Suit or Smock

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Given the above low humour :icon_204-2: I can see why HM wants to moderate us......




I am NOT serious...

Hmm after wittering on about loose trousers, one rather feisty (nasty horrible needs requeening) Association hive decided to land as many stings on my (blackish) trousers as possible. Some rather near a delicate part of my anatomy whilst others decided to crawl up my trousers and another into my veil (borrowed top)..

Only a few stings and hardly painful due to the stingers being deflected by the cloth (50 so far this year). None as painful as the guy who disrobed at the end and was promptly stung on the jaw.....
 
The layering (and the baggy gaps between) is where the protection comes from, not simple thickness.

And £180 sounds a bit excessive to me ...

:iagree:

It's a heck of a lot for a modified boiler suit, with a fancy company logo for free advertising. I've not yet worked out why they only do the fencing style of hat.

There are cheaper alternatives that work just as well. Just make sure a suit isn't too tight. There must be room to move, otherwise the zips are stressed and the fabric pulls down onto your head.
 
I used to wear just a smock but several years ago whilst bending down to pick up a super a 'brave' bee took a dislike of my builders bum and stung it bang central!
Even though my bees are now nice and calm, full suit for me whatever the cost
S
 
Just a pair of nitrile gloves and a light weight veil for me, more because I tend to react to the tickle of the bees than anything else.

Luckily having horizontal hives at a comfortable working height means that I rarely have to bend down and expose my builders' bum.

I did have company inside my veil yesteday but I managed to ignore her long enough to finish closing the hive and carefully remove the veil gently enough to not provoke a sting
 
Whether smock or suit (I have one of each and they both get used), the best bit of kit added for my protection has been stretchy tubular bandages to go over the cuffs. These work well both with bare hands and with rubber gloves, and stop the bees getting caught in the cuff and panicking. Use white ones though - I first tried cutting the toes off dark coloured socks, and that seemed to freak the bees out a bit and give them a target.
 
A suit would obviously be safer. However I use a smock, jeans and wellies. In my first season I actually got stung in the face after a couple of bees crawled up into the smock - easily avoided by either wearing a bungee chord over it like a belt or getting a better smock.
 
I first tried cutting the toes off dark coloured socks, and that seemed to freak the bees out a bit and give them a target.

I did that to a mate of mine once, he was drunk & asleep at the time.

Freaked him out as well, when he found out :sorry:

I'll get me coat........
 
I prefer using a smock and I'm happy with the balance of protection, conivenience and comfort. I even risked wearing shorts with the smock in the hot weather and my girls aren't the gentlest.
 

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