Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: 1968 Fastback GT on March 04, 2005, 09:08:09 pm
-
Looking at best bee suit with zipper veil hood. The prices have a wide range. Will the cheaper suit hold up or should I go all out???
Thanks
P.S. Just getting started.
-
alot of guys on the beesource forum crow about the golden beesuit. It looks like something from NASA, but they claim it's cool and comfortable. Get what you will be comfortable wearing. Some people don't wear much protective clothing, but you should be comfortable and confidant when your working your bees. If a full beesuit gives you that feeling, go for it.
-
Personally I just wear a veil, I was thinking of perhaps getting a full bee suit. But it really isn't neccessary, except for when you are taking the honey. Otherwise I was fine, but like thegolfpsycho says what ever you are confortable in.
-
My personal experience:
I bought the full beesuit from Mann Lake - cost about $90. I'm not the most couragous person, so I was nervous with less. I actually did start out with just the veil and hard hat, with some garden gloves (also wore a white sweatshirt and jeans). But I just didn't feel protected with my first set up. I didn't like the bees going up my pants, or sneaking in cracks around my gloves or where ever. Also, the veil and hard hat was a pain. Every time I leaned over, the stupid thing would nearly fall off my head. So just leaning slightly over to the hive caused me to be blinded by my hat, and completely uncovered my neck.
So.... I went for the full suit. I like it alot better, but it is hot. I hear that the cotton suits aren't as hot as the poly blend I got. But atleast the hat stays still now and doesn't flop forward. For me, buying the $90 suit was quite an investment.
Maybe one day I'll sell it, and buy me a cotton suit. This suit is actually way too big for me now. It's a 2X, but I bought it when I was FAT - now I've lost 80 pounds and I swim in it.
Then.... I might buy these things:
(http://www.geocities.com/lettersoup/beejacket1.jpg)
Beekeeping Jackets (http://www.geocities.com/lettersoup/beekeepingjackets.html) Price - $40 ($34 + $6 shipping)
and this -
(http://www.mannlakeltd.com/images/catalog/page61/cl-265.gif)
Mann Lake catalog - page 64 (http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page64.htm) Price - $17 plus shipping
Come to think of it - now that I'm writting this out, if there is someone out there that is interested in buying my suit - I'll sell. Includes hat, zipper veil, and gloves.
$50 - plus shipping cost
Bought 2 years ago
Looks like this:
(http://www.mannlakeltd.com/images/catalog/page60/cl-180.gif)
(For the mods - I'll post this in the trading post too for people to see.)
Beth
-
I got a set of cheap $5.00 white painting coveralls from the automotive paint store. I have wore it about 4 times and much perfer to just wear jeans with those $2.00 leg straps, (can be made with a bit of velcro and a couple strips of cloth.) a tee shirt. I do how ever put on a kaki long sleeve shirt when I am pulling supers off for extraction, or shaking a hive out to get rid of a drone laying queen or worker.
I did not even wear a hat and veil untill I got stung in the fore head. My better half yelled at me for not using the equipment so I wear the hat and veil now :lol: :lol: .
:D Al