subject: Beekeeper Hat - How a Hat Can Save You from Bee Stings [print this page] Beekeeper Hat - How a Hat Can Save You from Bee Stings
The beekeeper hat is an essential piece of clothing during beekeeping. It shields the beekeeper's face and head from the bees. This lessens the risk of getting bee stings on the face while handling the beehive and collecting and harvesting the honey. A beekeeper hat is basically a wide-brimmed hat that has a net which covers the entire head. Wide-brimmed hats are used instead of other hats because they prevent the net from falling against one's face. One can make the hat at home or buy one from stores that sell items related to beekeeping.
There is a beekeeper hat which allows the wearer to see 360 degrees, while there are other hats which only offer a limited view. Some of the newer beekeeper hats look like the helmets worn by decontamination personnel from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but apart from that, most beekeeper hats have stayed the same.
One very good reason why the beekeeper hat is important in beekeeping is because bees have a higher tendency of going for the head than any other part of the body. Bees are easily attracted to dark colors, which can be found in a person's eyes and his hair. That said, one should buy a hat that has a light-colored net or veil, since a dark net would attract the bees to one's face anyway. A person's breath also attracts the bees, and the hat keeps the bees from getting too close to the person's face.
When buying a beekeeper's hat one should see how it fits on their head, and whether the net is kept away from their face or not. There are many hats to choose from. Seasoned beekeepers prefer a hat that has a detachable veil, which allows them to continue using the hat after they have tended to their bees. The beekeeper hat which is similar to a decontamination helmet is the safest hat to use in beekeeping, but it can also feel a bit awkward. The hat provides the wearer with limited visibility, plus it can get very warm under the hat. The good thing about this hat is that the wearer is completely protected. No matter what kind of beekeeping hat one uses, the important thing is keeping the bees out at all costs.
