The amount of protective clothing a beekeeper wears tends to depend upon their experience. Most new beekeepers tend to go for maximum coverage whilst a lot of more experienced beekeepers keep protective beekeeping clothing to a minimum. But all beekeepers should wear at the very least a bee veil to protect the face and neck. No amount of experience will prevent a bee flying up and stinging you in the eye and potentially blinding you. Also face and neck stings are the most painful and should be avoided.
It is also worth noting for new beekeepers that although a good quality bee suit will offer some protection against bee stings, none of them offer 100% protection as stings can get through almost all clothing materials; so be prepared to get stung occasionally.
You will find the following information on protective beekeeping clothing helpful:
Quick Look at Protective Beekeeping Clothing
You should wear a bee veil at all times to protect your face and neck from stings. There are three basic types of bee veils available.
Cleaning Leather Beekeeping Gloves
Leather beekeeping gloves are often the first choice for new beekeepers as they do give the wearer a sense of being protected but they do get messy over time.
