As much as honey bees are treasured for their products and role in pollination, they are equally feared for their stings. Bee stings reactions usually range from minor to fatal for people with bee sting allergy. Even if someone is not allergic to bee stings, too many of them can be lethal. Unfortunately, many people around the globe have succumbed to bee stings. As such, it is vital to protect yourself by wearing protective clothing when around bee colonies. 

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Can you touch bees with bare hands?

It is not advisable to touch honey bees without gloves or protective clothing. The risk of getting stung is very high. The stings can hurt and potentially kill you if you have adverse allergic reactions. It is also good to learn how to handle them safely. They will always attack back when they feel threatened. 

However, experienced beekeepers usually work without protective clothing. This is after learning how to handle them and knowing their temperament. Surprisingly, they can inspect some colonies without protection while covering themselves entirely in others. Even after gaining experience, anything can go wrong, so it is good to be prepared.  

Which protective clothing should a beekeeper wear to avoid bee stings?

A veil

Stings on the face are painful and dangerous, especially around the eyes, nose, and ears. A veil protects you from stings around these areas. It is a vital component in beekeeping. 

Beekeeping Suits and Jackets

A suit covers nearly all of your body, from neck, wrists, and ankles. A jacket only covers the upper torso. Jackets and suits should be thick enough to prevent bee stinger penetration. If you opt for a jacket, you can wear jeans with a thick fabric to protect your legs. 

Beekeeping Gloves

Your hands usually come closer to the bees than any other part of the body during an inspection. Gloves help to protect your hands from bee stings. They need to be thick enough to prevent penetration by bee stingers. They should also be extended to cover your forearm and fit perfectly well on your hands. Experienced beekeepers work barehanded most of the time.  

Boots

Bees will rarely go for your feet and ankles. However, they will launch at them angrily if you accidentally drop a frame with bees. You may not require boots explicitly designed for beekeepers. Just use what is convenient for you. It is good to pull the pant legs over the boots to prevent bees from sliding into them. 

How to Deal with Bee Stings

Once you suffer from a bee sting, you should remove it as quickly as possible to reduce the amount of venom injected. Delay in removing increases the amount of venom injected. Muscles in the stinger continue to push the stinger deeper into your skin and pump the venom. A bee sting is removed by scraping it with a blunt object. Depending on the reaction, you can apply a cold press and take over-the-counter pain medication. Severe reactions require medical intervention. 

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How do you remove a bee inside your veil?

If a bee accidentally finds its way through the veil, your immediate response may be to crush it. However, this will release pheromones and signal other bees to attack you. You should remain calm and move away quickly from the hive before removing the veil to release the bees.