Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: I got my first sting today!!!  (Read 5155 times)

Offline Apis629

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 835
  • Gender: Male
    • A Hobbyist's Beekeeping Adventures
I got my first sting today!!!
« on: August 08, 2005, 05:15:42 pm »
I'm trying to get myself to stop wearing gloves and of cource I got stung.  I think I've found that I squish fewer bees when I wear gloves simply because I'm more confortable.  Has anyone else noticed this about themselves?

Offline Jerrymac

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 6047
  • Gender: Male
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2005, 06:35:22 pm »
Not real sure about the squishing part but every time I've gotten stung, I wasn't wearing gloves. Well..... Once they got me through the cloth part of the gloves.
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
     http://photobucket.com/albums/v225/Jerry-mac/

Offline Horns Pure Honey

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 148
  • Gender: Male
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2005, 06:40:41 pm »
I wear thing leather gloves and I havent killed but a few of them since I got them. They are sting proof too. :D
Ryan Horn

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2005, 07:09:38 pm »
I wear gloves 99% of the time.  I only take them off when I can't do what I need with gloves on.  There isn't much I can't do with gloves on.
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
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline beemaster

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6457
  • Gender: Male
  • It is my pleasure to bring the forums to you.
    • http://www.beemaster.com
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2005, 07:26:15 pm »
I always wondered if GIVEN A CHOICE would I rather take ONE sting in a really painful place or SIX stings in a "not so painful place" and I think I'd rather take the SIX.

I rarely use protective clothing (gloves and hood, etc.,) for the simple fact that bees can get inside to easily and getting the stinger out requires undressing OFTEN around the hive, which stirs the bees up even more.

I'd rather put all my faith in SMOKING the bees well, judging the weather and over-all temperment of the hive and then when satisfied with it, go in bare-handed with just protective eye-wear.

Congratulations though on your first sting, it's a moment in your beekeeping life you rarely forget and a benchmark that you hope to use for improvement on all future hive inspections, etc..
NJBeemaster my YOUTUBE Video Collection

Please enjoy the forum, and if it has helped you in any way, we hope that a small donation can be made to support our FULLY member supported forum. You will never see advertisements here, and that is because of the generous members who have made our forum possible. We are in our second decade as a beekeeping forum and all thanks to member support. At the top right of every page is a donations link. Please help if you can.

Offline Jerrymac

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 6047
  • Gender: Male
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2005, 09:46:48 pm »
I have a full bee suit with zip on veil. Leather gloves with the long sleeves attached to them. I wear boots, long sleeved shirts and blue jeans. I never had bees get inside. When I go after strange bees I will duct tape up around the leg openings and the open pockets. (Places you can place hands through the bee suit to get to pockets in your pants)
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
     http://photobucket.com/albums/v225/Jerry-mac/

Offline Apis629

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 835
  • Gender: Male
    • A Hobbyist's Beekeeping Adventures
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2005, 11:09:09 pm »
Awsome...I thought I'd be the only person wearing gloves!

Offline amymcg

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 540
    • http://www.mcglothlinmusic.com
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2005, 08:30:37 am »
I haven't been using gloves, but since the hive fell over. . .they are alot more defensive. I've been stung twice just being in the area since then. I have a pair of canvas gloves, but have just ordered a nice pair of leather ones.

Offline JoshK

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 12
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2005, 02:57:05 am »
My beekeeping apparel consists of an old white collared workshirt and a veil.  When I first started this stuff, money was extremely tight and I simply couldn't work a pair of gloves into the budget.  I suppose I could afford to buy a pair now, but I haven't bothered.  I've gotten some stings, but it happens so rarely that I know I'm Definitely Doing Something Wrong when it happens.

