Trousers are the part of the protective outfit most often underestimated. Stings at the ankles and legs are the commonest there are.

Why from below

Bees that fall from the hive or land on the ground climb upward. They look for a way out and find it in a trouser leg.

A bee caught in there stings — not from aggression but because she is trapped.

The requirements

• Closed ankles: Elastic, straps, or tucked into boots. This is the most important point
• Loose fit: Tight fabric lets the sting through
• Light colour
• Washable
• Overlapping with the jacket so no opening appears when bending

Footwear

Inseparable from the trousers. Shoes covering the ankle, with the trouser leg over or tucked in.

Low shoes with bare ankles are the commonest cause of stings during work.

Washing

Regularly, for two reasons:

• Hygiene: Propolis, wax and possibly spores
• Alarm pheromone: A sting leaves pheromone that puts the colony on the defensive at the next inspection

Overall or separates

• Overall: No seam at the waist, so no opening when bending
• Separate jacket and trousers: Cooler in warm weather, but the overlap must be right

Checking before work

The closure points: ankles, wrists, neck seal, zip ends. One open point is enough — and it is almost always discovered during the work, not before.