Frequently Asked Questions

Beekeeping Suits and Jackets

Q. What Size Suit Should I Order?

Answer. To choose the correct size for you, measure your body as follows:

The Back Length is the most important. This is the measurement from the top of your shoulder to your crotch.
It is better to have this a couple of inches to long, because if this is to tight, then it will be difficult to bend and squat when moving.

All our bee suits have elasticated waist, the chest and waists have quite a wide range. For example, the waist on a Medium suit is (Regular Fit is 43 inches) and a (Max Fit is 48 Inches). This gives you the extra elasticated room if you need or a closer fit if you don’t. Though a have a 34 waist the extra room is great because I can wear under clothing for extra protection, comfort and room to bend a kneel when working my beehives.

If the leg or sleeve are too short, this is not a problem as you are mostly likely to be wearing gloves with gauntlets and wellington boots. If the leg or sleeve are too long, you can roll these up or just leave them baggy.

A beekeeping suit should have a loose fit, as this will make it more comfortable to wear and more sting resistant. A tight suit will be difficult to move in and cause the fabric to be close to you skin, increasing your chance of being stung.  

Once you have finished measuring add 1 Inch (2.5cm) to your measurements, for a comfortable suit that will give you ample room to move.

  • Collar to Ankle: Measure from your shirt collar to your ankle bone
  • Waist: Measure around natural waistline
  • Collar to Crotch (Back Length) the most important measurement):  Measure from your collar down to your crotch
  • Inside Leg: Measure from top of inside leg at crotch to ankle bone
  • ​Sleeve: Measure from the top of your arm (at the shoulder) to your wrist

Numeric Sizes: These are the same as your measurement in centimeters/inches. Round up or down to the nearest size.

You can then match your measurements up to our sizing guide which can be found under the product description on each suit and jacket.

Q. What Is The Length Of The Jackets?

Answer. In general our jackets are approximately 9 inches shorter than the collar to crotch measurements of our suits.

Q. How to Clean An Apiarist or Max Protect Suit or Jacket?

Answer. After Removing the Veil, the remainder of the suit can be machine washed on a cool temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).  Higher temperatures will soften the elastic and will not remove propolis stains and may only soften it, potentially leading to sticky deposits left in your washing machine.

We do not recommend the suit is tumble dried because if there are still wax or propolis deposits on the cloth
the higher temperatures of the dryer may cause the wax to melt - leading to marks on the next load of clothes through the machine.  We also recommend you wash your suit before using, to remove any remaining smells from manufacturing.

​The detachable hat and veil should only be hand washed. A soaking in mild bleach such as Napisan helps clean and sterilize. If it is put through a washing machine the rim is liable to be damaged or will cut through the cloth. Allow the damp hat to dry naturally. Do not tumble dry.

Q. How Do I Clean My Zephyros Beekeeping Suit?

Answer.  When cleaning your Zephyros suit or jacket you should hand wash only, with hand washing detergent, and dry naturally out of direct sunlight. Do not wring the dry, as this could cause damage to the latex when wet.

Q. How Do I Remove My Beekeeping Suit Veil? and How Do I Attach My Round Beekeeper Suit Veil?

Answer. In this You Tube Video Ialso demonstrate How To Fasten your Natural Apiary Beekeeping Suit securely.

The suit used in the video was the “Zephyros - 3 Layer Ventilated Beekeeping Jacket” that comes with 2 veils, one round & one fencing.

Available On This Store Here: Zephyros Protect Ventilated Beekeeping Jacket

Available at:

Q. Are Your Suits Sting Proof?

Answer. They can be very sting resistant when used correctly. Still, it is very difficult to give advice about how sting proof beekeeping suits or jackets are, as none are 100% sting proof, to make them so would be to make them very thick just like the sting proof cuffs on our gloves or a wet suit used for diving.

Beekeeping suit are primarily designed to stop bees have unimpeded access to your skin by creating a totally enclosed protective shell that covers your entire body. Most beekeeping suits are made of a light polycotton fabric, just like ourApiarist bee suitsAs an original bee suit design from Europe a lighter fabric is used so that they are cooler to wear in summer and to be worn over you everyday clothing. You can add and remove clothing layers depending on the weather and additional sting protection.

With a full cotton suit, like our Max Protect bee suits, a thicker fabric can be used, as cotton fibres are more breathable, allowing more air to flow through the suit. With a thicker fabric, it is less likely that a bee’s stinger will make full contact with your skin. A bee can still sting you, though lese severely. Even though you should still wear underclothing, your clothing can be much lighter, making a cotton suit more comfortable to wear in the summer.

