Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Shawn on September 05, 2007, 09:01:41 pm
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Well we, my son and I, went to help a guy extract honey but he was not home. That was not the bad part. We had just invested in a bee suit for my son and he was carrying it to change into. Just as he walked up the drive he was stung on the ear. I scraped the stinger out right away and retreated back to the vehicle. He put the suit on and seemed like super man. I hope this does not set him back! Funny, I did not have my suit on, ordered the wrong size, and never got touched. I have been there several times and never even thought I was going to get stung. I guess he had bad luck.
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Wow, why was he stung? Were you close to hives? That really seems odd, a sting out of the blue like that.
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Hadn't eaten a banana had he?
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It doesn't seem to have set him back, sounds like he's a real trooper.
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We cant figure out why. I know he didnt swat at them. he said there was one on his head so he stopped. The other snuck in and got him. Could have been a nija bee. Anyway I went back and tried to help harvest just using a veil. No such luck. They snuck in the veil and got me. When I got the veil off more got me. I guess there is good out of everything. I now know I am not deathly allergic to bees. That is one question I need answered. I have never been stung by a bee until today and 18 of the things got me. I am not going to skimp out on buying a good, no a great bee suit.
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We cant figure out why. I know he didnt swat at them. he said there was one on his head so he stopped. The other snuck in and got him. Could have been a nija bee. Anyway I went back and tried to help harvest just using a veil. No such luck. They snuck in the veil and got me. When I got the veil off more got me. I guess there is good out of everything. I now know I am not deathly allergic to bees. That is one question I need answered. I have never been stung by a bee until today and 18 of the things got me. I am not going to skimp out on buying a good, no a great bee suit.
Could it possibly be a floral scented shampoo that drew the bee to his head area?
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Did it leave a stinger? My son got a sting from a yellowjacket with little apparent provocation.
I sure don't have many bees trying to sting me when I'm harvesting. What was he harvesting with...a weedwhacker?? :roll:
Rick
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I was reading in another post that some other people are seeing their bees more aggresive, thought to be fall coming on. Could be a reason. I know we did not smoke the Bees so Im sure that would have helped. ANyway my daughter had her fun by scraping the stingers from my neck and head. She was so proud showing me how big some of the stingers were. I wil learn as I go and will keep reading everyones post. I have leared a great deal already by looking at all the post. Thanks!
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You need to smoke the bees before working them or they will at some point get you pretty good. Stinging is what they do when they don't want to be handled, we cannot read bee minds, no matter how hard we try. Protect the face, and perhaps if they are aggressive, consistently, wear long pants and long sleeve shirt. But SMOKE them first.
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good lesson on the bee suit.
Make sure you are comfortable while working your bees. I JPs answer. Have that smoker lit and next to you. Even if you dont smoke them while pulling honey off, it can put them into a stinging frenzy where you litterally have hundreds of them trying to sting you. Thats a pretty good time to smoke the crap out of them and where they are stinging you. I think the smoke really helps cover up the stinging ferimone to help end a frenzy.
You know I didnt get stung once this year pulling honey off the supers. It was the stragglers in the extracting room that got me. about 5 stings a day in there. I guess they dont like it when you grab a frame of honey and squicsh them a bit. They tend to retalliate with the working end of their defense system. Dang that hurts on the fingers and palm.
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Two words: Zippered Vale
They aint never gettin in with one of these!
Sean Kelly
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So I guess I will ask this. What is the best suit to buy, not getting into the $$. I was looking at the old english free standing suit with zipper veil from Mann Lake for 62.95. Good deal? Any other suits or places to get them?
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Hands down.
Golden Bee Products
3524 Hwy 43 North
Picayune, Miss. 39466
601-799-5660
I've heard the "old man" is having health issues. So I'm not sure of the situation there. But that is the best suit, bar none. It's like having air conditioning. It's literally ventilated and still as sting proof as any suit ever. (none are stingproof as bees are too ingenious and determined.)
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I have a golden bee suit which is my go to suit when dealing with aggressive bees or hornets, bumbles, crocodiles, whatever, if you need full protection. Its a heavy vented suit. I also recently purchased a suit from honeymoon apiaries which is based off of the golden bee suit. Its a little cheaper in price and the hardwear is not as heavy duty as the golden bee but still a fine suit. My #1 attire when doing cutouts is a jacket with attached hood(zippered), from Dadant for I believe in the forty something range. Its a very good buy. I wear long pants with it. For working my hives I just wear a hat and veil.
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Thanks Ill take a look at them. :lol:
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My favorite is this suit from BeeCare (http://www.beecare.com/indexDynFrames.htm?http://www.beecare.com/Catalog/Clothing/Full-Body-Suit.htm&1). It's not that expensive at $119.00, fits well, the hood and veil are great. The Golden Bee Suit is the best, everyone raves about it, but it's expensive and supplies are more than limited.
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Ok I am having troubles finding the golden bee suit. I found one website but that was it. I tried the Golden Bee products and their website did not offer bee suits. I will take a look at the Beecare.
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i have the mann lake jacket with the zip on veil. very good and a good price. can't see buying the whole suit. jeans do me fine. got one up the pant leg once, but that's easy to fix.
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I hear the Golden Bee suit is the best of the best, but with a big price. I'm poor and couldn't shell out that much just for 2 hives. I've been VERY happy with my suit from Better Bee. It's their "Premium Beesuit" and goes for $55 with either a round or square zippered vale. I'm also a big+tall guy (see pic on left) and they where one of the only companies that offered suits sized extra extra small all the way up to 7 XL!!! They even offer it in Long sizes.
