My 3 year old daughter wants to do whatever I do. She obviously wants to come with me inspecting hives. Will this do as a suit for kids?
Seriously though, I’m curious how many here involve kids with their beekeeping, how, and how early.
Hey, before someone dobs me in to the DCP, my daughter wasn’t with me in just that hat when I was near the hives. OK?
Glad I read your post again, I was thinking she was not doing as you asked of her so buried her up to her neck.
Seriously now, it is hard to justify the cost of a full suit that children will grow out of in 6 months. I would consider a smock (top half of a bee suit) and a pair of gloves to begin with and see how she goes with ongoing interest as a junior bee keeper. Skimping too much and getting her first bee sting will make you both feel bad about it.
Cheers
I’m keeping an eye open for used ones but they don’t even make them that small Pete.
Out of all things she want to smell the hives. Thing is I’m in the infancy of beekeeping myself and a toddler in my feet is the last thing I want at this stage.
I do however want to encourage her of course. She loves insects and spiders and I’m sure it will be a great experience for her to have a look inside a hive.
I bought a small size suit and both my 5 and 9 year olds have worn it and done an inspection. It is way over sized, they look like the mini michelen man, but it worked. Small dishwashing gloves worked to keep hands safe. Cheers.
I have a great grandson 3 years old, was excited when his Mom brought him out to my apiary to pick up a tub of honey and saw me in my suit. We fitted a veil over him and tied the bottom under his feet so I took him on my arm so he could see inside of an open hive. Mate, he was so excited, it made his day.
Get 'em while they’re young.
Cheers
Yes that’s what I’ll end up doing, though mine are only 3 and 1…
Absolutely Pete, that’s the plan.
Surprised by the lack of responses. I always thought the Flow crowd were nutters with kids, beekeeping in the backyard. Must be just nutters then, haha.
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I bought this $30 bee suit online at Amazon for my 4 and 6 year old. They love it. It was a decent quality as well. It was definitely worth it even though they’ll grow out of it in 2 years or so.
Thanks for that… the photo didn’t seem to load.
That’s super cute how the veil covers almost her whole body!
We start introducing the kids to the bees pretty early here too. When I had my daughter I was joking that we need to bring out a bee suit with a built in newborn pouch (and suit to accommodate a pregnancy bump while we’re at it!)
I know it’s hard when they grow so fast to justify the expense though - the clothes are bad enough - but safety is pretty important. Unless you’re especially handy with a sewing machine, maybe it’s worth considering a suit a couple of sizes too big so she gets some good use out of it?
Christmas isn’t far off… 
Cheers for that, I can fit both my kids in that, so that’s a plus haha.
More than the expense, it is the consumption of stuff. That’s why I’m watching out for a used one because they’ll be using it for a short time. But she’s is too small and we probably have to make something up anyway.
Every morning she likes to wear the veil, I tuck it onto her pants, and we go and see the bees leaving the hives from some distance. That’s as far as we go for safety.
For some reason I’m getting inspired by this donkey’s bee suit. If they can make one for a donkey, I can make one small enough for my daughter.
Totally with you on that one! Loved your donkey pic 
The kids and I regularly visit the hives without suits (8,6 and 1 yo) and observe from the outside from the side out of the flight path. They get right up close to the entrance and watch the bees land and take off from the landing board. They love pulling the viewing window off and watching the activity also.
I showed my 1 yo yesterday to put his finger in the extraction channel to taste some leftover goodness. He got a buzz out of that. The other 2 also do it. They know to only visit the hive with me or another adult.
If I find a drone, I’ll hand that to them to handle.
When I open up the hive for inspection, the kids just watch from a safe distance. No casualties to date from the above practice.
I do have a spare suit, but none of the kids have shown an interest in donning on a suit or playing space invaders with me…
Glad to see others involving kids from a very young age. My daughter tells me I look really good in the bee suit, probably because my face is obscured. Nevertheless, I take it as a compliment.
She already got stung once when she stepped on one at a plant nursery. I’m trying to delay further stings as much as possible, because I don’t want to put her off. Her 1 year old brother who is nowhere as courageous as her, makes a big fuss if we don’t take him to see the bees too in the morning.
Once I put the supers on, with the viewing window, it would be much more interesting for them, and myself, for sure.
I guess that will do. Kids won’t be working in a hive, just watching for a short time, so it doesn’t have to be exceptionally comfortable.
We had our 3yr olds suit turn up today. was a pretty good fit and just went with some $3 lids gardening gloves from bunnings… He was pretty excited to get close.
That looks like my daughter’s size! Where did you get it from?
He is a size 4 at the moment if that helps. i think we went the smallest suit which is 116cm. We got it from Ripplefarm in WA so your end of town. Hope that helps 
