Washing a bee suit

[Wombat2]

If they not you won't get rid of the dirt, sweat and BO ! - mine are cotton and go in the general wash

[Ben Framed]

I wash mine once a year whether it needs it or not...

Lol same here. My jacket and zip on zip off hood is made form the now popular three layer breathable type material, not cotton, which is easy to keep and does not accept beestings which will save bees from the death of 'separated stinger syndrome' 😊 just in case one happens be in the mood to take the life threatening chance lol,

Even when not in use, when hung in an open area such as a screened porch, it is constantly and naturally being aired out while hanging. The material makes for an easy wash in the machine and the lack of stingers in the material all but eliminates the chance of the family getting allergies to venom.. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Lesgold]

I tend to wash my suits when there are more flies hanging off the suit than bees. Honey on the suit speeds up the requirement for washing. I normally removed the veil and wash it by hand. Soaking the suit in water and laundry detergent for a couple of hours helps to dissolve sweat and honey. A simple scrub by hand followed by a hose down when it is hanging on the line is all that is required. I try to remove the veil from the line as soon as it is dry as the veil mesh tends to break down and become a little brittle over time with exposure to UV (and possibly detergent). Some of my best producing hives are quite passionate and tend to have a lower tolerance of a thief stealing some of their goodies. They are generally OK with the removal of honey but tend to get a little excited when the brood box is checked at the same time.  For that reason, I always wear gloves when robbing the hives. Would be interested in hearing how you guys clean your gloves. I have a personal preference for leather gloves but when covered in wax, propolis and honey, they are a pain in the neck. I generally give them a rinse when I get the honey back to the shed but water and leather don?t  mix well. Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

[Ben Framed]

Les when I use gloves I use Black Nitrile gloves, the 9 ml type.  They are disposable but I usually wash (in the washing machine) and reuse several times until they expire. I keep an extra pair in one of the jacket pockets. 

[G3farms]

Try saddle soap on the leather gloves, will do a fair job of washing out the dirt and leave some oils behind so as to not dry the leather out.

[paus]

I used the 9mm black nitrile until I figured out that the bees did not like black and they stung through the 9mm gloves.  I found some 12mm green gloves that the bees seem to0 ignore, I think it is the color, and they are much more easy to grip frames etc.  They are throw away economical

[Oldbeavo]

Throw the gloves away and get some quieter bees. Once you ditch he glove beekeeping is a lot easier.
My partner uses gloves and everything gets sticky, hlve tool, smoker, paint pen. Without glove you wash your hands more often, and the smoker, and the hive tool.
My veil is never sticky and needs a wash because my hands are clean.
Better alround hive hygiene.

[Jim134]

I used the 9mm black nitrile until I figured out that the bees did not like black and they stung through the 9mm gloves.  I found some 12mm green gloves that the bees seem to0 ignore, I think it is the color, and they are much more easy to grip frames etc.  They are throw away economical

   I believe you measurement are way off on the thickness of the glove.. 12 mm is close to half in inch in USA 🇺🇸  and  I believe that measurement you're talking about is mil


     BEE HAPPY  Jim134  😊
 

[The15thMember]

I used the 9mm black nitrile until I figured out that the bees did not like black and they stung through the 9mm gloves.  I found some 12mm green gloves that the bees seem to0 ignore, I think it is the color, and they are much more easy to grip frames etc.  They are throw away economical

   I believe you measurement are way off on the thickness of the glove.. 12 mm is close to half in inch in USA 🇺🇸  and  I believe that measurement you're talking about is mil


     BEE HAPPY  Jim134  😊

Oh my gosh!  Thank you for clearing this up!  I have been confused about this like my whole life, and I think many other Americans are too.  I had no idea that mil was a unit of measure, much less a CUSTOMARY one; I just figured it was some incorrect abbreviation for mm.    I'm so happy that this finally makes sense. 

[Ben Framed]

Thats right Jim, Mil for thickness was Paus intention I am sure. It was certainly mine lol. I have not experienced what Paus describe with the black 9 mil, but my bees are pretty gently. I have however on occasion, entered a hive that was apparently having a temperamental day and I felt the bumps of bees on my hand as they hit my gloves, but rarely a 'sting through' in my experience. Otherwise I would ruled this glove as useless as I did with the lesser mil gloves that I have tried. The 9mil gloves work for me... But there again, I do not mind taking a sting every now and then. If absolutely no sting was my goal, I would try the 12 mil as paus described.