My only complaint are the access slits near the pockets so you can reach into your suit and get your car keys out of your jeans. Bees can TOTALLY get inside! I just had my wife break out the sewing machine and put strips of velcro which took care of the problem.
Sean Kelly
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Ok I am having troubles finding the golden bee suit. I found one website but that was it. I tried the Golden Bee products and their website did not offer bee suits. I will take a look at the Beecare.
There is no website. This suit is made by an elderly couple who seem to have limited resources. I think Michael Bush indicated the old man was ill right at the moment. In any event, here is the contact info:
Golden Bee Products
3524 Hwy 43 North
Picayune, Miss. 39466
601-799-5660
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>Ok I am having troubles finding the golden bee suit. I found one website
As mentioned, there is no website.
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Ok. Thanks
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all I use is a pollinator jacket. when it get to hot just use a T shirt and veil unless the gals are fired up ;) ..
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page72.html
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Well here it is almost a year later when I go back when the bees are flying around. Went back to the same house another beeks, to show him the information about not using excluders, he was not interested. Anyway within 4 minutes I start getting buzzed and calmly move around hoping to loose her or them. Not working! He suggest to go into the honey house to talk. We go in, have a seat, and talk. About 15 minutes later I see something come through the plastic hanging, used as a door, and watch the object go straight to my arm. She hit my arm so hard, fast, I thought she bounced, maybe she just wanted a use my arm as a trampoline. I think it was on her second bounce she got me. I after she let her stinger in me she continued to walk on my arm trying to sting. She flew off and came right back hitting me several time sin the forehead. Got away from her and she came back again. SHe must not like a guy in a uniform, dark blue. As I posted earlier in this post after getting stung, no swelling, no redness, no after pain this was not the case this time. My left forearm is huge, red, itches and just hurts.
I really think he has some very aggressive hives. Im trying to talk him into requeening them, 4 total mean ones. He did good over the winter. He has 22 hives and lost two which was one that he split into two.
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Had you eaten any bananas? Wearing any scented stuff?
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Had you eaten any bananas? Wearing any scented stuff?
They don't like banana smells huh? I'll have to remember that. No beer and no bananas prior to working with the buzzers. :-P
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Bassman1977. The scent of the sting gland emits the banana smell. When the stinger is everted, the banana scent is released, the bees smell this and will target this scent and that is why when a bee stings, many will follow this action. It is called the alarm pheromone and the bees are very sensitive to this powerful scent, hee, hee, so then watch out for eating bananas when working the bees. My dogs know this scent well, each one has has a whollop or two from the bees and we all know how sensitive the sniffers of dogs are, hee, hee, smiling. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, love our life we live. Cindi
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The scent of the sting gland emits the banana smell.
I learned something new today. Thanks. :)
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No scent. Today my arm is twie the size as normal and boy does it hurt. never had a selling before in my life from a sting. I went to the ER, just to talk while I was on duty, and received some information on eppie, not sure if that is how you spell it, pens. The doctor thought it would be a good idea if I kept a pen at home so she wrote me a script.
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Sometimes I get stung and not much swelling at all and other times I swell like a balloon. You got the popeye arm right now :-D
Any of you all use the cheap tyvek suits ?
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Could it possibly be a floral scented shampoo that drew the bee to his head area?
First thing that occurred to me too.
When we first got our home hives, I was in the shower the next day and happened to look at my step daughter's shampoo - honey scented. Conditioner - papaya and banana scented. We gave them away that same day and bought new stuff for her.
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Other possibilities: coke or pepsi-cola, coffee, didn't bathe, gasoline or turpentine, motor oil, and many more. Bees don't like strong odors. Some they find more offensive than others, besides bananas the ones I've listed seem to cause to most frequent problems.
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Bees really dislike human breath, carbon dioxide, just breath on them and you will see them get really annoyed and you will hear them, :evil: :evil: Have a wonderful and beautiful life. Cindi
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Coffee? Bummer I usually will have a cup of coffee out in front of my hives if It's a nice morning, not too hot, they get curious somtimes and I've occassionally been head butted but not stung. Now they did get on my nerves one day when I got on theirs. That danged scented shampoo... I usually use Scent-Lok or Johnsons Baby Shampoo. I like the Scent-Lok the best but it is more expensive.
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Guess I better not set my coffee on top of the hive anymore. So far they never seemed to pay any attention to it but then again all it takes is them not to like it once.
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I find bees will do what people say they won't do and they won't do things people say they will. At least sometimes.
I wear dark blue blue jeans and blue shirts, not as dark. Was just out at the hives. They didn't care, never do.
Yesterday we had winds from 25 to 32 mph most of the day with gust up to 43 mph. Bees don't fly on winds over 25 mph, but mine were out and about.
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Coffee? Bummer I usually will have a cup of coffee out in front of my hives if It's a nice morning, not too hot, they get curious somtimes and I've occassionally been head butted but not stung. Now they did get on my nerves one day when I got on theirs. That danged scented shampoo... I usually use Scent-Lok or Johnsons Baby Shampoo. I like the Scent-Lok the best but it is more expensive.
I learned the coffee lesson the hard way one morning before work. Got one just below my right eye while having a nice cup on my deck.