the best veil ..... thoughts please ?

[Swarm]

What about the actual veil material in terms of visibility when looking at young brood? Are there good ones and others to avoid?

Don't Sherriff offer a 'clear view' veil?

 

[Millet]

And that's an interesting point-I changed to some new gloves as well thinking the old ones were impregnated with a smell that infuriated the bees before (possibly thymol) yet it didn't make a blind bit of difference.

I too find my hands sweat profusely in marigolds (but they do seem to be more bee proof)

I like the suggestion of a baggier suit. Mine is an XL one but as I'm a tall lad (6'4") it does pinch on the shoulders hence the stings. Good call !

Maybe I need to find a baggy tall suit ! I particularly like the ring veil instead of the hoods - just personal preference.

and rubber gloves - where are the best suppliers ? or is the local supermarket the best ??

KR and thanks for the info so far. most interesting

S

I have a friend who is a production engineer for BP and he works offshore, they get the best of everything those spoilt brats lol, if you can source these cheaper they are 100% sting proof and they last for years, i may be new to bees but i do not like getting stung, during inspections these angry things have a go just about every time and i regularly have a venom sack and sting firmly embedded in my glove and not once have i been stung, on the bee suit common sense says to me go baggy which i have and i am yet to get stung on my body while suited up, i suppose time will tell.

http://www.killeenhardware.co.uk/showa-gloves-377

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I have a friend who is a production engineer for BP and he works offshore, they get the best of everything those spoilt brats lol, if you can source these cheaper they are 100% sting proof and they last for years, i may be new to bees but i do not like getting stung, during inspections these angry things have a go just about every time and i regularly have a venom sack and sting firmly embedded in my glove and not once have i been stung, on the bee suit common sense says to me go baggy which i have and i am yet to get stung on my body while suited up, i suppose time will tell.

http://www.killeenhardware.co.uk/showa-gloves-377

I think this probably tells us more about you than it does your bees or your equipment.

Inspecting quietly and gently, no rushing, no clattering around, using a dummy board so as not to roll the bees - and the bees won't need to sting you every time. It's not in their interest to sting without provocation.

The alternative is, you have angry bees - which shouldn't be tolerated. I suggest you get someone with experience in, to inspect their way and give you an informed opinion.

Dusty

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wearing gloves like that you won't be able to avoid bashing about and winding the bees up - not tactile at all. I had a beginner last year who decided to wear a pair of heavy welders gloves - his otherwise docile bees are forever giving him grief when he opens up.

 

[madasafish]

I have a friend who is a production engineer for BP and he works offshore, they get the best of everything those spoilt brats lol, if you can source these cheaper they are 100% sting proof and they last for years, i may be new to bees but i do not like getting stung, during inspections these angry things have a go just about every time and i regularly have a venom sack and sting firmly embedded in my glove and not once have i been stung, on the bee suit common sense says to me go baggy which i have and i am yet to get stung on my body while suited up, i suppose time will tell.

http://www.killeenhardware.co.uk/showa-gloves-377

Yesterday I inspected a Langstroth jumbo brood box which was literally overflowing with bees.It was impossible to get them off the lugs of the frames so I lifted the ends up with a hive tool and carefully took a gentle grasp. If I just squeezed, the result would be a squashed bee. You can only tell if there is a bee by feeling it - usually underneath the lug.

If you wear thick gloves you can feel nothing. Result: squashed bees.

I was wearing very thin nitrile gloves.#
http://www.eurocarparts.com/latex-and-nitrile-gloves

Result : no squahed bees, no stings and a hive inspected for QCs with no undue hassle or stressed bees.

IF you do stress bees, even the most gentle will react and end up following you and warding you off whenever you appear and attacking any unprotected part of your body... Not nice for you or anyone else..

# normally I go gloveless but I had already had a handful of stings that day ...wimp that I am.

 

[Brigsy]

I have a pair of those gloves and they aren't that thick at all. Much more tactile than traditional gauntlets. More of a marigold feel.

 

[Millet]

I have a pair of those gloves and they aren't that thick at all. Much more tactile than traditional gauntlets. More of a marigold feel.

Normality instead of a unexplained witch hunt from the blinkered .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I do often pity you

 

[Millet]

I do often pity you

Don't bother i am not in need of pity and certainly not yours.

