I don't use smoke – a sprayer of water with a bit of peppermint oil has worked just-fine for me for a few years now. (When the bees notice that their wings are wet, they tend to get out of the way. And, when the occasional sting happens, the peppermint masks the attack-pheromone ... I think.)
But, I
do use: a veil (with a straw hat),
usually a set of dickey-coveralls, and a long-sleeved set of leather bee-gloves:
- "Okay, okay ... The veil is unconditional." I absolutely do not want to be stung in the face. Ever. (Again.)
- A good set of coveralls ... painter's coveralls will do nicely ... is great, if only for "the multitude of pockets!" Wear a long-sleeved shirt and blue-jeans underneath.
- Leather gloves "breathe" in hot weather, and a long cloth "sleeve" keeps bees away. The whole thing gets remarkably dirty with the sticky stuff that every hive contains, so you just dump it all into the washer.
One great advantage of hTBH's is that you really don't have to do anything that would "piss-off a very large number of bees." :thumbsup: You can, with reasonable care, largely avoid crushing them. You can take your time. You never have to deal with lifting and moving-around "ninety-five pound anythings." Life is good.
