Tim Sterrett wrote:

>   Do the new beekeepers know that many of us old timers have these things
>and use them when they serve a purpose?
>Tim

I've had my bees since April 14th.  I'd never kept bees prior to that date,
so I'm
a very new beekeeper.  I never open my hive without bee jacket, veil, long
pants,
heavy gloves, shoes and socks.  I'm also careful about the color of pants I
wear.
Light colors seem to excite the bees less, so I do take these
precautions.  During
the summer, I swelter inside my beejacket, but the minor discomfort of
being hot
far outweighs the discomfort of being stung.  Besides, I make sure I take
lots of
water with me.

I have not been stung, yet.  That is not to say that I will not be stung,
though.  I
believe that one takes all the safety precautions necessary when working with
stinging insects.  Regardless of the line of bees you are using, (Carniolans,
Buckfasts, etc.), I've been shown first hand that the mood of the bees can
change
from day to day, even during the flow. I know eventually, I'm going to get
that first
sting, but I see no reason to make it any easier for the bees to sting me.

Many of the "old-timers" in my association don't use much more than a veil
when they
work their hives.  I hear their stories of how this hive or that hive was
mean, and they
also ran for the protective gear.  They don't go to their hives without at
least having the
gear handy.  They know that I dress out fully, but they don't think I'm
stupid.  I
just don't want to be stung.  My last bee sting from a honeybee was 41
years ago,
on the bottom of my foot in the arch while I was at the municipal swimming
pool.
I had a swollen foot for a week, and could hardly walk on it.  I don't
relish having another
episode like that again.  Nobody has told me I shouldn't be working bees,
and I find
them fascinating.  George Imirie has told me many new beekeepers tend to
anthropomorphize their bees, regarding them as pets.  I must admit that I
to tend to
talk to them while I'm working the hive, more to keep myself calm than to
even imagine
they could even hear me.

Some of my behavior may seem ridiculous to those beekeepers who've been
doing it for years
without much more than a veil.  I'm not being judgmental about whether or
not one should
wear protective gear every time they go into a hive, that's a personal
choice.  I believe in
wearing safety glasses when I'm working with my power tools, and look at
working bees
as just another activity that requires care.

Thanks for reading this rather wordy reply.

Joe Clark
President, Tidewater Beekeepers Association
Portsmouth, VA