# Best suit for the money



## YooperBee (Sep 14, 2006)

I shopped around and found a decent price at Betterbee.com. Their price beat most others.


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## betrbekepn (Aug 7, 2006)

*The Best Bee Suits*

_*THE BEST BEE SUITS*_​

_*[highlight]Golden Bee Ventilated Bee Suit[/highlight]*_* 601-799-5660 http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b78/divemaster920/100_3087.jpg


[*][highlight]Ultra Breeze Ventilated Bee Suit[/highlight] http://www.honeymoonapiaries.com/suit/suit.htm


[*][highlight]B.J. Sherriff http://www.beesuits.com/[/highlight]* has a new suit named _[highlight]*Maxpro[/highlight]*_ . The suit is made from lightweight breathable hi-tech fabric and incorporates a fixed inner net liner ( made from quality 100% wide holed thick polyester net ) over the shoulders, part of torso, and extends up into the collar and hood section for extra sting protection. 
_*[highlight]U.S. Distributor[/highlight]*_ *http://www.mid-conagri.com/*


If you are on a tight budget I would look into getting some Tyvek coveralls. But I have to warn you, they get very hot.


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## Curtis (Jun 25, 2005)

Hey thats me in that Golden Bee Suit....and I still Love it. It still gets my vote.
Curtis


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

hey guys any one have a picture of the ultra breeze suit i cant get the link on his website. Nick


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## Ann (Feb 18, 2006)

*For larger sizes*

I had a hard time finding a suit that would fit my husband. He's 6'4" and 270 lbs, with very long legs, so I needed something with a long body depth and long leg length. The only suit we found that fit well was the XXL size from Beecare. He's had no problems with stings, and says it's comfortable enough in the heat (although we've only got a few hives, if we were further south with more hives he would definitely feel differently!). It's reasonably priced at $119.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I haven't had an ultra breeze. I would pay twice what I paid to have a Golden Bee Products suit if I had too. It gets me through the hot summer days of beekeeping.


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## Lively Bee's (Dec 9, 2004)

i am going to pick up a ultra bee suit this year the summer heat will zap you in no time.

But you can pick up a pair of white cover alls for 30 - 40 bucks

A lot of people just use blue jeans and a bee jacket for about $100


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

I went with a bee jacket ($35 from Betterbee) and a pair of $10 tyvek coveralls. This might be something to think about if you a) want protection while you do more in-depth research before buying, and b) don't mind sweating a lot in the meantime.

The only down side to the cheap tyvek coveralls is that they never make the legs long enough, so I have to wear tall boots.


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## Bee (Jan 17, 2007)

Hello All,

This is my suit that I just put together last week.

I took these pictures last night for someone inquiring. 
It's my answer to a low cost alternative.

Althought it is 1 size *too small* for the person wearing it 
*he **was a good sport* about being my last minute model.
(sshhhhhh......I wont tell him Im sending this to all of you)

This suit should fit a person @5'7" 135 or so lbs. (made for me)

I stuffed his 5'8" 220lb body into it for me to take the pictures. 

I can make and sell for under $50.00 
Please PM me with any questions 
If nothing else I would be happy to get feedback.

http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/cinsage/Bee Suit/


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*Ubs & Gbs*

>I haven't had an ultra breeze. I would pay twice what I paid to have a Golden Bee Products suit if I had too.

I have both. I feel the same way as MB about my Golden Bee Suits.


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## Jeffrey Todd (Mar 17, 2006)

Bullseye,

Is the ultrabreeze as good as the Golden Bee? Maybe you haven't had a chance to put it through its paces yet, especially in hot weather . . .


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*Not yet*

I made a long list of recomendations for modifications and improvments a few weeks ago but have not had any communication from MM since then. He is very busy.

I understand that at this point they are not all alike and the ones that he is producing are different than mine. Mine is not bug proof.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Not bug-prof as in bees get in it?


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## Bee (Jan 17, 2007)

BULLSEYE BILL said:


> I made a long list of recomendations for modifications and improvments a few weeks ago but have not had any communication from MM since then. He is very busy.
> 
> I understand that at this point they are not all alike and the ones that he is producing are different than mine. Mine is not bug proof.


Mabe Bullseye Bill means (Not Sting Proof)


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Just because they get in doesn't mean that they will sting you.


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

I use one of three differant combinations depending on the weather. I have a full suit with a zipper veil that gives excellent protection but I only use it if the temp is below 70 degrees beause it become a sauna above that temp. I have some lightweight coveralls that I sometimes use when temp is above 70 but not really hot. My prefered gear is a shoulder veil from Betterbee, a long sleeved white T-shirt, and loose fitting light collored slacks. I used to wear my regualr jeans but bees don't like dark colors and I can't bend over like I used to so I would pick up too many stings in the knees until I changed to light colors. I would really like a golden bee suit for those 100+ degree days but every time I get enough spare cash to order one Murphy gets into the act and the money has to go somewhere else.


