You'll Thank Yourself for Wearing a Beekeeping Suit
Do you find working with bees appealing? Then the first thing you need to do is know how bees defend themselves when they feel threatened or sense danger. Of all the equipment needed for beekeeping, beekeeper suits are the most important and should never be dismissed.
Allergies and How the Body Responds
Although lots of people are allergic to bee stings, those people only know because they were stung first by a bee. If you're determined to start beekeeping, you will need to find out whether you are indeed allergic to bees first. Despite being extremely careful to avoid bee stings, sooner or later you will get stung - a fact that all beekeepers are resigned to. Actually, some beekeepers believe that the more stings they sustain will help develop a resistance to the inflammation the sting causes over time and that it's a good thing to experience a few stings each season. Once the venom enters the body, antibodies are produced to oppose the foreign bodies and over the course of time, the body will get stronger to bee stings.
The Face and Neck are Extremely Susceptible to Attack
Having said that, even seasoned beekeepers will still want to avoid being stung too much. And to realize this they wear a good suit with a hat and veil, and gloves. There are those though that relinquish using gloves sometimes, as they can be awkward to use at times if the task is delicate. But if one is stung on the hand, the fingernail can be used to brush it off in most cases. If this is done quickly enough, the body won't have too much venom injected into it. The face and the neck are most prone to attack though, as bees are drawn to the breath. The face is extremely sensitive compared to the rest of the body, and as a result, the pain and swelling will certainly be acute. Removing a sting from the face isn't the same as from a hand. A mirror will be needed in this case. For this reason, it's clearly very highly recommended to properly know how to work closely with bees when an attack (sometimes unexpected) could come at directly at your face.
How the Beekeeping Suit Will Protect You
The beekeeping suit is full-length attire and must be worn at all times within the beehive. The protective suit is lightly colored and is usually white. It's also made of smooth materials. Because darker colored animals like bears and racoons prey on bees, the light-colored suit acts to "camouflage" the beekeeper from the colony. The beekeeping suit also provides the beekeeper a convenient method of removing stings and venom by simply tugging on the cloth. The "alarm" pheromone will continue to be distributed to the colony and induce more unwanted attacks if the sting is left in the fibers of the suit for too long. To minimize the risk of the bees latching onto the scent the next time the beekeeper enters the hive, regular washing of the suit is highly recommended. By using vinegar to wash the hands, the attention of the bees on the beekeeper will be lessened to a great extent.