Lesson 20: Protective Gear

Veils, suits, gloves and shoes: what you need and why

Protective gear, called PPE (personal protective equipment), lets you focus on the bees instead of worrying about stings. Experienced beekeepers get stung less because they've learned to handle bees well, and some eventually work with very little gear. Until you have that experience, protect yourself.

The veil: wear one every time while you're learning

The veil is the most important piece of gear. It's a hat with netting that covers your head, face and neck. Stings there aren't just painful, they can be dangerous:

• a sting to the eye can cause blindness;
• a sting near the mouth or throat can cause swelling that makes it hard to breathe.

Bees are drawn toward the carbon dioxide you breathe out, so your face is where they tend to go. New beekeepers and people who've kept bees for decades alike should wear at least a veil every time they go near a colony.

Styles of veil:

• Drawstring veil over a hat or helmet, tied snug around your chest. Quick to put on and take off, but the strings can loosen during a long session and let bees in underneath.
• Zip-on veil, attached by zippers to a jacket or full suit. Once zipped shut, bees can't get in. This is the most protective choice, and a good one for beginners.

Make sure the netting stays away from your skin. Bees can sting through a veil that's pressed against your face or head.

Suit or jacket

• A full bee suit covers you from head to ankle (with a veil attached), leaving only hands and feet.
• A bee jacket covers head, arms and body. Many people choose a jacket when it's hot.
• Ventilated (mesh) suits and jackets are cooler in summer heat.

Color and fabric matter:

• Wear light colors, white or khaki. Avoid black, dark blue, and anything with sharp contrast, like a dark belt on light pants or a dark watch band. Bees tend to target contrast lines and dark, furry or leathery things (the predators that raid their nests).
• Slick fabrics give bees less to grip than coarse, heavy cotton.
• Seal the openings. Tuck pant legs into boots or socks (or use tape, elastic or bicycle clips), and close the sleeve cuffs, so bees can't crawl inside.
• Wash your suit often. Dried venom on unwashed clothing can set off defensive bees, and can cause reactions in family members who are allergic.

Gloves

Beginners should wear gloves until they feel comfortable with bees. Standard beekeeping gloves are thick leather with canvas sleeves to the elbow. They give the most protection, but they get sweaty in summer and make delicate jobs (handling combs, finding or marking a queen) clumsy.

Many beekeepers eventually work with thinner gloves or none. If you want to, make the switch gradually:

1. heavy leather bee gloves →
2. reusable rubber dish gloves (much better feel, still fairly thick) →
3. thin nitrile or latex gloves (light colors mean fewer stings) →
4. no gloves.

Keep a pair of heavy gloves with you anyway, for days when the bees are unusually defensive and for jobs like taking honey off many hives, which tends to trigger lots of stings.

Shoes

Always wear closed-toe shoes, such as sturdy sneakers or boots, near hives. Bees walk on the ground at the hive entrance, and bare feet or sandals invite stings.

How it looks: Full protective gear: veils, suits and gloves (USDA).

What to remember

• Wear a veil every time, especially while you're learning; a veil zipped to a jacket or suit is the most protective.
• Light colors, no sharp contrast, slick fabric, and seal your cuffs and pant legs.
• Gloves until you're comfortable; switch to thinner gloves gradually if you want.
• Closed-toe shoes, and wash your suit often.

Quick check

1. Why is a sting to the face more serious than a sting to the arm?
2. Why is a dark watch band a bad idea?
3. What's a sensible order for going from heavy gloves to no gloves?

Show answers

1. A sting to the eye can cause blindness, and near the mouth or throat can cause swelling that makes breathing hard. 2. Bees tend to sting where there's sharp color contrast and dark, leathery things. 3. Leather bee gloves → rubber dish gloves → thin nitrile or latex → none.

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Adapted from: UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446), "Beekeeping Safety"; Mississippi State University Extension, Beginning Beekeeping in Mississippi (P3594), "Personal Protective Equipment"; Purdue Extension, Learning About Beekeeping (4-H-1057-W); USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee Safety; UGA Bee Program, Getting Started: Beekeeping Equipment.

Photo: beekeepers in protective gear, Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service (public domain).

Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.