# Please do not laugh, quite humorous



## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

"sounds stupid" *You said it, not me*

First, my guess is that you will get MORE stings because the barbs on the stingers should stick into the diving suit quite well, and they will release even more pheromones to cause additional bees to attack.
Second, Spend the money and get a Ultrabreeze suit or a golden beesuit and a decent fitting pair of snow boots. -- No more stings


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## honeybees (Oct 19, 2009)

already wear the Master beekeeper suit from Brushy Mountain, nothing master about it, but you have a point well taken


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

OK, I am not laughing. I have a slightly defective smoker. Saw a great design for a punctured tin can to provide air to all of the fuel on Michael Bush's website. Thankfully, I ate a can of pineapple and hadn't recycled the can yet. (I don't eat much canned food) My question is, are there situations where smoking the bees does not calm them down?

And on the scuba suit, in Texas you would die of heat stroke within 10 minutes, and wouldn't even notice the stings.


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## Davebcrzy (Mar 12, 2011)

I had a problem with bees stinging me through the full body bee suit. The ladies also found that they could get in through the small opening where the zippers on the hood come together. I now wear a long sleep shirt of thick cotton or flannel under the bee suit. I wear boots that cover the ankles and I use elastic bands that wrap around the pants leg at the ankle. I also put duct tape over the zipper that closes the hood. 

Dave


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## honeybees (Oct 19, 2009)

Hey Dave, got the same problem with hbs getting in that neck area where the zippers meet, i close that area off with a cotton ball. do not want to have a heat stroke, gets hot enough with just the suit on, that was a good point. like the idea about rubber bands and duct tape also, thanks


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## johnblagg (May 15, 2011)

lol get one of the halloween costumes with the battery operated blowers that inflate it to sumo westler size they can sting it all they want and not touch you


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I guess I have sweet bees. (although the old hive was NOT sweet just before half of them swarmed off in May, and I didn't have a suit. Couldn't go on the lot without a smoker and still got stung)

I got Dadant's full body suit with the zip on hood guard, and made a lot of stupid mistakes opening my hive a couple of days ago, so they were not happy with me. Since my smoker also was not working properly I kept having to leave the hive open and go beyond the fence for tools, to light the smoker, etc. That may have de-fused the situation, they calmed down a little while I was gone, I'd get about 2 puffs out of the smoker, and check another frame or 2. 

I have velcro flaps that close over the zipper opening, and I wore my leather cowboy boots with the suit over top of them. I am now learning they can sting THRU the suit if I make them mad enough? (wondering if one of those Hard hats would fit in the hood too.)


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I was thinking that.... (air pump to puff suit out.)


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

As one who wears blue jeans that I duct tape to my boots, and an old long sleeve shirt with pith helmet and draw string veil, and rarely wear gloves, I just don't get it. The two "junk yard dog" hives I have, I wear gloves with, after I get my initial arthritis treatment. Otherwise, I'll get an occasional sting on the back, but? bees sting. If you have a hot hive, requeen it. If you don't ever want a bee sting, don't keep bees. :lookout: They will find a way to sting you. That's what they do. 
Regards,
Steven


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## treebee (Mar 7, 2009)

Get a bigger suit.
A looser fit will take more hits.
Theres a hat with a flap. I once saw on a cat. 
and a pair of sweat wrist bands do wonders at the wrist.
On hot days I use my water on the wrist bands for a built in body cooler. 
I have found that going gloveless in most hives I pay more attention to what I am doing. As to stings. 
Sufferage is good for the soul. John


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

...have you spent time with experienced beekeepers? A proper hive inspection and proper use of a smoker (both lighting and using) are skills that need to be learned. Dare I ask if you are using a smoker? Also, remember that if you are going through a hive, you have to be careful about who else might be in the vicinity (wife, child, stranger, mailman, tresspasser, pet, livestock, etc). A bulletproof suit won't calm the bees down...proper use of a smoker will in almost 100% of the cases.


deknow


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## dixiebeeco (May 3, 2011)

Sounds like ya'll need to requeen. I work my 11 hives usually in a veil, shorts and T-shirt. Hardly ever get stung, but usually in the hand if I do.


