As we know Beekeeping can be tough at times without the right gear, that’s why in this guide I’ll be talking about how to keep you and your bees safe without killing them because in many cases wrong PPE can kill your bees when you're supposed to help repopulate them.

Why Beekeeping PPE is important

1 – Wearing a beekeeping suit helps protect you from being stung while working. This is important that the Bees remain calm and not angry because when Bees do sting they end up having an unfortunate death which causes them a lot of pain so wearing the correct Beekeeping suit will help to prevent this. When wearing beekeeping suits, you’ll notice they are all lighter/neutral colours this is because this helps to keep the bees calm because they won’t see you as a predator. The suit is elasticated to fit your arm and wrist to ensure no bees can get in.

2 - Beekeeping hoods are made from polyester fabric which is great protection against bees because they help to prevent bees from getting in your face and eyes because getting stung in the face or eye requires serious medical attention straight away. Even in the summer, the hood will keep you cool helping to maintain good vision and protection whilst working.

3 – Another PPE that is a necessity when it comes to beekeeping is always wearing Beekeeping gloves, this is because it prevents you from spreading infections towards and the bee infecting you with a virus if they stung you. Another factor is making sure the gloves fit your hand properly because if you don’t bees may be able to get in and sting, so making your gloves fit more by making the movement in them easier and flexible. Also using Goatskin is a good material to handle bees in because the skin is thick, and bees won’t sting a material they don’t recognize, and to wear easy wear gloves so you can take them on-off without any hassle. Lastly, make sure the gloves are high quality and comfortable because you’ll be wearing them for a few hours and if they aren’t comfortable, it might demotivate you so wearing high quality, comfortable gloves help.

4 – Another PPE that is a necessity when it comes to beekeeping is always wearing Beekeeping gloves, this is because it prevents you from spreading infections towards and the bee infecting you with a virus if they stung you. Another factor is making sure the gloves fit your hand properly because if you don’t bees may be able to get in and sting, so making your gloves fit more by making the movement in them easier and flexible. Also using Goatskin is a good material to handle bees in because the skin is thick, and bees won’t sting a material they don’t recognize, and to wear easy wear gloves so you can take them on-off without any hassle. Lastly, make sure the gloves are high quality and comfortable because you’ll be wearing them for a few hours and if they aren’t comfortable, it might demotivate you so wearing high quality, comfortable gloves help.

Why is it essential to clean your Beekeeping items?

Every time you work with bees when you finished it is important to wash your Suits, hood, gloves, and jackets because every time you bee keep if a bee gets attached, they release a pheromone which other bees will smell and try to attack you making the beekeeping job harder, also if you’re working in a hot day your gear will become hot and sweaty making it harder to work in.

• Make sure all the pockets are empty.

• The veil should be hand washed to help it last longer. Washing them carefully so the colour doesn’t fade, rinse to dry don’t put them in the drier as this will damage them.

• Before washing zip up all the zippers so water doesn’t through.

• Then hang them out to dry because washing in a machine may shrink them.

• Cleaning with Sodium Carbonate and warm water is the best option because it helps to sterilize the equipment to make sure there’s no Bee pheromone left.

Why are Bees endangered?

Commercial Beekeeping wipes out around 50 billion bees a year making them an endangered species, this happened because of climate change and when it was winter the environment the bees were in meant they couldn’t survive. Over 30% of the Bees population die yearly which is becoming a trend in the last decade. Many Bees die from habitat loss, human activity, diseases, and colder weather. In summer over 1000 bees die a day due to human activity from toxic pesticides or fear of bees.

To help bees what we can do is grow more flowers in our garden or parks so bees can come to pollinate, toxic pesticide harm bees because they weaken the immune system making them get ill easier. Building better habitats to reduce the risk of diseases, and take better care of wild bees.