No bee suit?

[ClarksMeadow]

So many videos show bee keepers working without bee suits? Are they a special breed of human, or are the bees a special breed of bees?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

or are they just 'special'

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So many videos show bee keepers working without bee suits? Are they a special breed of human, or are the bees a special breed of bees?

A kind answer would be a bit of both but I like the old saying "where there's no sense there's no feeling"

 

[Newbeeneil]

So many videos show bee keepers working without bee suits? Are they a special breed of human, or are the bees a special breed of bees?

It depends on the bees and how they react to you I suppose. I rarely wear a full suit, mostly just a jacket or veil unless I have to deal with rather techy colony.
I think it also depends on how you were taught to handle bees initially. Most people in my teaching apiary only use a veil or jacket and rarely gloves so it makes you respect the bees while handling them. The newbees see this and think that is the normal attire for beekeepers.
When I looked after an adjacent teaching apiary for a short while most people came to meetings looking like a Michelin Man!

 

[enrico]

I bet they start suited up but once they realise the bees are ok they strip off and ... Film

 

[Anduril]

I bet they start suited up but once they realise the bees are ok they strip off and ... Film

Only for 2 years

 

[Eyeman]

What I would do would be wait for a sunny day & move the hive 2-3m and replace with empty hive. Wait 10min for the foragers to return to old site with empty hive leaving calm & gentle nurse bees.

 

[JamezF]

I've always had the impression that the majority of YT videos showing beeks working without a veil or some kind of suit (out of choice) were Leftpondians and wondered whether better the weather conditions that many of them have meant more forage was available and led to the bees being less defensive.

James

 

[Macbear]

So many videos show bee keepers working without bee suits? Are they a special breed of human, or are the bees a special breed of bees?

Watched a video which included a young lady [French] wearing a bikini top, and not a lot else, inspecting a hive. A case of "my glamorous assistant" for the guy trying to sell his non-mainstream way of doing things? It made me question whether what he was proposing was any more sense than that which I suspect she lacked. My conclusion...
My glamorous assistant always wears a bee suit when we inspect our hives. My wife, who, at present, is that assistant, asks the probing questions and is hands on. I suspect that at the present rate of learning it will be role reversal in time - and I shall not abandon my bee suit!

 

[Amari]

Watched a video which included a young lady [French] wearing a bikini top, and not a lot else, inspecting a hive. A case of "my glamorous assistant" for the guy trying to sell his non-mainstream way of doing things? It made me question whether what he was proposing was any more sense than that which I suspect she lacked. My conclusion...
My glamorous assistant always wears a bee suit when we inspect our hives. My wife, who, at present, is that assistant, asks the probing questions and is hands on. I suspect that at the present rate of learning it will be role reversal in time - and I shall not abandon my bee suit!

Reminds me of the famous tennis photo of 1976 because sometime in the 1970-80s Beecraft's front cover featured the rear view of a young lady in a miniskirt, but no bee suit, bent over an open hive. Always wish I'd kept that edition. Anyone got it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Girl

 

[masterBK]

What I would do would be wait for a sunny day & move the hive 2-3m and replace with empty hive. Wait 10min for the foragers to return to old site with empty hive leaving calm & gentle nurse bees.

Demonstrating bees to others without the veil on was quite common practise in the 1970s. This is me in 1975. A gentle colony was chosen and as mentioned by Eyeman, the hive was also moved to bleed off the older flying bees (the potential stingers) which flew back to the original site to join an adjacent hive.
I did, however, wear a pair of marigolds to protect my hands as my skin reacts to propolis resulting in a type of dermatitis

 

[Amari]

I was taught beekeeping in 1972 at Sparsholt Agricultural College by John Cossburn**, County Bee Officer for Hampshire. Theory alternated weekly with building our own hive (Jumbo Langstroth) in the woodworking shop. Come spring in the college apiary we were allowed bee suits but not gloves - except an ophthalmic surgeon who was excused.
** Are you still around John?