[Lesgold]

The 9 Mil gloves are 9 /1000 of an inch in thickness. If a couple of my hives are having an off day I reckon that gloves with a thickness of 9mm would be more appropriate?? Oldbeavo, please don?t make comments about the temperament of my feral girls, they may hear you and get upset. 😂

[Oldbeavo]

Lesgold. If a mere comment is enough to get them upset then you definitely need bees with a better attitude.
Hand bumping and bees on your veil is enough to get a FIZZY tag on the lid, 2 fizzy tags and the queen is changed.
I know it is off-topic but quiet bees remove the need for gloves and veil washing.

[Lesgold]

As always, you are right. I have quite a few hives that have a lovely temperament and others that only their mother would love. The good ones are a pleasure to work without gloves and it is so much more enjoyable. I sweat a lot when working hard on a warm day. The suit does get a bit on the jammy side after about half a season. I can generally stand it in the corner of the shed without it falls over. The hood also ends up quite moist at the end of the day. Both parts get a wash even if the hood is in much better condition.

[Ben Framed]

Oldbeavo
"Hand bumping and bees on your veil is enough to get a FIZZY tag on the lid, 2 fizzy tags and the queen is changed.
I know it is off-topic but quiet bees remove the need for gloves and veil washing."

Not so much off topic. If only the gentlest of bees were in our apiaries, then there would be no need for a bee suit, jacket, veil or wearing gloves. Therefore no washing required. Your post are always interesting Oldbeavo. Advise from you is always appreciated.

Phillip

 

[Oldbeavo]

Most suits are of quite heavy cotton, my partner Karen uses a suit that is very light, lighter than my shirt and does not get stung.
On hot days the lighter the better.
I use my work shirt and a hat/ veil that has 360 degrees mesh to allow air flow. Hoods on suits can be hot.
I haven't tried the mesh type suits.
Les, we have had some nasty hives that i will break out the gloves for, but they don't last long. We always open them last (they have "do last"written on the lids) as they tend to release an attack smell that will set off the whole group.

[Ben Framed]

Oldbeavo
"I haven't tried the mesh type suits."

In that case please allow me to recommend this type to you and Karen. I wear only a dry-fit tee shirt under my jacket (when I choose to wear a jacket). Sometimes I even go shirtless as nothing else is needed for protection under the jacket! Any breeze what so ever feels sooo good and is absolutely a noticeable difference is my experience. The open mesh material is no comparison to even the thinest cotton on a hot sun blistering day! In my opinion..

If I felt the need for a complete bee suit, which I do not, I would only wear a pair of shorts for the rest to the suit in the heat!

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

PS
My jacket veil which is attached by zipping to the jacket is the same material, allows the luxurious added comfort.
On my regular veil, I use the type that has the completed wrap around screen. This independent veil also seems to be of added comfort allowing open ventilation from a 360 degree standpoint.

Phillip

[NigelP]

If I felt the need for a complete bee suit, which I do not, I would only wear a pair of shorts for the rest to the suit in the heat!

Phillip

I'll second that. All I use are mesh suits, virtually sting proof and beekeeping on a hot summers day in nothing but shorts is very welcome.
Nigel

[Bob Wilson]

Virtually, Nigel?
Are the mesh jackets not as good as a the standard kind? Do stings sometimes get through?
My biggest problem was bees getting past my jacket's old wrist elastic (worse than bees up a pants leg). My wife just finished sewing on some nice, new, tight elastic on mine.

[Michael Bush]

Nothing is sting proof, but the mesh suits are as close as it gets.  I really don't have any of the really cheap ones, but I have the Golden Bee Products and the Ultra Breeze ones.  The regular ones are not at all sting proof.  Anything they are tight against your skin, you can get stung.  I once got about 20 stings in about 2 seconds when my canvas bee jacket was stuck to my sweaty skin and I was brushing some hunger bees down from a cluster in a tree.  The part with the colony was on the ground but a lot of bees were on the top of the tree where it broke off.  I tried to bush them into a box and they instantly attacked me.  The bee jacket seemed to do nothing to slow them down.  But that's the regular canvas ones.  The nylon ones are better because the bees can't get a grip and that keeps them from being able to sting as well.  But the triple mesh ones the stinger can't reach you.  Of course, they may crawl up your pant leg or up your sleeve or you may forget to zip something up tight...