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

*Improvements to the Ultra Breeze*

As BB said I have been very busy. Bullseye Bill's suit was the very first suit that we sent out. Based on his feed back and from others we made several modifications to the design. Since Bill loaned me his Golden Bee suit, he got a free suit and was our guinea pig. 

The original suit had a small Velcro flap with some foam padding to keep the bees from entering the hood at the zipper. After feed back from both Bill, Kenney Reed this part of the hood has been redesigned. There is now a much larger Velcro flap that does not allow any gaps that the bees can enter the suit.

Hood design has been modified and we now have a final design that works well. All hoods are now identical and interchangeable with each other. I now have about eight identical hoods in inventory now. Anyone who has the old style hood can send the suit back and it will be refitted with the new style hood at no cost.

Bill also mentioned he missed the bottom zipper slide on the front of the suit. Bill said he used the lower zipper to get to his pockets. I suspect the real reason is the extra zipper slide makes it easier to water the plants.  All suits now have double zipper slides. Unfortunately I can't think of a solution for the ladies. Feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions.

Bill mentioned the Velcro around the wrist was not long enough. The entire sleeve cuff now has Velcro all the way around, both hook and loop parts. The Velcro that is used to tighten the sleeve around your wrist is longer than needed. Each beekeeper can trim the un-needed portion with scissors. The string on the pants cuff has also been replaced. The original suit used a cotton cord that Bill mentioned would not hold up. This cord is now replaced with Velcro all the way around the cuff like the sleeves.

We ended up making a lot of changes to the original suit that Bill received based on the feedback from Bill and others. Unfortunately that has led to a production slow down as we develop new construction techniques to incorporate these improvements. I know there are some people waiting on their suits but we wanted to test and implement the changes. 

Bill when you can do without the suit for a week or so, send it back and we will make the above modifications. With all the changes you ended up with a proto-type.

magnet-man

Note: The web site pictures are not updated for the new suit. I will post new pictures sometime this weekend.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*Outstanding!*

It's great to hear that it's come so far this fast. The extra velcro will really make a big difference although I will miss the girls tickling my neck and ears. 

The UBS veil is much easier to see through than the GBS unless you get a reflection on the inside like when the sun is behind you. Overall I really like the veil and would like to have one outfitted on my GBS too.

I've done three cut-outs so far in mine and it is holding up well even though I have snagged it and gotten it all gummed up with propolis it hasn't got any holes yet.

I'm excited to get mine updated but will miss it during the downtime.


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## JP (Jul 10, 2005)

*bee suits*

The last one looks like tyvek, if that's the case I doubt it would be sting proof but I don't know for a fact that it is indeed made of that material. I have several suits but love my Golden Bee suit, with one exception, well two, the gloves that came with it (disposable) and the veil. I have gotten stung on the forehead and face with the goldenbee veil. Now Bill at honeymoon apiaries, who happens to be from where I live now, says his suit is somewhat modeled off the Goldenbee suit but has improved the veil (different design) and he says its cooler (we'll see) and I will get my suit in less than 8 months!


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

betrbekepn said:


> [*]_[highlight]B.J. Sherriff http://www.beesuits.com/[/highlight]_[/b] has a new suit named _[highlight]*Maxpro[/highlight]*_ . The suit is made from lightweight breathable hi-tech fabric and incorporates a fixed inner net liner ( made from quality 100% wide holed thick polyester net ) over the shoulders, part of torso, and extends up into the collar and hood section for extra sting protection.
> _*[highlight]U.S. Distributor[/highlight]*_ [b]http://www.mid-conagri.com/[/b]


The above mid-conagri link didn't work for me, (keeps taking me to oralb toothbrushes ) until I typed in the url myself. Also, I am interested in the Maxpro suit as I have another Sherriff suit and love it, but there doesn't seem to be a link to it, nor can I find any reference at all. Do you have a more specific link to that particular suit from Sherriff?



magnet-man said:


> Bill also mentioned he missed the bottom zipper slide on the front of the suit. Bill said he used the lower zipper to get to his pockets. I suspect the real reason is the extra zipper slide makes it easier to water the plants.  All suits now have double zipper slides. Unfortunately I can't think of a solution for the ladies. Feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions.


