# Foot wear for beekeeping



## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I just wear chicken muck boots unless I have to work bees at night. Then I wear white boots so I can easily see the crawlers. I rarely have bees get into the chicken boots but it does happen once in a while. Pull your boots on and then tug your pants out gently a little so there's some extra material that they have to crawl through. You can always run a strip of duct tape around the boot tops if you have to. Honestly, unless I'm shaking frames right around me or I'm working at dusk, I don't get a ton of bees around my feet so one or two "exploring" is just another day.


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## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

+1 for rubber muck boots

Only downside is the do get hot and don't dry out quickly on the inside.


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

I bought a pair of winter boots with rubber toes. These are really thick boots that are like hiking type. I have to say that the blouse of the legs of the bee suit need to go over the shoes. If needed duct tape that closure. I have high percentage of Africanized bees, so that's done if I am really going to stir things up. Close all entrance area's is the main objective.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Bought a pair of these for $20 or something in that range. They're warm and get used in the winter a lot. Bees never sting thru them. It's part of my bee costume. lol 
https://www.ruralking.com/proline-m...oots-win7063bu-by-pro-line-manufacturing.html


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I generally just wear blue jeans with some cheap old sneakers. 90% of the time this works ok, but occasionally the bees go for my ankles. This spring, I worked with a commercial beekeeper for a day who had just got bees back from the almonds (bees were very agitated). I noticed that all his employees had ankle gaiters over their shoes. I quickly found out why. Boy, that made for a tough day for me - I've never been stung so many times on my ankles!! I still dress the same, but if I ever go back to visit this guy, I'll be sure to have good ankle coverage. When I know the bees are going to be agitated, I wear over the ankle leather boots, but still an occasional bee will find her way up.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

Bees sting when they get pinched between clothing and your skin. All I use is t shirt shorts and on the feet sandals. This year my veil broke now I'm going without that. It makes you learn how to not make them bugs angry.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Try wearing some nice fuzzy black fleece while working your bees.


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## Richard Cryberg (May 24, 2013)

Sneakers and white sox


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

aunt betty said:


> Try wearing some nice fuzzy black fleece while working your bees.


lol I had on some black fuzzy socks....................7 stings at once..............Only wear white now.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

aunt betty said:


> Try wearing some nice fuzzy black fleece while working your bees.


Haha... Yup!


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## Sour Kraut (Jun 17, 2012)

omnimirage said:


> I've got some ankle high boots, and I'm finding bees are crawling into my shoes and stinging me on my foot through my foot, and on my ankle.
> 
> I'm wondering, would high-top leather boots be more practical for beekeeping? Something that sits up higher? I'm not sure if without such, the bees would easily be able to crawl down the length to one's foot. Or would not having a lace or zip be better, since if one does get stung on the foot, or get a bee down there, it'd be easier to slide off the boot?
> 
> Are steel caps worthwhile for beekeeping? Have any of you guys dropped something heavy on your foot whilst beekeeping?


White socks long enough to tuck your pants legs into.

High top boots that cover the pants-socks area.

A band of Duct Tape if you are not sure it's bee tight.

Steel toed boots.........use 'em ! a corner of a super of honey can do serious damage to the foot.


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## Farmercal (May 19, 2015)

I was wearing half boots until the suit legs rose up during an OAV treatment and they got my ankles. I now wear a pair of de-icer boots that I was issued while stationed in South Dakota during the 80's while I was still in the Air Force. They are high-top and super insulated. You would think my feet would get hot down here but it's quite the opposite. They don't even sweat in those things.


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## appalachianoutdoors (May 16, 2015)

http://www.galls.com/511-tactical-atac-zipper-boot?PMWTNO=000000000002081&PMSRCH=
These EMS / Duty boots with a side zipper work great. No sting through, light weight, easy on and off with side zipper.


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

I wear Walmart moccasins all the time. 
The only time I wear mud boots is after rain or heavy dew. 
Only 2 stings that I can remember.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I've got some ankle high boots, and I'm finding bees are crawling into my shoes and stinging me on my foot through my foot, and on my ankle.
>I'm wondering, would high-top leather boots be more practical for beekeeping? Something that sits up higher? I'm not sure if without such, the bees would easily be able to crawl down the length to one's foot. Or would not having a lace or zip be better, since if one does get stung on the foot, or get a bee down there, it'd be easier to slide off the boot?

I wear high end oil tanned boots all the time. Not just for beekeeping. If I would rubber band my ankles I probably would never get stung anywhere but on the fingers when catching queens. I get new boots about once a decade and they get more comfortable the older they get...

>Are steel caps worthwhile for beekeeping? Have any of you guys dropped something heavy on your foot whilst beekeeping?

I don't like steel toes myself. They never fit right and I don't think I ever dropped anything heavy on my feet while beekeeping. The only time I've wished I had steel toes is when my mare steps on my foot...


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I have been wearing flip flops. I did get stung once on the toe and once on the ankle early on. In both cases I think I squished a nosy bee more then they were trying to get me. My biggest worry is being able to run if I ever do make a lot of bees mad. I do smoke the heck out of my feet and crocs or flip flops. If any body gets the ideal that I think I am tough and that is why I wear what I wear, nothing could be furthure from the truth. I don't like getting stung. I am only working 8 hives right now and not spending more then an hour or so when I get in the hives and so in a hoby type situation like that, I just am not getting stung much. I will dress up like a polar bear from head to foot if that ever starts to change. I do think the smokeiing of my whole body and then the smoking of the hive helps alot.
Cheers
gww


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

Flipflops! Oh, gww! :applause:

I tend to watch my bees more than where I put my feet so I wear comfortable high trekking boots not to hurt my ankles.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I where my crocs shoes. And white socks. If I know their are going to be pissy I then spray some good smelling bee go on my ankles/ shoes.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I work the bees at night time because our summer day time temp. is too hot for
comfort. A pairs of black rubber waterproof garden boots work great for me for years. I just
tug in the bee suit pant legs for a snug fit. No stinging other than one incident where I
forgot to tug in the pants. Don't make them too loose!


