Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A bee suit is your uniform, your work clothes, what keeps you and your bees at a com-
fortable distance, and what keeps your clothes clean. To meet the needs of the individual
beekeeper, the sophistication and variety of bee suits is first rate. You'll find that white
is the most common color, but any light-colored suit is acceptable. Full suits cover you
from head to foot but are quite warm in summer weather. An alternative is a bee jack-
et. These are cooler, but they don't keep your pants clean. The important thing to keep
in mind when working with honey bees is that they are very protective of their home.
When anything resembling a natural enemy approaches, such as a skunk, bear, or rac-
coon, they will feel threatened. These enemies have one thing in common—they are
dark and fuzzy—so, wearing dark and fuzzy clothes near the hive is not a good idea.
Whichever bee suit style you pick, keep it simple to start, and get one with a zipper-
attached hood and veil. These offer good visibility, durability, and no opportunity for an
errant bee to get inside. And because the veil is removable, you can try other head gear
later without having to invest in a whole new suit.
When you're examining your colony, bees will land on your suit and your veil, and
they'll walk on your hands. This isn't threatening behavior, but initially it can be dis-
tracting and a little disconcerting. Wearing gloves can remove that distraction. Most
people wear gloves when they start keeping bees, and most quit wearing them after a
while. The cardinal rule is to wear what makes you comfortable.
Gloves
You can buy heavy, stiff leather gloves, which are made for commercial beekeepers, but
our goal—as hobbyists—is finesse, not hard labor. I recommend buying the thinnest,
snuggest, most supple gloves you can find. A common style is made of thin, plastic-
coated canvas material. Long cuffs, called
gauntlets
, are attached. Gauntlets slip over
your long sleeves to keep bees from climbing into your sleeves.
Your smoker is indispensable when working with bees. Shown here is a good-sized
smoker. The beekeeper is wearing an attached-hood jacket and thin leather gloves for
protection. Boots keep your feet dry and keep bees out of your cuffs.
