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Author Topic: Beekeeping Gloves  (Read 9338 times)

Offline rawfind

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Beekeeping Gloves
« on: October 29, 2012, 09:27:36 pm »
Hi All,
         I am finding that the leather gloves i use have a cloth part just past the wrist , the bees regularly sting me in this area , the other type i tried had vents in that area, the bees stung me there too, anyone else having this problem? and can anyone suggest a better glove or a way to avoid the stings? re Neil

gloves

Offline hardwood

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2012, 09:30:55 pm »
Tuck the gloves into your long sleeves.

Scott
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Offline asprince

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2012, 09:37:53 pm »
I use soft leather gloves that I get Tractor Supply or Ace Hardware that I tuck under my sleeves.


Steve 
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Offline ShaneJ

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2012, 10:38:24 pm »
If you stop using gloves you will find yourself being more gentle with the bees and they wont sting you. If I'm unlucky I may get 1 or 2 stings on my finger tips throughout inspecting my 20 hives.
Shane

Offline Mek

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2012, 11:20:36 pm »
Wash hands with a light dilution of white vinegar  (haven't tested) was told by another bee keeper.
Wash hands with water and avoid having honey on your hands? - Watched a beek with a water in a keg on his truck.


Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2012, 02:03:54 am »
I second Shane. Gotta loose the gloves, eventually, if they are stinging you are doing something wrong,( hot smoke ? rough ? dark cloths ? perfume ? bad timing ? gloves/suit smell like dog/cat/deodorant ? ) gotta figure out what that is and correct it. When U can go through with no stings you will no longer need the gloves, or the veil for that matter. And pretty soon you'll only need just the lightest few puffs of smoke here and there, maybe none at all.
Enjoy the journey,
Drew

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2012, 12:53:28 pm »
I'm with Shane. My first year with full suit on, after I was done and took the suit off bees would come out and sting me. First the gloves came off and then the bees calmed down. It didn't take long to remove the whole suit. Remember to move slow over the hive. If you want to stop the bees from stinging a certain area, use Vick's vapor run on that area. Bees don't like it. Just don't leave to much on your hands after applying it. You end up putting it in the hive. Some times when I know a removal might be rough, I will put it on my ears and forehead and face. It takes a bit of getting used to around the eyes but it will stop most except the ones that come straight out of the hive at you at full force.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2012, 02:14:57 pm »
couple of things occurred to me
-the statement you are doing something wrong doesn't sound like I intended, something is going wrong is better
-maybe the most important and obvious thing I missed is the sound, pay close attention to the sound.
-stop if they sting, smoke a little step away and let them calm, you can't go thru with them stinging you.
-Can't kill any. The odor released can set them off. No reason to squash any if you plan your moves in advance and proceed slow and steady, they will accommodate your action.
-Keep a  calm assertive state of mind. Increased heart rate, anxiety, fear, will have you releasing scents that could result in defensive reactions.
Cheers,
Drew

Offline JPBEEGETTER

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2012, 02:37:34 pm »
With bees that are, as jp says ,"a little pissy"  I use a misquito pull over and blue nitrle gloves have little to no stings..JPP.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2012, 03:02:03 pm »
I also buy regular soft leather gloves and tuck them in my sleeves.  Cheaper and easier to get on and off.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2012, 03:18:34 pm »
Perhaps golf gloves would work nicely ? And the prop. would help u grip the clubs better  !  :) Might have found a new market for the Beekeepers ! Propolis for Pro golfers, baseball players, quarterbacks & receivers, might work good for rock climbing now that I think about it, gotta try that.
Drew

Offline gailmo

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2012, 05:52:36 pm »
This is a photo of my former "bee gloves".


And this is my hand after wearing them!



The hive I was working I call my "freaking hot" hive!  I managed to pull tons of honey from it this year, but as soon as spring comes, they are going to be requeened. I would have done it earlier, but I didn't have a queen available and didn't get a chance to order one.  And if they don't make it this winter, I won't be totally upset.

I now wear lined rubber gloves I buy on Amazon.  They are called ""True Blues Small Ultimate Household Gloves".  I like them because I have small hands and the small size fits perfectly.  They last about a season and the bees can't sting through them. 