The three-layer ventilated beekeeping suits are the most sting proof suits available.  Thee three layers of different mesh creates a 5mm gap, a bee stinger is 1.5 to 3mm long, so the stinger should need reach your skin. The suit uses mesh rather than fabric to allow air to flow through the suit, making the suit very comfortable to wear on hot summer days. This is my personal choice of suit as I hate being stung. Being British and living a cooler climate I find that during the last months of the fall the ventilated suit is very cold to wear, so I personally use a Max Protect jacket with a thick pair of jeans and a long sleeve sweater.  

As I'm sure you know with beekeeping, it isn’t will I get stung, but when. When wearing any beekeeping suit it is recommended at least wearing a long sleeve rugby or polo top underneath. That being said, I have been still been stung through my suit and a good pair of jeans, when my bees have been in a particularly feisty mood.

Q. My Max Protect or Zephyros suit did not have a Round Veil included. What should I do?

Answer.  We are sorry to hear that you did not receive both veils. We have just recently upgraded our Max Protect and Zephyros suits and jackets to include both the fencing and round veils, and we still have some items in stock prior to the update. Please email us at and we will be happy to send your round veil to you.

Warranty, Shipping, Etc

SQ. How Do I Get Faster Shipping?

Answer. All our orders are dispatched via Amazon to ensure that you receive them as quickly as possible. If you require faster shipping or have questions in regards to Amazon Prime shipping please contact Amazon customer services directly.

General Beekeeping Questions

Q. What I do if a bee gets inside my suit?

Answer.  ​Run, Scream, Panic! Are things you should not do… this will only excite the bees and make them sting you more ☹. But if this helps you get over the excitement of having a bee inside your suit, go for it!

The best approach (I know this is hard when you are panicking, and you might get stung in the process, so take a breath unless the bee is on you face, as now is not a good time to swallow a bee.), is to hit, squash, press the bee hard with your hand into you body or head. Scream or swear if the bee stings you, I always do because it frigging hurts.

Check to see if you have any zippers or Velcro seals open. If so close them to stop any more bees getting in. Then leave your apairy quickly are calmly, if you run screaming and waving your arms like I normally do the bees will think this is a cool game and play chase.

When you are away from your bees you can reassess the situation with your suit still on. You don’t want to be removing you suit if you still have a halo of bees around your head, as they will take another shot at you given the chance.

If you still have bees in your suit and your suit is still on, you can lay on the floor and roll around like a sausage dog to squash as many of them as you can, still screaming if you need to.

If you are well away from your hives and there are no bees around you, now would be a safe time to remove you suit. The only reason you would want to remove your suit is to remove any remaining bees and check for holes or broken seals in your suit. I wouldn’t recommend removing your suit in your car, as any remaining live bees, will be travelling home with you.

Even if you drive very fast, this is not a game of chase that you will win. If you have been stung, treat you stings with some antihistamine cream, if necessary, seek medical advice.

If all is well, you have stopped screaming, you can cope with a few stings. Then you can assess the condition your suit. If it is hole free, can put it back on, securely fasten it, if not and you have a spear (I always have a beekeeper jacket in the back of the car) you can put it on.

Then either head back to your hive to finish your work, close your hives if you have left any open, or just head home to post your new bees stings on Instagram.

Q. Do bees hate dark colors? As dark animals like bears rob their hives. Shouldn’t white be what you should wear?

Answer. A. Bees see in ultraviolet light which gives them an advantage when looking for nectar. Many designs on flowers are invisible to humans and only visible to animals, such as bees, that have the ability to see ultra-violet light. This is also why bees also can't see the color red.

The reason bees try to sting you, is that as beekeepers we regularly open their home, move everything around, and take their honey, killing a few drones and workers in the process.

Bees have evolved to try to sting the most venerable areas. For example, bees don’t primarily attack the dark furry body of a bear because they would seldom be able to fully reach the bears skin to sting them. So, they target their face, and especially the nose of a bear, as they have learnt this is their most sensitive area. Which is why you always have more bees around your head than your body.

The type of fabric conditioner or perfume you use would has more influence than the color of your suit on incentivizing a bee to sting you.

To help prevent bees from harassing you, it is recommended that you don’t use perfume or hair products before you visit your beehives. Also give yourself a good covering of smoke from you smoker to help hide your scent. Wear a bee suit and veil at all times when attending your bees.

I Agree