To veil or not is the question. Discuss

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Poly Hive

Queen Bee
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There is a picture on social media of a beekeeper with some happy school kids. Excellent publicity of course.

The school kids are in pristine beesuits with their veils in place.

The beekeeper is in street clothes with no veil.

PH
 
There is a picture on social media of a beekeeper with some happy school kids. Excellent publicity of course.

The school kids are in pristine beesuits with their veils in place.

The beekeeper is in street clothes with no veil.

PH

Depends if you are a super hero....... Not me :hairpull: that's a picture of me getting bees out of my hair!!!!!
 
His own choice ,but having been stung in the face a couple of times don't think I'll be joining him.
 
I think that as an example for children and beginners the veil should be worn. I can understand that the message might be to convey a lack of fear of bees by not wearing it, but if anything is going to put off a new beekeeper it's a sting to the face.

Once people are experienced it's up to them if they want to work without a veil. Most people I've seen who do that have a veil to hand and will put it on if the bees get a bit irritable.

I always wear a veil because I don't want my beautiful face to be damaged :icon_204-2:

Recently in NZ, where it's summer, I worked bees in shorts/t-shirt & veil and it was fine but a bee did get snagged up in hair on my arm, so maybe I should shave my arms/legs or wear long sleeves, the latter being more practical over the long term.
 
Fortune favours the brave,

Hubris, ? ? ? :nono:

Self inflicted injury!:eek:
 
There is a picture on social media of a beekeeper with some happy school kids. Excellent publicity of course.

The school kids are in pristine beesuits with their veils in place.

The beekeeper is in street clothes with no veil.

PH

That would depend on the stock.
I have bees that I don't need a suit around but still wear one when I have visitors to the apiary.
 
.
When the first bee goes into hair and venom stinks, it is alarm odor, that you should run.
And those allergic people. IT is quite usual that I go to look flying on entrance and then I am in a hurry to go into my car.
.
 
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I have gentle bees at the minute and i would love to work with them without a veil, but after starting with angry bees and getting stung in the ear hole i will always where the veil from now on, i can handle stings through my trousers and the odd one through my gloves but i am rather cautious about being stung in the ear canal again as it was agony that could have been avoided, and to make matters worse you can not see the venom sac to remove it.
 
Last summer I cleared honey from a giant hive. They gove 70 stings in 3 hours.

You never know when it happens.

Bees have a sting, that they use it.
.
 
Absolutely!

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating beekeepers don't wear a suit/veil.

Bees give the feedback soon, is the veil good.
Beekeeper can do what ever, but commom people are better to be afraid of bees.

I has happened many times that I must to to change light blue shirt to white one.
Perhaps bees think that sky is falling down.
 
There is a picture on social media of a beekeeper with some happy school kids. Excellent publicity of course.

The school kids are in pristine beesuits with their veils in place.

The beekeeper is in street clothes with no veil.

PH

If he has a Flow hive it’s perfectly OK, as any fule no ;)
 
.
When the first bee goes into hair and venom stinks, it is alarm odor, that you should run.
And those allergic people. IT is quite usual that I go to look flying on entrance and then I am in a hurry to go into my car.
.

Yes it’s a scent never to be forgotten. Amazing how just one sting can envelop your whole head.
 
It's the hipster thing to do nowadays - I suppose he was wearing a flat cap? and maybe a Harris tweed waistcoat?

Yea, like taking your 5 year old up the side of Llyn Idwal in Nike's best waterproof trainers Burberry cap & NO F!!ck176 MAP! :nono:

Years ago, this would have been an example of natural selection.
Now it's just a strain on funds (and employment for the 2nd in line to the throne).
 
Yea, like taking your 5 year old up the side of Llyn Idwal in Nike's best waterproof trainers Burberry cap & NO F!!ck176 MAP! :nono:



Years ago, this would have been an example of natural selection.

Now it's just a strain on funds (and employment for the 2nd in line to the throne).



William has retired now, not even 40. He is just working on pushing his brother down the list....


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There is a picture on social media of a beekeeper with some happy school kids. Excellent publicity of course.

The school kids are in pristine beesuits with their veils in place.

The beekeeper is in street clothes with no veil.

PH

Poor example in my opinion, just takes one of the kids to emulate and get into problems to put bee keeping in a bad light.
S
 
I know someone who decided to add syrup to a feeder without a veil, just a quick act it would be OK! Bees came out and she got stung in the head. I have a different reaction, where I get stung. Legs, arms, body not much of a reaction. Head and face I used to come out in hives, have sensitive eyes and a fit of coughing. Not so much these days. But to act responsibly in front of people, you should wear what they wear, otherwise, if they follow your example and get stung, it could put them off keeping bees or worse, hospitalisation.
 
s. But to act responsibly in front of people, you should wear what they wear, otherwise, if they follow your example and get stung, it could put them off keeping bees or worse, hospitalisation.

Surely a beekeepers familiarity/tolerance to stings could be easily explained ( it was to me with regards to the fact that facial stings tend to swell far more.)
When you learn to climb your lead climber does so with far less protection from his falls, this does not promote poor practice in climbing.
 

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