For the ladies, my Sherriff suit has a drop down seat like old fashioned long undies. The top tucks into this elastisized "hatch" and is secured by a belted clasp on the front, thus eliminating this distinct disadvantage women have when wearing the full one piece suit. I am not sure if they still offer this feature, I don't see this offered on their website either.
Sheri


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## betrbekepn (Aug 7, 2006)

JohnK and Sheri said:


> The above mid-conagri link didn't work for me, (keeps taking me to oralb toothbrushes ) until I typed in the url myself. Also, I am interested in the Maxpro suit as I have another Sherriff suit and love it, but there doesn't seem to be a link to it, nor can I find any reference at all. Do you have a more specific link to that particular suit from Sherriff?



*I fixed the link to http://www.mid-conagri.com/  

The B.J. Sherriff Maxpro description is from page 12 in Bee Cultures April 07 Magazine. *


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## MichelleB (Jan 29, 2006)

I called Mid-Conagri and they said they no longer handle the Maxpro suits. The guy I spoke with said the US distributor is now Sacramento Beekeeper's Supply, (916) 451-2337. I called to confirm and to get info, but they're not in Mondays.


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

I read the ad with great interest of course. I have looked into the new high-tech fabric and it sounds like one of the fabric that I looked at. Such fabrics are usually referred to as spacer fabric or 3D mesh fabric. If you look at some motor cross gloves, you will see small three-dimensional mesh. I think this is what they are referring to.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/518N2DNBY6L._SS500_.jpg

I did find a source for gloves manufactured of this material at a reasonable price. The factory though was located in Pakistan. With customs and shipping they were going to be pricey. They weren’t that cool either. 

They could also be referring to this. http://www.baltex.co.uk/Default.asp?menu=19&parent=2&grandparent=0&language=english

This material is very expensive. The second one is around $20 a square yard with a minimum order of 2,000 square yards. I have found one supplier that will sell it in smaller quantity for $39 a square yard. 

It will be interesting to see what the Maxpro actually looks like. Their web site has no information on it.


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## betrbekepn (Aug 7, 2006)

I emailed *B.J. Sherriff* requesting info regarding their *Maxpro* Suit. They mailed me a nice brochure and fabric samples. Anybody have a scanner? I'll mail the brochure to you so you can post pics. Would it be illegal to put their brochure on the internet? There are 2 styles of the *Body Shield* suits. The [highlight]*BeeproMax*[/highlight] is made from Quality Poly\Cotton and features the Body Shield (polyester net) for extra sting protection. The [highlight]*Maxpro*[/highlight] is made out of breathable, wickable, hi-tech nylon also with the Body Shield. They also sent me a brochure about their [highlight]*Beekeeper*[/highlight] suit. It's made from ultra lightweight breathable nylon, says it is slick and so shiny that bees find it hard to get a grip. Says its color is UMBER. Looks Shiny Orange. I think the *Maxpro* suit would be cooler judging the feel of the fabric. The *Beekeeper* suit feels slick, kind of like silk. The Body Shield polyester net fabric is made from woven polyester, not foam like, with holes the size of a pencil.


*[*]Maxpro $320
[*]BeeproMax $ ?
[*]Beekeeper $250*


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## Bee (Jan 17, 2007)

*>Would it be illegal to put their brochure on the internet?*

*You can if you ask them and they say its ok.*
*Its free publicity for them. *


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Betrbekepn sent me the Sherriff brochure to scan in. Took me a while to get around to it but here are links to those scans. 
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2474926020048587895MVCWmu

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2051933030048587895dypokg

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2826592500048587895ktIwFT

Here is a pic showing a bit on my Sherriff jacket, with a pretty large swarm. Didn't need the protection of the suit with a swarm of course, but I can tell you they work great.  The jacket is about 10 years old......
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2621079820048587895dHoCdP

Sheri


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

OK since I make a suit, take this with a grain of salt. Bees see the color red as black so I wonder what they see the orange as? Orange is a mix of red and yellow.

On my suit I would perfer to use white plastic zippers instead of brass because I am concern the darker brass being a target area for AHB. I use brass because everyone wants brass and not plastic.


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## Bee (Jan 17, 2007)

magnet-man said:


> OK since I make a suit, take this with a grain of salt.
> 
> *Ya I agree with magnet-man*
> 
> ...


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

I have toyed with the idea of putting camo on my hives.
http://www.camo4u.com/

It would be cheaper to paint it.


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## Bee (Jan 17, 2007)

magnet-man said:


> I have toyed with putting camo on my hives.
> http://www.camo4u.com/


 
How did that Go?


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## magnet-man (Jul 10, 2004)

> How did that Go?


My bees got CCD because they couldn't find the hive.


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