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## Axtmann (Dec 29, 2002)

Are you guys working with killer bees? Is there a good honey production and is it a big problem with swarming? I wonder that people still keep bees with that behavior.
God thanks; we don’t have killer bees here. I can work on my bees without a head protection and even without gloves.


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## rbaum0519 (Mar 21, 2011)

As a rookie I too have made my own stupid mistakes. Lesson one: Don't leave any open access points to your suit they will find them. I had 5 come into my bonnet because I forgot to check the velcro flap. Recently they've been getting me on my ankles. They have also stung me through the full body suit. This hot weather has made them onnery this year. As long as I don't get stung in the face area I'm not too concerned - good medicine.


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## johnblagg (May 15, 2011)

actually any kind of bee can have different temprements some italians can be hot and in south america they do keep the africanized ones now and even with them temper varies...If Im not mistaken the small dark colored native german bee has quite a hot temper.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

rbaum0519 said:


> As long as I don't get stung in the face area I'm not too concerned - good medicine.


...please give us an update on your thoughts about being stung in the face when you take one in the sack (or the female equivalent...can't tell your gender from your user name).

deknow (who knows first hand)


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## bruce todd (May 11, 2010)

Just buy an Ultra Breeze and be done with it. I only have the jacket and have not been hit once this year thru it. My hands and legs however are another story. But thats got nothing to do with effectiveness of the jacket.


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

We pull honey off thousands of hives wearing the Mann Lake economy jacket and jeans and seldom get stung...maybe you smell like a bear...try taking a bath. : )


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## utahbees (Jun 30, 2011)

I wear my upland hunting BriarGuard pants over large boots with the Mann Lake Economy Jacket. They don't seem to be able to get through the BriarGuard Pants. Cabelas sells all kinds of briar proof/snake proof pants and chaps that would probably work for you. 

I use the BriarGuard pants for all my yard working chores because they are actually quite comfortable and last far longer than any other work pant I have tried. In fact after about 4 yrs of miles of upland hunting and yard chores I am still on the first pair!

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-BriarGuard8482-Pants-150-Regular/752534.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dbriar%2Bguard%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=briar+guard&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I got stung once on the hand, and twice on the head, one sting at a time a couple of days apart this spring. Benadryl is my friend. I didn't take it when I got the hand sting (headed to work and worried about drowsiness) and my hand was swollen for days. On the head stings, i just took the pill and went to work. I put the bees on the lot with one of my ponds, and where I store my trailer, have a shed with some equipment. When I needed the trailer, and neither I or my helper had a bee suit, it was quite exciting, they were doing suicide dives at the smoker. About a week later half of the hive swarmed off and life became peaceful. THEN my beesuit came. I did learn not to wear black, btw.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

How HOT are those pants? This is Texas. It's toasty except December thru February. Maybe a bit of snow in March, but before I spend $109 on a pair of pants, I want to know if I'll cook in them...



utahbees said:


> I wear my upland hunting BriarGuard pants over large boots with the Mann Lake Economy Jacket. They don't seem to be able to get through the BriarGuard Pants. Cabelas sells all kinds of briar proof/snake proof pants and chaps that would probably work for you.
> 
> I use the BriarGuard pants for all my yard working chores because they are actually quite comfortable and last far longer than any other work pant I have tried. In fact after about 4 yrs of miles of upland hunting and yard chores I am still on the first pair!
> 
> http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-BriarGuard8482-Pants-150-Regular/752534.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dbriar%2Bguard%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=briar+guard&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products


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## msapostol (Sep 6, 2008)

I had to look at this one because you mentioned laughing!
Anyway, I wondering also how hot the suit would be too. I've gotten hit this year through my full body bee suit also. I wasn't wearing a long sleeved t-shirt, and they got me in the area between the sleeve and top of my bee gloves. Amazing how they can do that!!


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## utahbees (Jun 30, 2011)

Gypsi said:


> How HOT are those pants? This is Texas. It's toasty except December thru February. Maybe a bit of snow in March, but before I spend $109 on a pair of pants, I want to know if I'll cook in them...


