# Do bee keeper suits offer protection from Wasps? or Africanized bees?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bee-keeper-suits-offer-protection-from-wasps-or-africanized-bees/655539>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 12, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bee-keeper-suits-offer-protection-from-wasps-or-africanized-bees/655539 "2013-04-12T20:14:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bee-keeper-suits-offer-protection-from-wasps-or-africanized-bees/655539/21 "2013-04-16T19:21:06Z")

</div>

> [@WarmNPrickly](#):
>
> I’ve been a beekeeper for 5 days now.

My mother kept bees for about 20 years.

> [@](#):
>
> As far as suits go, I don’t wear anything yet.

Stop right now and get yourself a bee suit. You REALLY do not want to get badly stung. And keep your daughter well away and side-wind.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bee-keeper-suits-offer-protection-from-wasps-or-africanized-bees/655539/22 "2013-04-16T22:11:40Z")

</div>

> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Stop right now and get yourself a bee suit. You really do not want to get badly stung. And keep your daughter well away and side-wind.

My uncle has 160 hives and he also wears no protection most of the time. It’s possible that his queens just are of a less aggressive nature. That is one of the reasons he told me to go for the Italians. Otherwise, my first choice was the Russian Hybrids. Those tend to have a mixed temperament. A friend has Russian Hybrids that are docile, but others have hives that they can’t approach without gear.

The last few times I have been stung by a bee (as opposed to a wasp) it was a non-event beyond the initial sting. I warn my daughter every time, but I think that it would be just fine. I will order her a veil though so she doesn’t get stung in the face.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bee-keeper-suits-offer-protection-from-wasps-or-africanized-bees/655539.md?page=1)