How do you wear yours?
- Gloves inside or outside of suit (with thumb straps)
- bee suit trouser legs inside or outside of boots (I wear wellies...)
I'm not sure there is a 'right answer', but interested to know what people do. For me, it's gloves inside, trouser legs outside.
My worry with trouser legs inside is that bees may get 'trapped' between boot top and trouser material and end up winding their way downwards. Not that I've had problems, but gloves seem like they should be inside / under the suit as otherwise they compress the suit material presumable making it easier for a sting to get through.
Having had at least one encounter with bees that did not appreciate having their hive opened, I am happy to share the method I have used to protect myself. The most obvious parts of our bodies which need the most protection are faces and hands, also any clothed area which could be penetrated by bee stings.
I consider that it is essential to ensure that my hat and veil give complete protection to my head, and that the veil cannot inadvertently touch any of the skin of my face or neck, etc. I have made wire hoops from thin spring-steel wire which have been stitched into place inside the veils of a friend, and of myself. This has proved completely successful. I wrote to the Forum in December 2020, in the discussion thread “First Sting of the Year” in letters #39 and #65:
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/first-sting-of-the-year.49227/page-2https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/first-sting-of-the-year.49227/page-4
With regard to protection for my hands, I have opted for nitrile gloves, over the top of knitted cotton gloves. Various people have suggested that black nitrile gloves will antagonize bees, but this has not been my experience. The cotton gloves provide a dual benefit, in my opinion. They absorb perspiration from my hands and therefore make it much more comfortable than wearing nitrile gloves directly against my skin. The second benefit is that the thickness of the cotton gloves ensures that the nitrile gloves are further away from my skin, and that any bee sting which may penetrate the glove is less likely to meet my skin. My biggest concern was that my wrists were still vulnerable, because the gloves had short cuffs, and I could not guarantee that by bee jacket sleeves would always cover the ends of the gloves. I have found a “perfect” solution to this problem, though. I have sacrificed a pair of long woollen socks, by cutting off the toe-end of each sock, and doubling-over the foot-portion of each sock so that the ankle-portion of the sock is now double-layered. Protecting my hands consists of three steps: (1) place the cotton gloves onto my hands, (2) Fit the sock-gauntlets over the cotton gloves, so that they cover from my knuckles up to my elbows, (3) Place the nitrile gloves over the cotton gloves and sock-gauntlets. Finally, put on the bee-jacket which has elasticized cuffs which fit snugly over the socks.
I now use a bee-jacket rather than a full bee-suit, and have found that wearing two layers of trousers is a practical way of preventing bees from stinging my legs. This decision came after experiencing that determined bees can occasionally successfully penetrate even heavy duty cotton work trousers.
There may be various reasons why people choose a particular style of footwear. I prefer to wear boots or shoes rather than knee-high rubber boots, but I also can attest the value of wearing extra socks, to protect my ankles. I have worn a second pair of socks, which cover my legs while they are themselves covered by my trousers, but I have then worn a third pair of thick socks which have been stretched over the trouser cuffs. This outfit may not win any prizes for elegance, but it sure has helped me to feel “invincible” when bees have tried to sting me.