Maybe I am use to wearing them but I do not find them any warmer than a medium/heavy weight pair of jeans or carharts... we are heading into the upland bird season this time of year, however, if you are able to wait until about Dec/Jan Cabelas usually puts their upland gear on sale. I think I got mine half off!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

honeybees said:


> I am thinking about buying a scuba diving suit to wear under my head to toe bee outfit.


Save your money and buy a Smoker. Then learn how to use it and work your bees when the weather is good during the part of a day when the sun is shining and bees are flying.

If you are getting stung around the ankles, maybe you shouldn't stand in fronty of the hive. I wear jeans and sneakers when working bees, even when taking off honey, quite often.

Is there someone w/ more experience who you could work w/ some? You could learn a thing or two. Good luck.


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## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

slow down,
use a smoker
don't stand in front of the hive
maybe stop spraying newspaper with sugar water!! Did the sugar water have any food or essential oils that might attract the bees to you a bit more?
I've done several newspaper combines and never used sugar water on the paper. Just 1 thickness with a few cuts in it.
If you must use the sugar water, wait till it is in place on the hive.
Good luck

fyi, I'm an older woman who wears shorts, shirt and veil. I gave my suit to my husband because it is just too hot to wear it most of the time. I work 4 hives and rarely get stung - usually on my hand when I don't watch where I'm placing it.
Good luck


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## baldwinbees (Mar 2, 2010)

you will fall out from heat exhaustion in a wetsuit!Get a golden bee or ultrabreeze suit


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## Risky Beesness (Dec 29, 2010)

I have not been nailed once through my Ultrabreeze and my bees are pretty testy with this drought. When it's really hot, I soak myself with a hose and the suit still doesn't cling where they can get you. It's actually cooler with the wet suit on than standing in the sun without it. 

Oh, and as someone who occassionly wears a wetsuit for hours at a time, I would never consider using it for working my bees.


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## mrsl (Apr 21, 2010)

Get an Ultrabreeze! I have the full suit and have never been stung through it....even when working nasty hives at night. Hoping they come out with a ventilated glove soon


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## Oberlinmom (Mar 11, 2009)

I have had bees in my shirt, in my pants and up my sleeves. Didn't get stung. Then, I've been nailed through heavy weight jeans, leaned a box on my leg and oops. I've had them dive into my hair from a distance and tunnel to my scalp, ouch. Just depends on the day, the weather and my luck. We dumped a whole hive (two deeps and a medium) last year. Walked away without a sting. Neither of us had any equipment. THEN, I went back to "save" them. Only took one or two stings before I rethought that plan.
I usually wear a full jacket hood combo, long pants tucked into boots. I have gotten stung too many times by an errant traveler, climbing into my boots, oh and I duct tape the hole in my jeans. The other day I had three bees trucking around inside my pant leg circling my knee. I moved and one stung the back of my knee. As soon as I felt another head to that area I knew I was in trouble and zing! Smoke doesn't help when they are already inside and your hands are full. My neighbors must laugh at my ensemble. Hair up, headband for sweat, duct taped pants, heavy jeans, Boots and a full jacket with hood out in the sun in 90 degree weather. "Oh yes she's quite sane...... we just don't make eye contact."


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## rlsiv (Feb 26, 2011)

Although I'd never wear one forbeekeeping, I CAN attest that a cold-water wetsuit will provide protection from stings. Waaaay back when I was in school, one of my landscape/lawncare customers hired me to rid their yard of a huge bald-faced hornet's nest in a tree.

Being short on time, I put on my thickest wetsuit, laced up boots, and my bee veil over it, thick leather (welding) gloves, taped a couple of seams and shimmied up my ladder, pulled a heavy trashbag over the nest, cut the branches, and sealed it up.

There were hundreds of REALLY angry huge hornets pelting me all over, but I didn't (thankfully) get stung. Not sure that 25yrs later I'd have the nerve (or level of stupidity) to try that stunt again now.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I have noted that some of my most courageous acts had that element of brash stupidity about them. Fortunately, I've gotten lucky...


