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Author Topic: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?  (Read 17518 times)

Offline golddust-twins

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #20 on: May 02, 2008, 04:11:07 am »
Depends on the mood of the bees  ;).  If I wear gloves I use regular old yellow dishwashing gloves.  I get 2 for a buck at the dollar store.

Offline qa33010

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2008, 01:06:45 am »
    I like the idea of leather driving gloves.  Need to pick up a pair and try them out.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #22 on: May 08, 2008, 02:23:47 am »
IMHO, a good set of guantlets are more important than gloves.  There are 2 times bees will always sting--bees up the pant legs and bees up the sleeve.
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Offline Moonshae

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #23 on: May 09, 2008, 12:39:05 pm »
I vary by season. I don't wear gloves in the spring and summer, when the bees are nice and calm, but late fall, winter inspection, early spring, I definitely wear gloves. They just dislike the intrusion at those times, especially since smoking them is not ideal when they'll start tearing into stores at the hint of smoke. I wear them with swarms and when I did the cutout, too. When I get a bee vac, I won't wear gloves when doing swarms, but until then, I'd rather be protected.
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Online Kathyp

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #24 on: May 09, 2008, 02:28:01 pm »
i started knocking down that swarm the other day without gloves.  got nailed on the inside of my wrist and by the next day was swollen from hand to elbow.  just can't take the chance and skip the gloves, but i agree with the good fitting work gloves.  they are just a effective as bee gloves if you can seal the wrist.
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Offline Tucker1

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #25 on: May 09, 2008, 05:00:01 pm »
After reading this email string, I thought I'd try moving away from my thick leather gloves and either go without gloves completely or use something else. I stopped at the Grange and pickup a set of thin blue nitrile? gloves. They were very thin and didn't offer much protection, but I really wanted to handle the frames better. The thin gloves did a nice job.  They didn't have to provide me any protection, ........  partially, because I was able to handle the frames much better. Next time I'm going to "sans" the gloves completely and just sing a few verses of "Macho, Macho, Man..." while I'm tending the hive. The drive to the hospital is only 5 minutes from my hive.

Looking at some the DVDs on bee keeping, plus all the photos in books and magazines, etc.; I see all of these mature and wisdom-filled gentlemen  :-D :-D handling bees without gloves, veils,  wearing shorts, sandals, open neck shirts/short sleeve shirts, no hats, etc.  I can get a senior citizens discount at Denny's, so I should be able to do the same.

Seriously, I think I'll stop using gloves for a while and find out when I don't really need them. They make me clumsily and make working frames difficult. I suspect there will be times when their needed, I just need to work without them, if I can.

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Offline desmondmegan

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #26 on: May 09, 2008, 11:45:54 pm »
i have guantlets but stopped wearing them after a couple of inspections.. they where always in the way. have not got stung yet..

Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #27 on: May 10, 2008, 08:38:28 am »
I wear them, I'm a born coward, don't want to get stung, and trying hard to keep it that way. Its cool up here so suits, jackets are nice , keep you warm as well as protect. I do find myself wanting to rip the gloves off sometimes,  its just kinda clumsy. I think a frame tool will take care of that issue. Maybe later this summer I'll try without gloves. Till then I'll just bawck! bawck! at that idea.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #28 on: May 10, 2008, 12:51:42 pm »
I think a lot of beekeepers do videos with no veil etc. just to illustrate what they know, which is that bees are not angry and trying to sting you.  But, wearing a veil is the prudent thing to do.  Someday you will open a hive that is in a bad mood and get stung badly in the face.  If you're lucky you won't get any in the eye.
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Offline JP

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #29 on: May 10, 2008, 01:36:49 pm »
I think a lot of beekeepers do videos with no veil etc. just to illustrate what they know, which is that bees are not angry and trying to sting you.  But, wearing a veil is the prudent thing to do.  Someday you will open a hive that is in a bad mood and get stung badly in the face.  If you're lucky you won't get any in the eye.


Not wearing a veil is the "macho" thing to do.

Running, screaming, perhaps even crying and yellin' for your Momma after they've stung you on your face, well, not very macho.

Veil good, stings to the face, bad, sometimes very, very bad.


