m100
Field Bee
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2009
- Messages
- 821
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Yorkshire
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- Enough
I cant see why there is so much opposition to people using gloves??? how would you explain this to a widow or children of a beekeeper encouraged to go gloveless??
No one I believe is saying go gloveless, it's just the usual thick leather gloves do, beyond any shadow of doubt make you a clumsy beekeeper, more likely to crush bees, upset them and thus get you and others in the vicinity stung. With thin gloves you know instantly when a bee is under your finger when manipulating a frame, with thick leather gloves you don't know until the bee dies, stings you or more usually you never know at all.
In the no so distant past beeks kept bees that could be handled without gloves or veils, with the multiple layers of protection all enclosing suits and wellies and thick gloves we are all isolating ourselves from bees that probably should be culled.
But an inspection can go quickly very wrong, which is why wellies and a veil are a good idea, maybe extended to an all enclosing suit, and thin gloves. But thick gloves should IMHO be reserved for the bastard from hell colonies - you don't want to loose grip on the can of unleaded.