Understanding the Beekeeping Suit
Before you start handling bees, you need to learn about the bees’ method of defense. But even with this knowledge, most beekeepers do not take chances by wearing a beekeeping suit. You might just be allergic to bee stings and you won’t find out unless you are actually stung by one.
Before taking up the hobby of beekeeping, first find out if you do have an allergy to bee stings. All beekeepers experience being stung. Some even let themselves be stung periodically, on purpose. This is because some believe that the more they get stung, the more they will become immune to the bee’s venom as their body develops anti-bodies to it.
But even experienced beekeepers still use a beekeeping suit, hat and veil, and gloves to minimize the chances of being stung. Not all like to wear the gloves though, particularly since it can get in the way in doing more delicate tasks. When stung on the hand, the stinger can also be easily removed by flicking it off with a fingernail.
Out of all parts of the body, the most vulnerable to bee stings would be the face and neck. Bees are attracted to a person’s breath and would most likely target the face when they intend to sting. Aside from the fact that a bee sting to the face hurts more than in any other part of the body, It is also not easy to take out the bee stinger from the face without the aid of a mirror. Be sure to know the proper way of approaching the hive without causing anxiety to the bees to minimize the possibility of being attacked.
The beekeeping suit covers the entire body of a beekeeper when working with the bees. It is made of a light-colored, smooth material. The reason behind the light coloring of the suits is because it is far removed from the coloring of natural bee predators, such as bears and skunks which are dark and furry.
You can still be stung by a bee even when you are wearing the suit. But it makes it much easier to take off the stingers by simply tugging it off. You won’t likely get the full dose of the venom with your suit on. The stingers left on the suit will continue to exude an alarm pheromone which attracts other bees, so wash your suit often to avoid being stung again. You can also wash your hands with vinegar to deter the bees from stinging them.
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