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Offline sarafina

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #30 on: May 10, 2008, 03:54:35 pm »
I think a lot of beekeepers do videos with no veil etc. just to illustrate what they know, which is that bees are not angry and trying to sting you.  But, wearing a veil is the prudent thing to do.  Someday you will open a hive that is in a bad mood and get stung badly in the face.  If you're lucky you won't get any in the eye.


I am a new beek and I would never approach my hive without a veil.  I have a bordman feeder and had to change the quart jar every day after I hived them.  I would wear shorts and flip flops but had a veil on  :-D  I just snuck up behind the hive and swapped the jars out and left quickly and was never bothered, but I didn't want to take a chance with my face.  I don't mind getting stung anywhere else.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #31 on: May 11, 2008, 09:34:45 am »
About the veil, yep agreed 100%.  I wouldn't think of working in my apiary without a veil, nothing else though.  I have a feeling of protection with a veil, I can work unhurried and unworried.  Lovely and great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline asprince

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #32 on: May 11, 2008, 11:00:41 am »
I have been using rubber dish washing gloves but they are hot and make my hands sweat a lot.

This week, ACE hardware has Soft leather work gloves on sale for $8.99. They are very soft and flexible with a draw string at the wrist. They work great, easy to get on and off. They come in extra large size for my fat hands. They work so will that I went back and bought a spare pair.

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Offline watercarving

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #33 on: May 11, 2008, 11:45:53 am »
I've only done one inspection but did it without gloves. I had them with me in case the bees were hot but I want to use them as little as possible. I'm nervous without them but I won't learn without diving in.
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Offline derrick1p1

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #34 on: May 12, 2008, 05:15:27 pm »
I change feeders without my gloves, but use them for everything else.  I can handle getting stung on the arms or legs, but in the face or on the hands...no thanks.  For some reason I'm really nervous about inspecting without my gloves.  I don't always wear the suit, but gloves and veil always.  Maybe I'll get brave during this flow and see what happens.  But for some reason, I still tend to freak when they land on my hands...not sure why...guess just learned behavior.

While on the subject...of suits/gloves.  How should I wash them.  My gloves (double lined cotton) and my bee suit are really really dirty.  I want to avoid the smell of detergents as they may not like the scent.  Any advice on this??  What do you do?

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Offline lovelyembalmer

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #35 on: May 12, 2008, 05:22:55 pm »
We always use gloves and suit. Our bees are quite mean and we need to find  quieter queens.

I always use to use the All detergent for Sensitive Skin. It works really well.  the last few times  I have washed them I have used a homemade detergent that my mom makes.  It has a scent but the bees don't seem to mind.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #36 on: May 13, 2008, 10:54:54 am »
Derrick.  I just wash my beesuit in the normal laundry soap stuff, all on its own, in cold water.  I don't use warm water with it because of any propolis that may be on it, I think the warm water would put propolis on the washer drum.  The suit never will come really clean I can see, but it is clean of anything that is not dirt that is worn right into the fabric.  It is cleaner when it comes out than when it when in, I know that and the bees don't mind if there is any scent of any detergent, if there is any remaining.  Just wash it any way that you like...beautiful and most wonderful day in this life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline qa33010

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #37 on: May 15, 2008, 01:31:28 am »
   I hang dry everything.  My family likes those dryer sheets way too much.  The bees hate them.  I stopped using the dryer after the second time I washed everything and the next inspection I was again covered in bees that were not very happy.  It only takes a building falling on me before I get the point.  Hang dry and no problems.
Everyone said it couldn't be done. But he with a chuckle replied, "I won't be one to say it is so, until I give it a try."  So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin.  If he had a worry he hid it and he started to sing as he tackled that thing that couldn't be done, and he did it.  (unknown)

Offline Bob Delp

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #38 on: May 15, 2008, 02:32:11 am »
I wouldn't think of working in my apiary without a veil, nothing else though.

A veil and nothing else?  :shock:

Bob  :-D

Offline JP

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Re: Do You Wear Gloves When You Pull a Frame To Inspect?
« Reply #39 on: May 15, 2008, 08:51:23 am »
I wouldn't think of working in my apiary without a veil, nothing else though.

A veil and nothing else?  :shock:

Bob  :-D

She does that to impress her husband!!! :-D


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