what's the deal on bee suits?

[madasafish]

the biggest issue by far with ALL shop brought bee suits is that like the bee hives its a very very old design that nowen days does not fit the bill as well as it should, forget the quality issues as there are several makers that make great bee suits for you to buy, you can buy cheap and nasty off fleabay for £30, i use them as spares or if needed i would even conside them disposable if i suddenly found my self with a bio hazzard concern,

but whats with all the old ideals, elasticated cuffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! honestly, where does that idea spring from, 1950's, whay cant we have sewn in elasticad tubular cuffs as per my fleece jacket, far more comfortable to wear over long periods and it dont help they dont even bother putting a toggle on it so i can adjust the tension, and as for fencing viel or round head versions, why cant we use some decent modern ideas like say a clear poly carb visor or a better quality mesh rather than cheap nylon stuf that does not last long befor tearing.

and last part of the rant , honest , almost finished, what person thought it was exceptable to make the hat section out of a single layer or even double layer of material, honestly of all the places i see newbees getting stung is on top of there heads, designers dont even think to make say a leather pad or sheat of some thing up there, i have to explain to all my newbees to wear a baseball cap ot a woolly hat on there heads

do these manafactures have a victorian drawing in a gilded frame on the wall, marked up as "ye keeper of ye bees smocks" and under it a little note saying that if ye deviate from it the sheep will die and the birds fall from the sky and the sun god will frown apon ye crops

if you want a well designed bee suit that you will not get stung through and is fit for purpose, sew your own cause you ant going to be able to buy it from a shop


haaaaaa thats better, red mist gone and rant over,

love and hugs to all, peace on earth and a cup of tea in the hand, now wheres that sewing machine gone??

Next you'll be telling us that British beekeeping is stuck in the 20th century...

(it's the 19th - really

I'll get my suit..........

 

[garlicpickle]

thanks for all your views guys, i might put a sher*ff suit on the Christmas list


regarding stings, I have been stung by a bee before in my life but not recently and not by my bees until last night.

The stings felt briefly painful for a few minutes before going down to a dull ache. When we had finished with the hive I had a look at the one on my arm and it was just a small raised whitish lump (the sting wasn't still in my arm as my smock caught it) by the time I went to bed a few hours later there was nothing visible but a small red dot. It was the same this morning - however during this afternoon it has swelled up to a red, raised, hard area about an inch across. Still doesn't hurt unless I press it.

Guess I wasn't expecting a delayed reaction, is that usual?

 

[ma1308]

I was thinking of trying my bike jeans and a bee smock, I am interested to see if they can sting trough Kevlar.

 

[Beanwood]

Guess I wasn't expecting a delayed reaction, is that usual?

Yup. Mine were sore first off, but after about a week itched like crazy for a short while.

 

[garlicpickle]

Yup. Mine were sore first off, but after about a week itched like crazy for a short while.

and there I was feeling all smug last night that I'd got away with it haha

 

[alanf]

but whats with all the old ideals, elasticated cuffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! honestly, where does that idea spring from, 1950's, whay cant we have sewn in elasticad tubular cuffs as per my fleece jacket, far more comfortable to wear over long periods and it dont help they dont even bother putting a toggle on it so i can adjust the tension, and as for fencing viel or round head versions, why cant we use some decent modern ideas like say a clear poly carb visor or a better quality mesh rather than cheap nylon stuf that does not last long befor tearing.

Tubular elasticated cuffs are usually fluffy which is a texture many bees react to, as mowing too near a hive while wearing a fleece has shown before . Clear polycarbonate is going to have problems with reflections and perhaps steaming up in humid conditions. I thought the better meshes were based on glass fibre - Saint Gobain is sometimes mentioned.

 

[starcana]

My suit is a frxxxile planxx and I wouldn't get one again. Zip problems on the hood and Velcro too skimpy round the zip cover.

 

[Black Comb]

thanks for all your views guys, i might put a sher*ff suit on the Christmas list


regarding stings, I have been stung by a bee before in my life but not recently and not by my bees until last night.

The stings felt briefly painful for a few minutes before going down to a dull ache. When we had finished with the hive I had a look at the one on my arm and it was just a small raised whitish lump (the sting wasn't still in my arm as my smock caught it) by the time I went to bed a few hours later there was nothing visible but a small red dot. It was the same this morning - however during this afternoon it has swelled up to a red, raised, hard area about an inch across. Still doesn't hurt unless I press it.

Guess I wasn't expecting a delayed reaction, is that usual?

Buy yourself a tube of Anthisan and rub a little on the sting area ASAP afterwards. It helps.

 

[sandysman]

I have a cheapo full suit but wish I hadn't. You do get what you pay for. Perhaps we should be guided by the professional beeks?

 

[madasafish]

Tubular elasticated cuffs are usually fluffy which is a texture many bees react to, as mowing too near a hive while wearing a fleece has shown before .

Change your bees: it's them at fault...