Knight of the long stingers

[jenkinsbrynmair]

With a Birthday just around the corner Sheriff & BB-Wear also comes to mind, still looking for real-time experience of these suits though??

Although Sheriff B36 net lined suit comes a little outside of SWMBO's expected budget at nearly £400!

Both are good,excellent quality, BBwear slightly cheaper, mine leaves the occasional sting through now, but it is near ten years old, I have a new one just need to spur myself to unpack it!!

 

[Swarm]

Must say I'm surprised, I've been stung many times through a BB wear suit.

 

[Beefriendly]

Must say I'm surprised, I've been stung many times through a BB wear suit.

I also used to get stung through mine... then I stopped keeping local mongrels...problem solved.

 

[Show me the honey]

Nice of you spreading poor genes to other bee keepers, where is that myth thread again?

 

[Millet]

And here is me thinking this Martin Chap had a rough idea about keeping bees...

 

[MartinL]

And here is me thinking this Martin Chap had a rough idea about keeping bees...

Touche,


Were all on a learning curve.

just never been stung through suit before.
Presumably, you (in true Monty Python style) take it in T'stride?

So, if SWMBO is going to part with her hard earned housekeeping budget,
BB-wear is out?

Or perhaps I should imbibe a good nip of Woods-Navy & completely re-queen with some well known passive genus?

Having looked at the cost of the B36, it may prove to be cheaper!

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Both are good,excellent quality, BBwear slightly cheaper, mine leaves the occasional sting through now, but it is near ten years old, I have a new one just need to spur myself to unpack it!!

Sheriff one i have is the "Classic" that costs about 180 quid.



Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Hachi]

No cotton or cotton mix bee suit is sting proof period! Individuals who suggest anything different are just plain wrong.

Even the manufacturers who make "armour" or whatever will not declare the bee suits they make are sting proof!

The only guaranteed way is to put as much distance as you can between the bee's a**e and the tip of the sting. If you don't have a specially designed suit to help with this then its more layers under the bee suit to increase the distance from the bee to your skin is the only way to reduce stings. More layers = more heat which, can get uncomfortable in hot weather.

 

[Eyeman]

Oz armour's veils are nice and stiff so minimal risk of contact with face.
Only downside if the mesh is easily ripped by any and all spikes and catches.

 

[tonyofarr]

I really like my BBwear suit, although it does get a bit hot so I tend to only wear a t shirt and thin trousers on under it. I usually only get stung through it when I squash a bee by mistake e.g. by pulling a super back onto my stomach to lift it off the hive.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Oz armour's veils are nice and stiff so minimal risk of contact with face.
Only downside if the mesh is easily ripped by any and all spikes and catches.

I agree, the suit is brilliant, cool in hot weather and as sting proof as one could get IMHO but it does catch on branches etc just due to the material being an open mesh.
Thankfully I've not ripped my so far!

 

[MartinL]

Well, they were taped in last night, I know I caught a few stragglers in the tape & potentially some of the vegetation close by too but they should be contained & desperate to get out.

Only spare box I had left was a 14X12, no nucs + for some reason I was a lid short on the last nuc at the cricket field so the lid + traveling mesh is on that.

I have a piece of sterling board, a little oversized but should surfice for what's needed today.

Fingers crossed, coffee percolator primed, Anthisan & Acrivastine all ready.

This post was intended to see if anyone has genuine experience of available suits which claim to provide better protection. So for those who think keeping defensive bees on the allotment is wrong;

• The "allotment fields" are mostly open fields now with the remaining plots fenced off to @ 20th of the area

• There are NO "workers" we maintain it ourselves.

• Out of the 10 remaining plots (some of which have been split into 1/2plots), there are only 5 allotment holders, leaving 4 full & 3 half plots empty.

• There is an issue with scrumping, One fellow allotment holder is looking at Bitter/Poisonous fruiting plants!

• As stated previously we are NOT in a built up area. Infact most visitors to the village wouldn't even realise the allotments were there. One couple used to travel the 8-9 miles from Warwick while they waited on a "local allotment" waiting list

Update;

Move completed, there were 30-40 underneath the hive must have been there last night.
A dark cloud of unhappy girls poured out when released. Didn't hang around to see where they were going as a good number were interested in me (in SQMBO's pristine suit). Followed me well over 100m!

The 2 plots next to mine are empty, closest 1/2 plot is run by my neighbours, so I'll warn them this afternoon!

 

[eltalia]

(edit)
A cloud of unhappy girls poured out when released.
(edit)
Followed me well over 100m!
/QUOTE]
[rewind]
"I have a particularly nasty hive. "

This exercise was never going to end any other way.
/wrinkles nose/

Bill

 

[maddydog]

Must be the only allotments in the country without a huge waiting list, wonder why?

