Getting
stung on the forehead reminded me that I needed to get a veil before swarm season. Bees that are swarming are at their most docile, being full of honey and lacking anything to defend, but having them bounce off your face can be a little disconcerting. And later I'll probably want one for working in the hive.
I would have gotten one at
To Bee Or Not To Bee, but she was all out of free-standing veils (which also require the purchase of a helmet), so I went back to my original cheapskate plan: Army surplus.
You can spend a
lot on bee clothing, and it may be that I decide later to get the full-on bee suit or jacket. But for now, the $9 veil on the right should do just fine. A baseball cap fits under it, and the wire hoop keeps the mesh away from your face.
If it's good enough for GIs, it's good enough for me.
With a dark veil like that, be careful about how you approach the hive. Large dark shadows look aggressive to bees (think approaching bear). That's why most beekeeping clothes are white.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ayse. Yeah, I thought about that, but I think if my shirt is light, I'll be OK. Looking at the commercial veils out there, most of them are dark except for the crown. Worse comes to worst, I'll top it with some white cloth. Or just pony up for the real thing.
ReplyDeleteI would say "it's so you", but... um. It's not! I guess it serves though. What a fun project, all this bee business. I'm a little jealous, but just can't think of it until we move somewhere without all the malathion spraying in the summer.
ReplyDeleteDani
I have to figure out what to do about veils for beeyard visitors. We're hiving 7 packages next weekend and we're thing of inviting the local paper to the party. Something tells me that they'll want veils. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see where you have the requisite breastpocket buttons. Tragedy!
ReplyDelete