 

[Millet]

I have a pair of those gloves and they aren't that thick at all. Much more tactile than traditional gauntlets. More of a marigold feel.

Some folk set in there ways find it hard to change especially pensioners, they are cracking gloves, i have used a pair for trapping for many years and if i could not feel the trigger plates and end hooks properly my fingers would be in a sorry state, the only down is if you have had them on for several hours in warm weather your hands smell like sweaty feet.

 

[madasafish]

Some folk set in there ways find it hard to change especially pensioners, they are cracking gloves, i have used a pair for trapping for many years and if i could not feel the trigger plates and end hooks properly my fingers would be in a sorry state, .

Sorry but your post comparing feeling metal plates to feeling bees just shows I am wasting my time.

 

[Stiffy]

So having started out 28 years ago with a simple over head veil tucked into a shirt to a smock box type veil and finally a full suit with a wide ring veil I thought I'd got a good bee suit until today.

I was rather hot in a shirt underneath and jeans when I got a stabbing pain between the shoulder blades as a madam found her stinger would pregnate 2 layers of sweaty clothing. Then followed a few more to damp shoulders.

What is the most bee proof (sweat proof) bee suit out there ? I ended up wearing a British army smock over the lot.

KR

S

PS I also removed 15 supers of honey off 7 colonies no wonder they were angry

Bought a 'ventilated' suit from Maisies last year.........nice and cool but bloody useless as a bee suit as the bees can sting through veil and hood. I was going to discard it but the better half bought a veil from Mann and sewed it in, nice and cool now and no stings to me chops!

 

[Millet]

Sorry but your post comparing feeling metal plates to feeling bees just shows I am wasting my time.

You are not wasting your time i value all advice greatly, what you need to understand though before you jump to conclusions is these gloves are not much different to marigolds but a lot stronger and they are no where near as thick as the leather gauntlets, i can feel bees easily with these gloves on and i will be able to count on one hand how many i have squashed by accident.

 

[bontbee]

What about the actual veil material in terms of visibility when looking at young brood? Are there good ones and others to avoid?

Over the years I have had a selection of veils and the best for visibility is Sheriff, by far. It's so unobtrusive I have often thought that the bee in front of me is inside with me! The mesh is lighter weight and has hexagonal holes, (not sure if that is the significant factor?). I find that you don't get any "glare" off this veil when the sun is bright, unlike some of the dense, black, "plastic-like" meshes. Sherriff suits may be considered expensive, but I have succumbed to the lure of an inexpensive suit, just to be reminded - pay cheap, pay twice!

(PS No connection with the company, just very satisfied with their product)

 

[Cussword]

Bee Basic works for me. I can see perfectly well through the ringed veil.
Plus I wear the food production nitriles from bookers.
If I'm stung, it means one of two things, I'm doing it wrong, or I need to re-queen.
Most of the time it's my fault.


.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I imagine it must be really uncomfortable to be dressed up in a bee suit, veil, gloves and all that kind of paraphernalia while doing bee work on a hot day like today.

 

[kazmcc]

Bee Basic works for me. I can see perfectly well through the ringed veil.
Plus I wear the food production nitriles from bookers.
If I'm stung, it means one of two things, I'm doing it wrong, or I need to re-queen.
Most of the time it's my fault.


.

I am very ,very impressed with the Bee Basic suit we got Arran, and a bargain! I wear a cheap, round veiled smock, the one I bought when I had the school bees. Dead cheap but the veil has held and I have not been stung through it. It does get hot in summer but it's bearable.

 

[Millet]

I imagine it must be really uncomfortable to be dressed up in a bee suit, veil, gloves and all that kind of paraphernalia while doing bee work on a hot day like today.

Show of going naked , regarding the weather it has been baltic here for the past 4 days on a good note the grass is nice and green with all the rain.
Good Connie popping weather.

 

[madasafish]

I imagine it must be really uncomfortable to be dressed up in a bee suit, veil, gloves and all that kind of paraphernalia while doing bee work on a hot day like today.

Shorts and T shirt again?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Shorts and T shirt again?

Shirts with sleeves rolled up and T shirts, but no shorts.