A bee suit is to a beekeeper what a pressure suit is to an astronaut. OK, maybe not that dramatic but you get the point. Wearing a suit allows the hairless ape to work amongst thousands of bees with nary a sting. I have bought several suits in the past, each with their own merits.
The holy veil of Aquilonia
My first suit was actually a 35.00 dollar painter’s jump suit and I have to say it was probably the most durable of all of the suits I have bought. Not sure where it was made but its cotton was heavy enough to repel the golden hive army from attacking my soft parts. Of course I had to buy a veil to go along with it and making the two come together to provide a bee proof shield barrier was always a hassle. But this was my graduate school days when money was not always available for luxuries.
Where is that zipper lad?
Later when I landed my first job I swallowed hook line and sinker B.J. Sheriffs advertisements in the issues of Bee Culture. This was folly. The British made suit worked
great for two seasons and then zippers and threading began to slough off like parts on a Fiat. Maybe I bought the summer weave suit but the material felt thin and downright cheap. Like washing your T-shirt a thousand times with bleach. I never use it anymore except for a backup suit for when I bring a guest out. Don’t worry I give them my good suit and I wear the holy garments. One aspect I did like about the suit was how its veil situated on my head. It did not limit my view all that drastically or cause my head to overheat.
My current suit was purchased from Dadant. Bee Suit It has served me well for the last five years. I really like the wide hat brim. The mesh falling from its edges gives your head plenty of breathing space for when the honeybees are trying to sting through the mesh. It is made from a nice thick cotton which can be steamy in our Virginia summers but protects you well from the bees. The zippers feel much more sturdy compared to my B.J. Sheriff suit and most importantly the zipper connection between the suit and veil is almost hermetic.
Buying a bee suit maybe a life saving event for you especially if you are susceptible to bee venom reactions. I would always go for the heavier suit. Heavier suits usually are accompanied with sturdier assemblage in the form of solid zippers and teeth and better threading. However if on the other hand you overheat quickly than I would recommend the B.J. Sheriff suit and some needle and thread for when it begins to disintegrate.
jpbellavance
