Washing Bee Suits: an Easy Way that gets them Clean AND Helps Prevent Buzz Attacks.

No bees in your bonnet! Yesterday, we did a hive check on a usually docile hive. This time they were flighty -- buzzing all around us. A dozen or so bees kept buzzing and bumping me incessantly, trying to find a breach in my veil. This wasn't happening to Jerry! Then I realized that he was wearing the clean bee jacket that you'll see in this video. I was wearing a somewhat nasty jacket that I hadn't bothered to wash for a few weeks. . . duh. It's easy to wash bee suits in a standard washing machine while your veil and hood soak in the sink. Doing this cleanse on a regular basis -- especially after an encounter with some feisty bees -- helps you keep peace in the apiary. Bees emit pheromones -- some happy, some distressed -- and your bee suit picks them up. Although you can't smell this particular B.O., the bees can. The pheromones lingering in a dirty bee suit might distress and anger the next colony you need to inspect. And it feels good to be wearing a clean and sweet-smelling suit, especially when it can help you keep the bees happy!