subject: Strategies To Make Your Own Beekeeping Suit [print this page] Not all beekeeping suit are made equalNot all beekeeping suit are made equal. However, there are some commonalities with almost every suit. Most suits are made of a light colored cloth as light colors do not seem to agitate the bees quite so much. Some suits even have face shields such as those that a sport fencer would wear.
For just a small investment of time and money, you can easily make your own suit. This suit can help protect you from being stung by bees while pursuing your business or hobby, but there are no guarantees.
These coveralls should extend from your neck to the middle of your hand and the middle of your foot. They should fit loosely in order to provide as much space between the cloth and your body, however, do not make them so baggy as to pose problems with tripping, and getting tangled. A bit of sewing at the wrists and ankles (with some elastic) will make it harder for bees to find their way to your skin. Then make a Velcro "necklace" around your neckline on the coverall.
You need good strong boots for beekeeping. Make sure that you always wear boots which go past your ankles and which can be tied tightly. Do not go from your stables wearing rubber boots directly out to the bee hive. This is a recipe for disaster.
When handling the components of the bee hive, you do not want to leave yourself vulnerable to the bees' stingers. You will need leather gloves that go past your wrist and which tighten, either through elastic or tie to prevent bees from getting at your hands. While thicker leather can provide better protection, it also makes it harder to manipulate the parts of your hive.
A beekeeping hat is essential unless you want to wear a bee beard or get stung badly. You can make your own bee hat by sewing netting (no-seeum, open or mosquito) to a hat that has a wide brim. Before you cut it to length, make sure that the netting will extend past your Velcro necklace on your coverall by several inches. Then stitch the netting to itself, making a complete circle, and then sew Velcro to the end of the netting. Now, attach it to your coverall and you are ready to go.
There are many companies who produce suits for the purpose of beekeeping. Each offers different features which may make it more comfortable for you. Whether you need a suit for a child aged three or an adult in extra extra large, there are many features that you can look for. Perhaps you want a fencing face shield. Maybe you want ankle zippers which can make it easy for you to quickly remove your boots when you are done. Even your choice of cloth, be it polyester cotton or breathable nylon, can affect your comfort in your suit.
Whatever your choice, no beekeeping suit carries a guarantee that you will never get stung again. To reduce your chances of being stung, choose larger sizes than you need. Every time you go out and deal with the bees, you may still get stung.
