Editing Beekeeping (section)

=== Protective clothing ===
[[File:Beekeeper keeping bees.jpg|upright=0.7|Beekeepers often wear protective clothing to protect themselves from stings.|thumb]]

Most beekeepers wear some protective clothing. Novice beekeepers usually wear gloves and a hooded suit or hat and veil. Experienced beekeepers sometimes choose not to use gloves because they inhibit delicate manipulations. The face and neck are the most important areas to protect, so most beekeepers wear at least a veil.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Hive and the honey bee: a new book on beekeeping which continues the tradition of "Langstroth on the hive and the honeybee"|date=1992|publisher=Dadant|editor=Graham, Joe M. |isbn=0-915698-09-9|edition=Rev.|location=Hamilton, IL |oclc=27344331}}</ref> Defensive bees are attracted to the breath; a sting on the face can lead to much more pain and swelling than a sting elsewhere, while a sting on a bare hand can usually be quickly removed by fingernail scrape to reduce the amount of venom injected.

Traditionally, beekeeping clothing is pale-colored because of the natural color of cotton and the cost of coloring is an expense not warranted for workwear, though some consider this to provide better differentiation from the colony's natural predators such as bears and skunks, which tend to be dark-colored. It is now known bees see in [[ultraviolet]] wavelengths and are also attracted to scent. The type of fabric conditioner used has more impact than the color of the fabric.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.ncsu.edu/2011/07/wms-what-bees-see/|title=What Do Bees See? And How Do We Know?|website=NC State News|date=27 July 2011|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-17|archive-date=2020-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401161912/https://news.ncsu.edu/2011/07/wms-what-bees-see/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/well-ill-bee-bees-see-uv/|title=Well, I'll BEE...Bees see UV|last=Murphy|first=Cheryl|website=Scientific American Blog Network|language=en|access-date=2020-04-17|archive-date=2020-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113113414/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/well-ill-bee-bees-see-uv/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Stings that are retained in clothing fabric continue to pump out an [[Alarm pheromones|alarm pheromone]] that attracts aggressive action and further stinging attacks. Attraction can be minimized with regular washing.{{cn|date=November 2024}}