 

[MartinL]

Must be the only allotments in the country without a huge waiting list, wonder why?

The locals like it that way,
1086 saw an incomer bring the plague with him.
They've had the same attitude to anyone new ever since, been here almost 20 years and still considered "NEW"!

Back to the bees.

Opened the (very heavy) hive a couple of hours after removing it from it's original position and;

• Couldn't find HM

• found one broken down QC

• both outer frames, (4 full 14X12) of 70-80% capped Honey

• No Brood

• Very little space left

So I've put new Queen & entourage in an introduction cage on DN frame of empty drawn combe. towards the outside of the frames.


Will try & get a frame of stores into the box on the original site later then decide on combining them or not after that???

P.S. Still looking for recommendations/feedback from owners suits,
anyone got one of these
https://www.oldcastlefarmhives.com/product/sentinel-pro-ii-bee-suit/?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

• found one broken down QC

• No Brood

So I've put new Queen & entourage in an introduction cage on DN frame of empty drawn combe. towards the outside of the frames.

Oh dear - I suspect that may be the end of your new queen - sounds like you have a virgin running around in there

P.S. Still looking for recommendations/feedback from owners suits,
anyone got one of these
https://www.oldcastlefarmhives.com/product/sentinel-pro-ii-bee-suit/?

,One of my beginners has one - looks like something out of a Dr Who episode, he could barely put his hands together in it.
To paraphrase an old boy I heard talking at this year's Welsh convention - 'It seems to me that people are cashing in on people's fear of being stung by selling suits of armour, in the end, I pity the bees - people with no concerns about a sting or two are not going to be careful about handling their bees.
Maybe try worm farming instead - no chance of a sting there'

 

[Anduril]

The locals like it that way,
1086 saw an incomer bring the plague with him.
They've had the same attitude to anyone new ever since, been here almost 20 years and still considered "NEW"!

Back to the bees.

Opened the (very heavy) hive a couple of hours after removing it from it's original position and;

• Couldn't find HM

• found one broken down QC

• both outer frames, (4 full 14X12) of 70-80% capped Honey

• No Brood

• Very little space left

So I've put new Queen & entourage in an introduction cage on DN frame of empty drawn combe. towards the outside of the frames.


Will try & get a frame of stores into the box on the original site later then decide on combining them or not after that???

P.S. Still looking for recommendations/feedback from owners suits,
anyone got one of these
https://www.oldcastlefarmhives.com/product/sentinel-pro-ii-bee-suit/?

You may have a virgin queen running around inside, in which case your new queen might meet an early end. Split your hive into 2 and use test frames in each. The one drawing queen cells, need I say more!
The Sentinel suit, the owners wear them at the Welsh Convention. Looks a similar style to Ian Steppler (A Canadian Beekeepers blog). For a fashion parade watch
https://youtu.be/D1LKOmC9Ous

 

[Show me the honey]

If you want to get a better suit that’s fine but your completely missing the point! Your spraying the area with crap genes and happy about it. No wonder mongrels get bad rep your willing producing poor stock I’m sorry but become a beekeeper nasty bees don’t produce more honey. I really don’t want to offend just find it really annoying that you think it’s ok. The local mongrels in my area are loverly so maybe we all think the same way and would cull poor queens

 

[MartinL]

You may have a virgin queen running around inside, https://youtu.be/D1LKOmC9Ous

It's a possibility, I took all the frames out, lined them up along the fence, (it helped remove the angry bees and no danger of cooling any brood) then tipped the box upside down & banged it on the ground so it emptied completely.

Inspected every frame at my leisure looking for any group of bees, so hopefully if there is a virgin free she may have been out on a mating flight???


Maybe I'm trying to convince my self but. . . . .
on my last visit couple of hours ago they seemed much calmer,
perhaps their queen had already returned & robbed me of my £30 investment????

Perhaps the pheromones of my investment are already having a calming affect?
Perhaps the mated ex-virgin is amongst the remainers in the old location.

If you want to get a better suit that’s fine but your completely missing the point! Your spraying the area with crap genes

Next question is what is the linage of the two swarms ensconced in the (previously empty) boxes at the other end of the allotment???

 

[Anduril]

It's a possibility, I took all the frames out, lined them up along the fence, (it helped remove the angry bees and no danger of cooling any brood) then tipped the box upside down & banged it on the ground so it emptied completely.

Inspected every frame at my leisure looking for any group of bees, so hopefully if there is a virgin free she may have been out on a mating flight???


Maybe I'm trying to convince my self but. . . . .
on my last visit couple of hours ago they seemed much calmer,
perhaps their queen had already returned & robbed me of my £30 investment????

Perhaps the pheromones of my investment are already having a calming affect?
Perhaps the mated ex-virgin is amongst the remainers in the old location.

Let's hope for the best.