Bees sting as a self defense mechanism when threatened. People cannot predict what will trigger this mechanism, so all beekeepers should wear protective gear.

Different Types of Protective Gear

No matter what your bee experience level, you should always have the following:

-Beekeeping suit
-Hat
- Mesh veil
-Long gloves

Each piece of protective gear is essential, and all are crucial to wear each time. The hat and veil will protect your face. A bee sting to the face can be painful and cause serious harm, especially to the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and neck. Imagine if a bee went up your nose! Bees tend to be attracted to your breath; therefore, bee stings are common around this area.

Gloves are difficult to use when you are attempting to manipulate the parts of the bee hive. While you may still be stung on the hands, some beekeepers choose to go gloveless for ease of movement. It is better if you can acquire a pair of long gloves that allow you to handle objects.

The beekeeping suit will provide full body protection. It is like a jumpsuit, except it will protect you from the stings of a bee.

The Beekeeping Suit Material

Made of light-weight and smooth material, the suit is usually white or light coloured to prevent the bees from being threatened. Dark colours are associated with predators like bears. The smooth material is a contrast from the fur of the usual bee predators.

Maintenance of your Beekeeping Suit

A key habit in beekeeping is to clean your suit after each use. If not cleaned, bees will smell any previous stings on the suit and automatically put up a guard to defend themselves. To remove stingers and venom, dip your hands in vinegar to avoid irritation, then wipe suit with a cloth.

Protective Gear Advice

When selecting your beekeeping suit, you should consider a few things first. Number one being the material and colour of the suit. As previously mentioned, it should be a light or neutral coloured smooth material.Other factors to consider are:
- It is important that you choose a suit that fits you just right, but is also comfortable. Pay particular attention to the arm and leg holes. Some suits have elastic at the cuffs and wrists. Others will have Velcro so that you can adjust to your specific size.
- Make sure the hat and veil you choose have good ventilation. Veils and hoods generally come in one-size-fits all.
- Quality is obviously a better investment. The suit should have solid stitching, rustproof zippers and boning will maintain the shape.
- To get the increased protection, a slightly higher price is worth paying.

Constructing your Own Beekeeping Suit

It is possible to make your own suit; however, it is important that you address all areas of your body. A white or light colored pair of coveralls will do the trick. However, you must make adjustments to the coveralls to turn them into a beekeeping suit.
The coveralls should be just a little bit big on you. This will allow for more room between you and the cloth, which ultimately will be covered with bee stings and venom. The suit should reach to the middle of your hand and over the heel of your foot.
Sew elastic at the wrists and ankles. The fit should be tight enough to not allow bees in but loose enough to allow the blood to still circulate. Attach velcro around the neck of the coverall.Your veil can be made out of mosquito netting. Also wearing tight fitting gloves and boots to deter the bees from gaining access under your clothes.

Unless you are very confident in your beekeeping suit making abilities, you may want to look into buying one first. There are many locations to acquire a good quality beekeeping suit.