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## rmaro (Feb 22, 2011)

Axtmann said:


> Are you guys working with killer bees? Is there a good honey production and is it a big problem with swarming? I wonder that people still keep bees with that behavior.
> God thanks; we don’t have killer bees here. I can work on my bees without a head protection and even without gloves.


Guess they must be, I am glad that my shorts and Tshirts protect me so well! 
I at least use a veil.


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## Kazzandra (Jul 7, 2010)

honeybees said:


> already wear the Master beekeeper suit from Brushy Mountain, nothing master about it, but you have a point well taken


Never been stung through this suit, but I bought a 3X because it was on sale and because I knew the extra sizes would be good to protect me. Now how I look wearing it? I doubt very good. But no one looks good in a bee suit, anyway. XD

I usually go bare-footed with the suit on or wear crocs, but I work the hives from the back. No one's ever found my weak spot, but I'm sure one of these days I'll take it to my Achilles hell (pun intended). All I have are garden shoes and winter boots right now-- next pay check I guess bee shoes are in the works.



Davebcrzy said:


> The ladies also found that they could get in through the small opening where the zippers on the hood come together.
> Dave


My last set of stings was due to the opening in the zippers. A piece of my hair had been surreptitiously zipped in with the zipper, and when I moved my head to look over my shoulder, the horrifying sound of unzipping followed by two hits to the chest and one on the forehead occurred. Worse yet, I couldn't get the one who had hit me on the forehead out of the veil, because my hair had now jammed the zipper, so I couldn't get it off. There she was, sitting on the veil, stingerless, releasing alarm pheromone like a beacon. I got the heck out of there, like a smart kid, and took only two more stings.

They'd done this once before when I'd failed to get all the zippers meet, so I do wonder if those little kamikaze sisters have a way to let their hive know, even as they die, a successful way to attack. Thus I'm worried that when they do find my feet, I'll never be left alone at feet level again.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Gypsi said:


> My question is, are there situations where smoking the bees does not calm them down?


Absolutely. When the smoke is too hot. When you smoke them too much. When you don't wait a few minutes between smoking them an opening the hive. There's a lot of "technique" to using a smoker. I think I saw an article in the latest _Bee Culture_ that had some good tips on using a smoker.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Had to move my 20-hive bee trailer out of the soybean field Tuesday night, they were going to spray Wednesday. Spent late afternoon and early evening securing everything, most of the time between the hives in soaking wet t-shirt, no veil or gloves. 95 degrees, full sun. At dusk when I went to work in front of them, long sleeve shirt and veil. 

But there are times you just know you're going to get nailed, so you just do what you have to do. Sure enough, before I finished, my shirt was soaking, and I had been nailed three times on the back. I hate that! But you do what you have to do. Another 4 or 5 on the hands, but got them moved to safety, and the flow just keeps coming! woo hoo!!! :banana:

When I got home at 10 pm, after 6 hours working bees (I'm 63 and have a desk job normally) my wife asked me how I do it, the stings ... and in my best John Wayne voice - "A beekeeper's gotta do, what a beekeeper's gotta do." 
Regards,
Steven


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

When I intend to work the bees (yesterday was a, oh, gee the feeder jar is empty, which cost me one sting to the face) I used to wear my suit, which has elastic at sleeve and cuff, and tennis shoes with socks. After moving a hive with a veteran last week, and looking at her feet saw leather boots, with the elasticized leg over top of the boot, and elasticized sleeve over the end of the glove, I had an aha moment. Now, I have a front porch full of new eqpt, Dadant was fast! I will be wearing my leather cowboy boots, with the beesuit elastic leg over top of them, and my gloves now go INSIDE the elastic sleeves. Guess I'll be working after dark tonight or early in the morning, like, hmmm, 5:30 - half an hour before sunrise. Buying a shepherd's crook hanger and a solar hanging light in a few minutes.


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## honeybees (Oct 19, 2009)

well, to give you an update on the mean and nasty hive, what a difference it makes to have a queen in the hive to calm things down. Though when i did open it up to see how things were going, i did have a few come at me but not like before when they had a death wish, have a nasty hive they are queenless. and to those who handle hbs without protective wear, i raise my glass to you, sorry but no way would i do it


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