Watch a lot of beekeeping videos on YouTube and you will see that not every beekeeper wears protective clothing. However, if a beekeeper is wearing a bee suit or jacket, the color is almost always white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bee suits are white because honey bees are reputed to dislike dark colors as a defense mechanism against predators such as bears, raccoons, and skunks. Equally important, white absorbs less heat from the summer sun than darker colors, making white<\/strong> suits more comfortable for the beekeeper than darker suits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the overwhelming preference for white suits, some suppliers offer other colors for beekeepers looking to stand out, for a change of pace, or to make a fashion statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article discusses why beekeepers wear white and the color of beekeeping suits in detail including information about how bees see color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Analysis of Honeybee Aggression<\/a><\/em> by Dylan Voeller and James Nieh at the University of California San Diego, common sources of attack stimulus for honey bees include dark colors.<\/strong> “This makes sense because mammals, which are common predators of bees, are usually hairy, dark colored, and exhale carbon dioxide.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the warning that dark colors may trigger honey bee aggression, black mesh is used in beekeeping hoods and veils (including mine) to reduce the reflection of sunlight that might hinder the beekeeper\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the color black will trigger a bee attack, why have it on my head? After all, that\u2019s where I exhale carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers at the University of Sao Paolo tested veils that were light-colored on the outside and dark on the inside. They found that honey bees were significantly less aggressive toward the lighter veil.<\/strong> (Source: De Jong, David & Gon\u00e7alves, Lionel & Francoy, Tiago. (2007). A light-colored veil greatly diminishes attacks by Africanized honey bees. American Bee Journal. 147. 153-156. Find it here on ResearchGate<\/a>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, I would note that the “aggression” in the aforementioned study came after “riling up the colonies.” To me, this indicates that IF the bees become defensive, dark colors are a more likely point of attack. Despite this information, black veils seem to be the norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, most bee behavior considered “aggressive” is actually the bees being “defensive” and protecting the colony. See our article Do Honey Bees Sting?<\/strong><\/a> for more information.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Our Mann Lake Economy Jackets have held up well for years. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nHoney Bees Are Less Defensive With White Bee Suits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n