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## TexasFreedom (Feb 25, 2016)

I'll second the crocs. It's just the most comfortable for my bad back.

But I wear 2 pairs of white socks. One goes inside my suit, then the suit, then I tuck the suit inside a second pair of socks. All my bees are aggressive and I've gotten stung through a single sock a number of times. No issues with 2 pairs.

BUT, I do prefer camo-colored crocs... my theory is the bees are less interested in that color (and I'm sticking with that idea)


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Keen "sneakers", i.e. not old-style canvas Keds, with light-tan or natural-colored cotton socks pulled up and over the bottom edges of my tan-colored jeans. The socks are more for tick protection than for bee-proofness. They are thick enough, and the jeans' legs are bloused enough when tucked in, that I almost never seem to get stung on the ankle. At night I usually have rubber boots on instead to keep my shoes from being soaked by dew.

I wish the ticks on my farm allowed me to wear sandals - but they would just crawl up my legs.

Nancy


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## Asia-Off-Grid (May 1, 2017)

gww said:


> I have been wearing flip flops.


+1 

Too hot in Southeast Asia to wear anything but shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. 

The only tools / equipment in hand are a veil, a hive tool, and a smoker.

I'm very fortunate, in that my girls are very docile.


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## eltalia (Jun 12, 2017)

Asia-Off-Grid said:


> +1
> Too hot in Southeast Asia to wear anything but shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops.
> The only tools / equipment in hand are a veil, a hive tool, and a smoker.
> I'm very fortunate, in that my girls are very docile.


Having read these past months what now must be thousands of posts around beesuits, plus the Yotoob videos of same use, I remain confident the beesuit industry is not going to fail, just yet... but.
As we as trainees were required to wear overalls (Kingee and Yakka brands) for all field tuition I had no problem most of the year in then SouEast Queensland. Moving later through West and then South Australia I soon learnt to loathe that garb for working bees, pockets sewn up no less.
Coming into Darwin I welcomed the Jackie Howe+Stubbies+Thongs(flipflops/jandals) as standard bee working garb... never left it since, albeit I wear a Tshirt these days lest the lil children become frightened.
I no longer need a suit as cutouts offn ladders is something I will never do again in my sunset years.

From this post I would hope beesuit enthusiasts take away one thing.. like we did with our Yakkas after a hard day in a lit up apiary, hang the gear on a clothes line and spray liberally with the hose... leave it hang for a whole day letting the dew remove the bee sting pheromone.
When bees start hitting on you when approaching a colony it's recognised odour or ****e bees. Both can be fixed, easily.

Bill


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

I bought some mid calf neoprine type garden boots at tractor supply. They stretch more than the rubber ones and are more comfortable. Their is ample overlap for the legs of my suit. The neoprine uppers and thick rubber foot areas are proving to be sting proof so far.


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## tnmtn (May 27, 2016)

I know it's stupid but I wear Teva sandals and thick socks. They are non slip and I wear them doing any outside work. Knock wood but I haven't been stung yet. As long as we are careful not to shake off bees under where we are working it's not a problem.


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

I have received more stings on my feet than any where.
This is the reason I purchased new boots this year. I used to were street shoes, but the last round of stings made it difficult to wear shoes for days.


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## thesecurityeagle (Jun 21, 2016)

You can buy ankle gaiters for around $15US. You can also take the old pair of gloves that's gotten a hole (I cut the fingers out for better dexterity so they last forever) and no longer serviceable and use the canvas forearm protection to make a set of gaiters for low money. Sew a strip of Velcro on the mating surfaces and then an elastic band to go around the bottom of your boot to prevent them from riding up and you have everything you need plus you get a few more years of wear from the gloves you would otherwise toss.


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## robirot (Mar 26, 2017)

I always wear my knee high rubberboots from Bata Jobmaster II i luckily got when i worked at an abatoir in Australia for a couple months. 1st time i found realy comfortabel boots, you can walk in them all day, but you also need to like to wear rubber boots, but if you do so, you won't change back.


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## Grady Stanley (Jul 7, 2017)

Dan the bee guy said:


> Bees sting when they get pinched between clothing and your skin. All I use is t shirt shorts and on the feet sandals. This year my veil broke now I'm going without that. It makes you learn how to not make them bugs angry.


Me too - shorts, t-shirt and sneakers. I do usually wear a veil too since they got me once on the cheek and I didn't like that too much.


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## Wosiewose (Oct 31, 2015)

I used to wear my black calf-high "motorcycle" boots, which were a bit of a tight fit, until I started getting peripheral neuropathy in my feet (later found out I have diabetes) and switched to my old, comfy, almost-knee-high, light tan Uggs. With baggy jeans rubber-banded around the ankles on the outside, they've worked great so far keeping the bees at bay, and my feet are much more comfortable. I thought the Uggs would be too hot in the summer, but they turned out to be very comfortable even then because they "breathe". Been lucky not to drop anything heavy on them, though I suppose that will happen someday...

Wosiewose


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## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

On dry days I use these:http://www.macmel.pt/pt/produtos/produtos/produtos/prote-o-apicultor/botas-apicultor-brancas

On rainy and cold days I use others waterproof and warmer ones. I have no images of these last ones.


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