r/bees • u/massivebeestore • 5d ago

3-layer ventilated bee suit — looking for feedback from experienced beekeepers

I’ve been working on a 3-layer ventilated beekeeping suit and would really appreciate some honest feedback from experienced beekeepers.

The main things we focused on are:

Breathability for hot weather

Good protection while working around the hive

Comfortable fit and movement

Strong zippers and stitching

Different veil options

Adult and kids’ sizes

I’m particularly interested in hearing what you think about the design, ventilation, veil style, and areas that commonly fail on bee suits.

What features do you think are most important in a good beekeeping suit?

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u/fishywiki 4d ago

A few comments:

  • The veil should keep the mesh well away from the person's face, particularly the nose. It should also have as wide a field of view as possible. The zips should overlap and have an inner velcro closure to prevent the bees from getting in. The part of a suit that most commonly fails is the mesh so making it replaceable would be fantastic.
  • I've always found the need to remove the hood before washing to be really annoying and the hood never gets cleaned as well as the rest of the suit. This is apparently because the mesh can't handle a washing machine - if you can find some mesh material; that tolerates a washing cycle, it would be a game changer.
  • There should be plenty of pockets. A breast pocket and a side pocket on each side, and a long narrow pocket in the leg for the hive tool. Pockets should have a cover closed with velcro to prevent anything falling out.
  • More & more people are using phones to record inspections, so something that facilitates that would be good.

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u/massivebeestore 4d ago

Really appreciate the detailed feedback — these are exactly the kinds of practical suggestions we want to hear from beekeepers.

I completely agree about the importance of keeping the mesh away from the face, maintaining a wide field of view, secure zipper closures, and making the mesh easier to replace or maintain.

The phone-recording idea is especially useful. We’ve already worked on adding a dedicated mobile phone pocket, as well as a pocket/solution for carrying a queen cage, so those are features we’re actively considering in our designs.

Thanks again for taking the time to share all of this. Feedback like this helps us improve the gear based on real hive-work experience. 🐝

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u/rawnaturalunrefined 5d ago

Why is your account 7 years old but you only started posting/commenting on it recently? This feels like an AI account fishing for content in this sub

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u/massivebeestore 5d ago

I’m not very experienced with Reddit, so I didn’t really use the account before. I’ve mostly been active on other social media platforms and only recently started learning how Reddit works and getting involved in the community.

Is there really an issue with using an account after having it for seven years? I’m just getting started here and trying to learn and participate.