Bee keeping suit...

[whitey]

Hello,

My wife and I are starting to take bekeeping on and we have been adviced that expensive suits are a waste of money... what are some good pointers to purchasing a good suit?

I have seen these ones and I think they are quiet reasonably priced, what do you guys think and what would you recommend?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beekeeping-Be...108059&linkin_id=8051094&mt_id=635&kw={query}

Thanks
Whitey

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I think you should get this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beekeeping-Su...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item335e299508

 

[beebreeder]

Personal opinion only, but if you are just starting you need peace of mind that the bees won't get in especially around you face, I only use BB Wear suits for that reason, never had bees in and have suits nearly 10 years old, only thing I have changed are zips, you get what you pay for and if you are looking at bees and lokning to see if they are trying to get in your suit you will not enjoy the hobby as much.
(I have also seen some commercial beekeepers wearing BB Wear)

 

[whitey]

Are you serious, it would be a laugh though lol

 

[BKF Admin]

I would pay the extra few quid and get something from BBweir or Bbasic.
Also popular is the Sheriff but a little more money than the other two.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Personal opinion only, but if you are just starting you need peace of mind that the bees won't get in especially around you face, I only use BB Wear suits for that reason, never had bees in and have suits nearly 10 years old, only thing I have changed are zips, you get what you pay for and if you are looking at bees and lokning to see if they are trying to get in your suit you will not enjoy the hobby as much.
(I have also seen some commercial beekeepers wearing BB Wear)

yep BB wear, that wot i got , 5 years old, no problems

i bought a second suit s well from Ebay £38, in January to wear if the other is in the wash....it failed at the seam by the pocket ( weight of hive tool), after about 4 washes...sh*t, sewed up the seam...hood zip failed after 8 washes....thrown it away

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I bought the Sheriff one just becuase of the sheriff badge

Anyway, just bought some oilve green dye to dye it (you guessed it) olive green.

Like the advert says look to much like a chemical clean-up team, and white never stays white.

 

[Hivemaker.]

BB Wear is very good, i only buy the veils and get the overalls elswhere for £17.
http://www.bbwear.co.uk/

 

[oliver90owner]

I have some cheap suits and I know their limitations. First buy - get a middle-of-the-road suit from a well known and reliable maker, is my advice.

Regards, RAB

 

[whitey]

Thanks for the advice guys! I will most likely go for the sheriff or bb suit.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thanks for the advice guys! I will most likely go for the sheriff or bb suit.

your first posting and also on the other thread, show rather different views from most of us, from your mentor beekeeper,

whatss the set up? how are you following him, is he part of the local beekeepers association?, where are you located, some of us might be near you

 

[Ade'sBee's]

Thanks for the advice guys! I will most likely go for the sheriff or bb suit.

Got a BB all in one, cant fault it and worth every penny

 

[peteinwilts]

with hindsight, i would have got a beesuit with a detachable hood. I think I have washed mine on too hot a temperature and the mesh has gone brittle and keeps breaking... (has about 30 repairs so far!)

 

[tidymeup]

I bought a suite off eBay an I failed after only a few weeks. I have since been bought a BB wear suite for my birthday and it is very good. Although it could do with tighter elastic around the wrists.

 

[ENZO]

well, I did the usual thing and bought a cheap ebay suit when I first started ok ish but thick and hot without a detachable hood, after 6 months the zip broke and that was that. About 4 1/2 years ago I bought a Sherriff and it's one of the best investments I've made in beekeeping, detachable hood you can also throw back, light, cool and it's been machine washed at least 100 times complete with veil and still looks like new, wouldn't be without it.

Just my tuppence worth, Enzo

 

[snoop]

I bought a jacket from Sweinty I usually use leggings or a track suit over my jeans no problems . I also bought a full piece suit from lyson.pl there are a couple of major flaws with it. You need some sort of a peaked cap on with it to stop it coming back onto your face when you look up.
Secondly the velco strips where the zip overlaps is a total disaster ( both front & back ) there is approx 20 mm of a gap whe you lean in over the hive , the bees fly up & enter the hood between the velcro when you bend in over the hive . I turned into a klingon for a week after about 20 stings on the face & the head . They got in & couldn't get out. I had to move the velcro stips to stop it happening. . I got it for my better half to wear if I needed a hand to move the hives but tried it out one day the jacket was in the wash. Just as well I did , I would have been divorced if himself got stung.

 

[Firegazer]

The Bee Basic astronaut type seems very good too - I'd get one again deffo.

FG

 

[BKF Admin]

The Bee Basic astronaut type seems very good too - I'd get one again deffo.

FG

I have two of these..

 

[MuswellMetro]

I would pay the extra few quid and get something from BBweir or Bbasic.
.

i assume the first one is more water proof lol

 

[BKF Admin]

I before e but not after c
I before e but not after c
I before e but not after c