I took a couple of supers off the Carnys this afternoon and didn't get a single sting.  The method I used to clear the supers in retrospect probably deserved quite a few.  The ladies are obviously aware that I'm still quite new at this business and they are very patient with me I suppose.  It's only a matter of time before my luck runs out.

manowar422

  • Guest
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2005, 11:57:09 pm »
Just a veil for me. I'll wear soft leather gloves
if I'm rushed and can't watch were I'm placing
my hands, or if I've got to lift off all the boxes
down to the bottom board. Thats where all them
short tempered guard bees hang out. :roll:

Offline jamiev

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Stings
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2005, 07:11:08 pm »
I am just starting out, equipment purchase, etc .  i have to admit, when I hear the sting stories I am not concerned about me getting the stings , but I am concerned about the possibility of  kids friends and neighbors getting too close to a testy bee hive.
 I have read stories about beekeepers getting buzzed by thousands of bees during inspections and having to literally get as far away from the hive as possible to get the bees to back off. One individual said he had to jump in the back of a pickup truck and have his wife drive off with him in the rear so he could shed the angry bees.  
I am not going to be discouraged. I still can't wait to order my bees.
But are these stories common occurences?  If this does happen, how do you get the angry bees off your suit so you can  get  away?  I am sure that doing something dumb like dropping a frame may happen sometime.  So how do you handle  these situations?  
Any advice?

Offline jamiev

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Stings
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2005, 07:11:19 pm »
I am just starting out, equipment purchase, etc .  i have to admit, when I hear the sting stories I am not concerned about me getting the stings , but I am concerned about the possibility of  kids friends and neighbors getting too close to a testy bee hive.
 I have read stories about beekeepers getting buzzed by thousands of bees during inspections and having to literally get as far away from the hive as possible to get the bees to back off. One individual said he had to jump in the back of a pickup truck and have his wife drive off with him in the rear so he could shed the angry bees.  
I am not going to be discouraged. I still can't wait to order my bees.
But are these stories common occurences?  If this does happen, how do you get the angry bees off your suit so you can  get  away?  I am sure that doing something dumb like dropping a frame may happen sometime.  So how do you handle  these situations?  
Any advice?

Offline Jerrymac

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 6047
  • Gender: Male
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2005, 11:57:15 pm »
I have a full bee suit with zip on veil, and I wear gloves. The bees can't get to me, or at least haven't yet, while wearing the suit and stuff. I just remain calm, put the hive back together and walk off, usually in the opposit direction than I really wan't to go. This way I don't drag them to the house with me. Most will leave you in a few yards, but there is a few that will follow for a long ways. I have five acres to roam around on so what I do wouldn't work in a small lot in the city.

Once I had them pretty mad at me. There was a cloud of bees around me and the inside of my Durango was full of flying bees. I rolled the windows down and got on the road in front of the house and drove about a quarter of a mile away. Upon returning to the house I still had to let a few bees out the back, and there were a few that stayed around the vehicle several hour afterwards. One came in the house with me. One stung the dog. And this is well over a hundred yards from the hives. They were in a bad mood.
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
     http://photobucket.com/albums/v225/Jerry-mac/

Offline Joseph Clemens

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 382
  • Gender: Male
    • http://cordovan-honeybee.com
Gloves or no gloves
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2005, 02:04:15 am »
I prefer bare handed, which I always start with first. Most times I find I can do just fine with long pants with an elastic strap holding the leg closed, long sleeved shirt and a veil. I keep a pair of disposable latex gloves in my back pocket in case I slip and hurt too many bees and they get to stinging my hands, if they do, I put on the latex gloves to close them up with a little more comfort.

<img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/miniWeather06_both/language/www/US/AZ/Marana.gif" border=0
alt="Click for Marana, Arizona Forecast" height=50 width=150>

Joseph Clemens
Beekeeping since 1964
10+ years in Tucson, Arizona
12+ hives and 15+ nucs
No chemicals -- no treatments of any kind, EVER.

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
I got my first sting today!!!
« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2005, 10:14:49 am »
The bees are not very interested in anyone who is more than a few feet from the hive and when the hive isn't being messed with they are seldon interested in anyone at all.  BUT on occasion a hive gets hot.  If you're in town, I would do something about it right away if you can.  Requeening is always a good start.  I split it up with each box on it's own bottom with a lid.  Lids are pretty easy to makeshift.  Any old board that covers the top will do.  Bottoms are a little tricker, but actually you can set a box on a couple of two bys on the grass and it will work for these purposes.  After they all settle back down from that you can search each box seperatly for the queen.  Meanwhile put an empty box back on the old site.  If you have a beekeeper friend you can close this up and take the field bees off site to calm a hive down instantly.  Combine them with some other hive or shake them on the ground in front of the other hives.

Requeening and siphoning off the field bees will give a colony an instant attitude adjustment.
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
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

 

anything