Hi all,

John, you don't have to work AHB to know the 'punch' bees are capable of.  Anyone
whom has pulled out a feral hive with storm clouds rolling in can tell you how
(in)effective bee suits are against angry bees.  For those that haven't put their
'armor' through the test, bees will set their stingers straight through bee
suits, vinyl or heavy cloth.  I have both the Sherriff suit and Dadant and prefer
the Sherriff (MannLake version) when working tough bees because they have less
risk of  my face mask touching skin - where bees are bound to sting immediately.
A good set of hair or a baseball cap is important to keep bees off your scalp
with these suits.

Two shirts under the suit are a must.  On several occasions I've removed my
sweatshirt after a days work to find it covered with stingers and the blotch of
the venom.  With bad weather, angry bees will set down on you like taking a squat
- which also hurt more than the fly-by stings received on sunny days because the
stinger gets in 3 times farther.

Gloves are to the opposite extreme.  I use mine skin tight because mistakes can
be costly.  Vinyl clad or chemical type of gloves come in handy but become really
uncomfortable after a few hours on a hot day.  Leather protects but draws
stingers like an attractant and can (will) be stung through once the leather is
softened by water or sweat.  Choose your gloves by the type of activity.

Sweat seems to be the 'prime directive' to clue bees exactly where to sting.  The
more you panic, the more you sweat, the more they sting.  Keeping your cool can
be a trick when you feel a few bees climbing up your leg toward things you would
prefer to leave out of beekeeping (happened to me twice last year).  Protect the
back of your neck and around your wrists.  Bees will squeeze through holes you
previously thought were bee-tight.  My Dadant ventilated helmet gave me a fun
experience learning this point a few years ago.

There's nothing quite like an entire hive covering your body with a deep 'hum'
going on.   Knowing you're committed and had better have checked your suit twice
over because any free-wheeling bees that gain entrance can sting anywhere they
choose without interference from you;  Or else their friends at the face mask
where you try to press will 'help' with a hundred more stings.  It's very
unnerving knowing these bees mean business by the thousands.

If AHB are predisposed with temper as bees at their worst, can we blame
beekeepers dropping the biz once AHB arrives?  Angry bees take all the fun out of
it.

Matthew Westall
      //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
      \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA


John Mitchell wrote:

>    Perhaps I need a better understanding of what protective equipment is
> needed over and above the usual bee suit, veil, gloves, smoker, and perhaps
> bootbands to work with AHB. The only recommended change that I am aware of to
> the aforementioned equipment list for AHB is to get a bigger smoker.

>    Commercial honey producers with permanent apiary sites may find their
> operations become even quicker and more efficient as they find themselves and
> their employees doubly motivated to spend as little time as possible mucking
> around in or near the hives.