Sylvia Kenmuir, BCE, Technical Services Representative, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions
When managing certain social bees and wasps, using the right personal protective equipment (PPE) is a must. While many PMPs rely on “bee suits” to provide protection, keep in mind that these suits were designed by agricultural pioneers in the early 1900s to sell to commercial beekeepers, not PMPs.
To minimize the risk of stings that can penetrate bee suit fabric, cover your head with a hat and veil. Use thick gloves, and also wear a jacket or whole-body suit. Ensure the suit fits properly, with no loose fabric around the arms or legs to catch on ladders and other equipment.
Lastly, maintain your bee suit. Because bees and wasps are social insects that use pheromones to communicate, launder the suit regularly to remove all the alarm pheromones that have accumulated on the fabric, as well as any pesticide residues from the treatments you may have used for the job.
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