so that if bees land on your suit, they can fly away easily without getting stuck in loose or rough fibers.
- Suit should be machine wash compatible and the veil should withstand hand wash. This ensures hygienic wearing experience.
Beekeeping suits – Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for a straightforward answer to certain beekeeping suit related queries? Consider rolling your eyes through the following FAQ section and find your answer in seconds.
1. What type of bee suit should I buy?
Well, it completely depends on your personal choice. However, given that they are an investment, they should be worth it. It’s always a wise idea to pick up a suit of your choice from a reliable supplier who holds good customer satisfaction reviews. Talking about the convenience, round veils offer the best visibility while the square veils turn out to be the most economical choice.
Hood veils may look a little annoying because with time, it may start hanging too low and makes seeing things difficult. Keeping the style of the veils aside, it’s recommended to pick up a suit where the veils zip to the body of the bee suit.
Apart from that, it’s important to keep in mind that, if you wear glasses, you shouldn’t miss testing your bee suit while wearing them and make sure that it doesn’t hinder your sight. Ventilated suits with several layers of mess are considered as the best picks when it comes to getting the ideal bee suit.
2. Why should I get white bee suits?
Bees are less attracted to white and it seems easy to point bees against a white suit than patterned or brown.
3. Are bee suits capable of Wasps?
When you get a good quality bee suit, it works for wasps as well. Even pest control professionals can use them.
4. What are bee suits made up of?
There are a variety of fabrics available in the market that includes polycotton, cotton, and polyester. When it comes to picking up the best fabric, you should consider checking the temperature and comfort factor.
5. Should I get a bee suit for my kid?
Kids love fun and their curious nature may compel them to be a part of your routine beehive inspection. Thus, it’s important to equip your little ones with a fully functional bee suit before taking them closer to hives. Mesh bee jacket can be included for this as an example.
6. How do I choose a bee suit?
To choose a good bee suit, you should look for some key points. They are:
- Offers the highest level of comfort
- The suit features Velcro or elastic cuffs to keep away crawling bees
- It comes with heavy duty brass or plastic zipper
- Has pockets to store your hive tools
- Easy to put on and off
7. What gloves are best for beekeeping?
Gloves that come with longer & elasticated cuffs are ideal for beekeeping.
8. Can bees sting through a bee suit?
Yes, a determined bee can sting through the fabric of a bee suit. However, wearing a bee suit greatly reduces the chances of getting stung.
Wrapping Up
Hope this post has helped you with ample good reasons to wear protective clothing like bee suits. Though they don’t offer 100% protection, they do the job of lessening the chances of being painfully stung while doing the routine hive work.
Besides, you can gain the desired peace of mind after putting them on. However, to leave no chance of regretting your choice, keep the shared information in mind and always count on a trustworthy dealer of beekeeping suits. Enjoy safe and comfortable beekeeping!