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2012, 06:23:00 pm »
Ouch ! Got ya good there. Been stung a couple times doing cutouts this year. I take a vitamin C and a Benadril right away. And no coffee for @ least an hour.
Cheers,
Drew

Offline bernsad

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2012, 07:38:49 pm »
The Benadryl I understand. How do the vitamin C and the lack of coffee help?

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2012, 08:25:36 pm »
Vitamin C helps the system break down the toxin, for me anyway the coffee and the toxin lead to some strange and a bit scary reactions. Light headedness, irregular heart rhythm (had this reaction twice this year, the second time not as pronounced, after multiple stings). The other interesting thing I've noticed is that a sting here or there, ( the B's like something on my mossy brick patio, I go barefoot most of the time ) is no bother but I feel it as a sort of itching in the nearest joint and even a little in the joint above that. ( ankle/knee;elbow/shoulder)

Offline bernsad

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #15 on: October 31, 2012, 09:32:54 pm »
Vitamin C helps the system break down the toxin, for me anyway the coffee and the toxin lead to some strange and a bit scary reactions. Light headedness, irregular heart rhythm (had this reaction twice this year, the second time not as pronounced, after multiple stings). The other interesting thing I've noticed is that a sting here or there, ( the B's like something on my mossy brick patio, I go barefoot most of the time ) is no bother but I feel it as a sort of itching in the nearest joint and even a little in the joint above that. ( ankle/knee;elbow/shoulder)
That's interesting, thanks.

Offline rawfind

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #16 on: November 01, 2012, 04:04:05 am »
This is a photo of my former "bee gloves".


And this is my hand after wearing them!



The hive I was working I call my "freaking hot" hive!  I managed to pull tons of honey from it this year, but as soon as spring comes, they are going to be requeened. I would have done it earlier, but I didn't have a queen available and didn't get a chance to order one.  And if they don't make it this winter, I won't be totally upset.

I now wear lined rubber gloves I buy on Amazon.  They are called ""True Blues Small Ultimate Household Gloves".  I like them because I have small hands and the small size fits perfectly.  They last about a season and the bees can't sting through them. 

that hand looks nasty!!   i found the rubber gloves are real good when doing a cut out dosnt matter if they get honey all over them, hands tend to sweat heaps though

Offline rawfind

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #17 on: November 01, 2012, 07:34:21 am »
I second Shane. Gotta loose the gloves, eventually, if they are stinging you are doing something wrong,( hot smoke ? rough ? dark cloths ? perfume ? bad timing ? gloves/suit smell like dog/cat/deodorant ? ) gotta figure out what that is and correct it. When U can go through with no stings you will no longer need the gloves, or the veil for that matter. And pretty soon you'll only need just the lightest few puffs of smoke here and there, maybe none at all.
Enjoy the journey,
Drew


Well it is windy often where i live and i cant always get the perfect day so sometimes i have to do it when time allows, mostly they are ok it seems the larger hives get cranky by the time i get to the 3rd super, that's usually when they hit me, have caught a couple of aggressive swarms this year, don't know if they were dry swarms or just plain nasty, but i will re-queen them when i get things under control again.
At the moment im building frames and boxes like crazy just trying to catch up i have hives that are building up fast and need xtra supers on them.

Offline ShaneJ

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #18 on: November 01, 2012, 08:04:28 am »
How bad are the SHB where you are? Around here the days of just adding an extra super are gone. Anymore than 2 honey boxes are you're at high risk of loosing the hive to SHB. I only keep one honey super on my hives. When its full I extract it.
Shane

Offline rawfind

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Re: Beekeeping Gloves
« Reply #19 on: November 01, 2012, 02:50:21 pm »
How bad are the SHB where you are? Around here the days of just adding an extra super are gone. Anymore than 2 honey boxes are you're at high risk of loosing the hive to SHB. I only keep one honey super on my hives. When its full I extract it.

i guess ive been lucky here, no beetle only pest was a few wax moths on the small colonies , how do they spread? moving hives around?