Inspired by the thread about a 22 ft wasp nest found inside a house.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16188248&posted=1#post16188248
Does a bee suit protect from wasp and hornet stings?
Africanized bees? This article doesn’t say if this bee keeper had on his suit. I’m guessing maybe he had on the suit and it offered some protection? He only got 30 stings from that big swarm.
What protection does a bee suit offer? Whats the material in it?
A full suit most certainly offers full protection from wasps. I speak from experience. They are, after all, heavy material and worn over clothes.
I’ve heard wasps have longer stingers? That’s supposedly why they hurt more. Thankfully I’ve never encountered a hornet. Their stinger is even longer isn’t it?
This place claims their suits are sting resistant, not sting proof. Probably for legal reasons. The comments from beekeepers indicate its rare to get stung in a suit.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Master-Beekeeper-Suit/productinfo/986Z/
But I still would be nervous around wasps. Geez they hurt.
In most Africanized Bee nature programs I’ve seen, people wear beekeeper outfits, often taping over gaps for extra security. Still, a few bees make it through. I guess bee suits are bee-proof like Kevlar vests are bulletproof, not like Superman is bulletproof. But then, isn’t everything that noun-proof the same?
Unlike bees, wasps don’t lose their stingers when they sting. So one wasp can sting you repeatedly.
Do bumblebees lose their stingers? They are often/usually solitary so maybe they don’t.
I’ve never had a bumblebee attack me. They are attracted to some lavender I planted by my carport. Fat bees the size of my pinky. They buzz around but never have attacked. I know better than to swat at them. The lavender is there for them to enjoy.
I was stung by one when I was about 8 years old. That’s about 59 years ago and I still remember it.
I’ve wondered if you could “exhaust” a hive of Africanized bees be, say, sending in some remote controlled object that the bees would sting until either there weren’t anymore or only ones less aggressive.*
*yes, I’m aware that only the queen reproduces so selection doesn’t apply to worker bees. I simply meant random variation within the currently existing swarm.
You’ll need something tougher around the giant Asian hornet, which has a stinger that’s 1/4" long.
I have no doubt that bee keeper suits protect against Africanized bees. While we look at Africanized bees as an invading monster, south of the border, those are the standard honey bee and they are quite good at producing honey. If I didn’t have a wife chickens and cats, I would probably try to see if I could get an Africanized hive just for kicks. Of course, getting someone to sell me an Africanized queen in the states would probably be really difficult. As it is, I have wimpy Italians. I was even talked out of the Russian Hybrids, because they can be aggressive.
If you have any wild bees near you that are Africanized, they may move in if you have a hive abscond or die. Happened to a hive I was working in NM. Nasty little shits. They got pissed off and killed some poultry. A couple followed me into the house and stung one of the dogs.
No, I’m too far north by a hair for Africanized bees. Like I said though, that is a challenge I would accept if I were in a position to do so. They apparently produce honey like crazy.
As it is, I’m considering requeening with Caucasians next year just because nobody else has them. I like to experiment. That’s why I went into science.
We did pull an awful lot of honey from those supers.
I hope that you start an “Ask the Beekeeper” thread sometime. I’m fascinated with bees and beekeeping, but since I am quite, quite allergic to bee and wasp stings, something tells me that this is not the job or even hobby that I want to get into. 
Depends on the suit. I have a hat and veil but generally only wear a long sleeved shirt and long pants with that. I get stung. You can buy full suits that are made out of tough material with the veil sewn to it, all closed by a zipper. That should stop any kind of sting. It would be hot as hell on a summer day.
There is almost always a gap somewhere unless you work to close them and that is what the full suits offer. More than once I’ve thought I was closed up good, at least my head, only to see a bee calmly buzz across my line of vision inside the veil.
Nope. Bumblebees don’t have the barbs that honeybees do, and can sting indefinitely.
Here is a fun site from a bumblebee aficionado: The bumblebee sting and sexual organs
I’ve been a beekeeper for 5 days now. Maybe in a year. Already though, I have learned stuff (aside from the six week class I took.).
As far as suits go, I don’t wear anything yet. We’ll see what happens as the hive develops. As Archaic Entity says, those full suits will be very uncomfortable. Frankly, my bees aren’t aggressive right now and bee stings are pretty painless as things go. At most, I expect I will wear a veil and gloves, but right now I can open the hive and check my frames with bare hands and I haven’t been stung yet. My four year old girl watches unprotected as well.
Haha. I wish I said that. It would take a lot more to get me to do beekeeping.
Although, to answer the OP’s question. No suit is actually bee-proof, since holes can definitely let bees in, and if you have a suit for long enough it can rip. I was cleaning gutters one time and we had to call a bee guy in for a yellow jacket infestation and a bee infestation. It was pretty cool watching him work (from a distance). He told us that he’s gotten stung by just about everything, but his suit kept him safe in general. He also removed wasps and hornets as well.