BeeKeeping Suit: Beekeeping for business or hobby is fun except for bee stings. If it’s not done carefully or not wearing a beekeeper Suit, you maybe wind up with some cruel bee stings. It can help you enough to stay safe and let you work with beehives and avoid bee stings.
Beekeeping Suit is available to buy in any Beekeeping supply company such as Mann Lake, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Thorne, etc. Even you can buy it online from Amazon, eBay, etc. Another name for bee suit is Bee Costume and its definition is given below:
Bee Costume: Beekeeper’s costume is a head-to-toe suit, designed to protect them from bee stings. It’s not so difficult to make a homemade costume and some people like to do it on their own.
Costumes can be made from white suits available in craft materials shops or items you have in your closet. While making the beekeeper costumes for young children, keep in mind some extra safety concerns for children.
The Basic Outfit
Although beekeeper suits may vary in style, most are white. It’s because the white color discourages bees to sting and usually they are attracted to dark colors. For the base of the costume, use a one-piece painter’s dress, available at the home-improvement store. Or a pair of loose white pants with a long-sleeved white shirt can be used also.
With this dress, wear a pair of work boots/tall rain boots/ high-top sneakers. Push the pant legs inside boots as real beekeepers use. Bees are very clever at finding their way inside clothing. Hand gloves are other beekeepers’ essential tools. Leather hand gloves are the best if available. If not, wear yellow dishwashing gloves with your costumes.
The Headgear
Beekeepers wear headgear that you can buy from any basic craft supplies shop. Buy a white hat made from canvas/ straw/ plastic. The hat’s screen can be made from mosquito netting or white tulle, available at cloth stores.
Cut a piece of netting slightly longer than the boundary of your hat. The width should equal the distance from the edge to just under your shoulders.
Use white channel tape to attach the netting to the hat and close the edges where the pieces of netting overlap. Although true beekeeper hats are frequently sealed at the bottom, you can keep yours open to eat and drink in your costumes.
Read and learn more about How to make the best beekeeper suit – only 5 easy steps to make a beekeeper suit by yourself.
5 easy steps to Make a Beekeeping suit:
Beekeeper’s suit is not so difficult to make your own. If you don’t like to spend money for this purpose or like to make yourself then follow the steps stated below:
Things You’ll Need:
Light-colored coverall
Wide-brimmed hat
Elastic
Small-opening netting
Boots
Leather gloves
Sewing machine
Velcro
Instructions:
01. Collect a light-colored coverall.
Buy or collect a light-colored coverall and stitch elastic to the wrist and ankle openings. The elastic helps to seal the overall and keep bees away. The light color reduces the threat of a bee sting as it discourages bees to sting. Add Velcro around the neck of the coverall; so that, the neck opening will be closed off while dressed.
02. Wear a pair of boots.
Wear such a pair of boots that reach above the ankles and can be tied tightly. Your regular boots can work fine if it’s as stated here.
03. Wear Hand Gloves.
Also, wear leather hand gloves that expand above your wrists. Find a pair that fit tightly at the top and doesn’t flair open to let bees in.
04. Stitch small opening.
Stitch small-opening netting to the edge of a wide-brimmed cap. Allow the netting to cover about four inches under the neckline of the overall. Also, add Velcro around the bottom border of the netting. Ensure the matching on the netting and coverall. Or stitch the hook-type on one part and the eye-type on another part.
05. Wear the Cap.
Wear the cap at first when dressing. Then dress the coveralls and tie up the Velcro on the mesh to the Velcro on the collar of the overall. Lastly, wear boots and hand gloves. Now you know how to make a beekeeper’s suit. If you feel very hassle to make then you can buy it from any store stated above. Even you can buy it online and get to your home.
References
Dressing Right for Beekeeping – Glenn Apiaries.
How Much Protective Clothes Should I Wear While Working with Bees? – Mother Earth News.
Advice for Beginning Beekeepers – Bush Farms.
Sources of information:
Bumblebee and Costumes for Parents and Babies.
Photo Credit – Google Images – unrestricted.
Beekeeping Basics.
Backyard Beekeepers Association.
Elements of a Beekeeper’s Suit.
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