Proper fabric for bee suits

[Barry Digman]

The beesuit my son has is a 50/50 polyester/cotton blend from Mann Lake. Seems like a fairly light fabric. Since I don't have another for comparison, I'm wondering what the best fabric would be for a suit. I happen to be married to a genuine seamstress, so if I can get the right stuff she'll make me one. What are the best suits made of? Thread count, weight, etc.?

[scsasdsa]

it depends on the weather. I have a cottonpoly blend full suit and a all nylon double layer jacket with zippered veil.I use the jacket most and the full suit for stealing honey. the full suite is a little hot though.

[John Russell]

Black corinthian leather.

Or, if you wanted somthing a little cooler.....

Thick cotton poly blends, as above. I had a suit someone made that was white denim. You needed water tanks to wear it though.

John Russell

[Curry]

Thin rip-stop nylon is the way to go when it's hot, and I figure it gets hot in New Mexico.

[BubbaBob]

Bee suit? What's that?

Seriously, I only wear a veil except a couple months a year...light colored short sleeved shirt, blue jeans...I get more stings by the oddball that is out of his hive at night when I'm moving bees and she crawls up my pant leg and gets me on the calf or ankle...

When I do wear a suit it's because the girls are REALLY mad...I'm thinking of steel plated body armor for then, but for now I use poly/cotton blend.

If you can stand the heat the new tyvek suits ought to be pretty sting proof.

BubbaBob

[Michael Bush]

Nylon is light and the bees can't get a grip on it, so you have a lot less bees clinging to you. I like the nylon. Of course on a hot day, I LOVE my golden products suit. But I don't even know what to call what it's made out of. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cotton works ok too. Just more bees attached when you're done.

[Barry Digman]

Bee suit? What's that?

Black corinthian leather.

Hmmmm. Now ya got me thinkin'. Designer bee suits. No more looking like an escapee from the haz-mat team. Stylish cut, assorted colors and fabrics, unbelievably expensive and mostly useless.... It'll be the next big fashion statement.

[Mabe]

Mr. Michael...Just wondering where you got your Golden Products be suit??? I checked Mann Lake and others and can't find a reference. Do you know if it is still made?

[Michael Bush]

You have to buy it from Golden Bee Products. They have an ad in every bee journal every month. It's well over $200 but worth it for how cool it is in the summer. It's like working the bees in shorts. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Do a search and you'll probably find the address. They have recently changed their phone so go with the most recent posts. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Mabe]

http://www.goldenbee.co.uk/index.htm

It appears they have gone out of business???

[Mabe]

OOps! Guess not!

Called the phone number listed in past forum post and found Mr. Lemoine in Louisiana. A siut in my small size with gloves and veil is $179 which includes shipping. Hi phone is (504) 456-8805. He was surprised to hear that there was a Golden Bee Products company in the UK.

[Joel]

Boy, for a 179 bucks it should be a Golden bee suit!. I know, it's a quality of life issue. I have a cotton jacket/veil as well as a full suit, zipper veil, again coton, which I always where if I'm moving bees or pulling honey later in the season. I like cotton because it is cooler. I also work frequently in a tie veil and whatever outfit I have on. Bubbabob, eventually one of those bees stinging you on the ankles is going to run up and sting you on the north pole! The new suits have gathered bottoms and velcro to prevent just that type of tragedy.

[Michael Bush]

If you ever worked all day in the heat in a regular jacket and veil or even a long sleeved shirt and long pants and a veil and then worked hives all day in a Golden Bee Prodcuts suit, I believe you'd be willing to pay $1000 for it if you could come up with the money. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's like air conditioning for beekeeping. [img]smile.gif[/img]