Keep beesuit veil away from neck

[colintinto]

Hi All,

Had to get in to the bees today as it's been 2 weeks since last inspection due to nasty weather up here.

Wasn't the best of days, 13-14 degrees maybe, and a bit breezy, but the best it's been (i.e. not raining and 30mph+ winds...) and forecast is worse again.

So, bees not happy with the weather, and I got a tiny sting to the side of my neck through the veil of my full suit (from Sh**ifs). So I tried repositioning the veil to stop it touching me and promptly got a sting on my top lip - through the veil! Certainly made my eyes water!

This is the second sting to the neck I've had through the veil.

My suit doesn't seem to sit quite right - any tips on making sure it stays far enough away from my skin - at least a stinger's length...! Maybe I've hanging it up wrong? Maybe hanging it up is wrong?

Colin

 

[Nose Ma]

I thought these had a sort of boiler suit inside that had a little collar on it? You do the zip on the boiler suit right up, then pull the head part over. That, if the shoulders sit right, keeps the veil away from your neck.

Have you shaped the "neck hoop" properly? I have a similar design one, and it has a loop around my kneck that required shaping before wearing. It's just wire, so I made it into a rough circle.

It won't be comfortable, but could you wear an office shirt and turn the collar up? Or write to Harry Hill and get a cast-off from him.

How about a tea-towel so you look like one of the Wise Men from the school Nativity under there?

Could you wear a baseball cap under it to give the veil more of a ledge to hang away from your face? This is my cheif concern, the veil on mine touches my head just above my temples. It's only a matter of time...

 

[Otleybee]

You have my sympathy as that sounds really sore and I hope that it does not swell too much in the coming days.

With regards to the suit I cant help thinking that something is wrong. The veil sits on your shoulders and seems to be designed to hang forwards. That is the back of your head is against the fabric and the veil is as far away from your head neck and face as possible to the front and sides. My first thought is maybe it is too small?

 

[viridens]

Some keepers wear scarves to prevent this problem. -A hot neck is better than a stung one.

 

[Headnavigator]

Google 'Neck tube', you can buy a thin jersey tube that pulls over your head and nestles around your neck, making many layers. I have a camo one. Keeps your suit away from the neck, and a baseball cap with longish **** keeps the veil away from the face. However I have been stung on the shoulder because the stiffish bottom of the veil has trapped and squeezed a bee against me when I was in a heavily bee-crowded situation. Need a longer neck! Tog up and look in a mirror to see if this could happen. I don't have an answer for it, nor for the bee that managed, despite all the odds, to squeeze between two zips and appear inside the veil peering at me short-sightedly until a smart colleague pounced and squashed it while I was still saying "Oh, there's a bee in my veil!"

 

[Rosti]

Bad luck Colin, I am sure a fair few have suffered that indignity (me included). My standard wear under my Sherriff astronaut hooded suit is a long sleeve polo shirt - with the collar turned up!

 

[itchyhives]

I dont hang my suit I stuff it into the hood so the hood contains it all, keeps the hood a nice circular shape. Sure someone will come along and tell me thats not the right way to store it but it works well for me....no stings to neck or face yet although
i was lucky as last inspection forgot to fully zip the front, and normally so careful!!

 

[Gardenbees]

OW! lip stings are nasty, but if it's any consolation the real tear-jerker is a sting on the end of the nose, which I managed to get once when I brushed at the veil to get rid of a bit of leaf. Pow - a kamikaze bee zoomed in from left field and got me!

My current bee suit has a really good framework around the neck part of the veil, but I had one before which flopped too much and allowed angry buzzers to get too close. I ended up threading a bent coathanger through it in a sort of lampshade arrangement which wasn't beautiful but which kept a discreet distance between the veil and the neck!

 

[northernsoul]

A baseball cap worn under the veil is great for keeping it away from the face in the wind

 

[Heather]

I keep a supply of baseball hats for people to use with the jackets we lend out at apiary meetings as some of the veils are poor fit and float about the head- and if windy

 

[VEG]

Beedons if you wear that much take a water spray with you it works on the bees and you can spray your face through the veil to keep cool

 

[Amari]

OW! lip stings are nasty, but if it's any consolation the real tear-jerker is a sting on the end of the nose, which I managed to get once when I brushed at the veil to get rid of a bit of leaf. Pow - a kamikaze bee zoomed in from left field and got me!

My current bee suit has a really good framework around the neck part of the veil, but I had one before which flopped too much and allowed angry buzzers to get too close. I ended up threading a bent coathanger through it in a sort of lampshade arrangement which wasn't beautiful but which kept a discreet distance between the veil and the neck!

I too got stung on the tip of the nose 5 days ago. New all-in-one bee suit with ring ('retro') veil - -rather than the 'tunnel' type I had previously. I was kneeling and bending forwards to fit mouse guards and the black mesh kept touching my nose.
I emailed the double B supplier from Cornwall and he sent me a 'tunnel' type replacement by return of post, gratis and no need to return the original. Good service!!
Tunnel type much preferred: no tapes to tie under the chin and hood throws back much more easily. The ring version tended to attack me from behind as I cycled to the apiary.

 

[Chris B]

Nobody else has said it so I will.....

If by "inspection" you mean taking frames out, you don't need to be doing that until the spring. The only things to finish off at the moment are varroa treatments and feeding.

 

[yeogi75]

Nobody else has said it so I will.....

If by "inspection" you mean taking frames out, you don't need to be doing that until the spring. The only things to finish off at the moment are varroa treatments and feeding.

this time of year it should be shut up for winter exept for oxalic acid treatment later

 

[Beanwood]

I too got stung on the tip of the nose 5 days ago. New all-in-one bee suit with ring ('retro') veil - -rather than the 'tunnel' type I had previously. I was kneeling and bending forwards to fit mouse guards and the black mesh kept touching my nose.

Nobody else has said it so I will.....

If by "inspection" you mean taking frames out, you don't need to be doing that until the spring. The only things to finish off at the moment are varroa treatments and feeding.

Don't panic Chris - I THINK Amari was installing mouse guards, and merely replying to a very old post !!

 

[Amari]

Correct Beanwood. Maybe I should have started a new thread

 

[Chris B]

Hadn't spotted the dates.

 

[Alabamaeee]

I have an old but treasured cardigan with a collar that folds down but when I zip it up and pull up the collar it covers the back of my neck completely. A baseball cap keeps the veil off my face.

 

[enrico]

Nobody else has said it so I will.....

If by "inspection" you mean taking frames out, you don't need to be doing that until the spring. The only things to finish off at the moment are varroa treatments and feeding.

I couldn't believe we got this far down the post before someone asked why you are doing an inspection now!!! mine are tucked up for the winter and will stay that way for the next few months. I fear you will be doing more harm than good and I live much further south than you. If you let all the heat out of my house I think I might sting you in the neck!!! Maybe they were hinting!
e

 

[enrico]

Don't panic Chris - I THINK Amari was installing mouse guards, and merely replying to a very old post !!

Just read this one.......I really should read all the posts before replying, sorry!