How to Wash Your Bee Suit - Complete Guide
Your bee suit should generally be clean when you are working in the apiary. Bee suits that are unclean can trap odors that can cause bugs to become aggressive. Working with bee hive kits can be difficult so learning the right techniques on washing your suits can help keep the number of bug stings to a minimum.
We at Safta Bee understand how to best manufacture and distribute bee hive kits, including protective gloves and suits, as well as suits, so we understand the real-world beekeeping conditions and what every beekeeper should learn about washing and maintaining their bee suits.
The Importance of Cleaning Your Bee Suit
When beekeepers work with their colonies, bees communicate with one another using scents. The presence of alarm scents that result from previous beekeeping stings and dead bees can trigger a defensive attack with beekeeping equipment. This may lead to increased aggression with the next visit, especially on the initial setup and maintenance of bee hive kits, where the bees are working on a disturbance trigger of their own.
Beekeeping suit washing helps to:
- Eliminate alarm scents
- Decrease defensive behavior of the bees
- Enhance comfort and cleanliness
- Improve the lifespan of the suit
How Often Should It Be Washed?
For most beekeepers, there will be no "one-size fits all" answer, but here are the general guidelines that will work in most situations.
Light use (calm hives, short inspections):
Wash every 3–5 uses
Heavy use (frequent inspections, honey harvests):
Wash after 1–2 uses
After multiple stings or aggressive sessions:
Wash immediately
Frequent use of inspecting bee hive kits means that suits will need to be washed more often, particularly because new or disturbed colonies are defensive.
Indications That Your Suit Is Due For Cleaning, Immediately
Do not depend on a timetable. Clean your suit if you see:
- Powerful or rotten smells
- Obvious propolis, honey, or wax build up
- Heightened, unexplained stinging
- Extreme and heavy perspiration
These signs suggest your suit is likely holding bee agitating odors, particularly when near frames or bee hive kits.
How to Wash Beekeeper's Suits Respectfully
To safeguard the sting resistance and fabric:
- Wash at a temperature of less than 140ºF
- Use a soap without fragrance and with a mild formulation
- Bleach and softeners and no washing fabric finishers
- Wash with the suit fully zipped
- Dry with no heat or with low heat tumble dry
Washing bee hive kits to remove the scent puts the beekeeper and the bees at a higher risk. Washing the suits hides a fragrance that masks the scent of the beekeeper and helps the beekeeper work with the bees more safely.
What About Veils and Gloves?
Veils and Gloves should be washed more often than the suit. Gloves soak up perspiration, while the mesh in the veils hold and trap breath, moisture, and odors. When working around the bees, especially when setting up or maintaining the bee hive kits, having clean protective gear helps a lot.
Safta Bee's Practical Approach to Care for Your Suit
At Safta Bee, we focus on designing clothing for beekeepers that includes beekeeping suits, which provides easy maintenance and durable solutions. Our fabrications are chosen to endure the rigorous washing and still maintain the structural integrity, breathability, and protective features of the suit, after all, we understand the beekeepers use the suits on a daily basis.
Managing your established colonies, or even newly starting with bee hive kits, a clean suit is important to have and that ensures the interactions with your bees will be safe and smooth.
Closing Remarks
What is the washing frequency for a bee suit?
As often as needed to ensure it stays scent-free, comfortable, and effective.
Cleaning your suit often will reduce aggressiveness, improve protection, and lengthen the lifespan of your equipment. Maintaining your suit is more than just good practice—it's a part of your beekeeping responsibility.
Safta Bee thinks that protective clothing opens up beekeepers to what is truly important—healthier hives, more productive workflows, and an improved experience in beekeeping.