Are you a Beekeeper who needs glasses ?

[Somerford]

I was reading the essential thing in your beebox thread and a number of beeks mentioned they struggle with sight, and reading glasses etc are a help, or a magnifier.

Well read on...

I now work for an opticians, I'll not mention the name, but ALL opticians can help with this.

When you next go and get specs, or if you are just updating your current glasses, if you wear BiFocals or Varifocals, ask about 'Enhanced readers' specifically ' Sola Access ' or similar. It is a fantastic lens to put into your free 2nd pair that means you can see clearly close up and 1-3 metres, it is a type of varifocal, but better then a bifocal as you don't have the line.

For all, for your beekeeping glasses, especially if you are over 60, but anyone would benefit, get an Ultraclear coating on your specs - makes the image so much clearer.

You could also ask for a 2nd pair with a higher magnification in the reading area as you do close up work (ideal if you do grafting / wing clipping)

As and when I get into my final store, probably 6 months from now, I am considering offering advice on this subject if Beeks here would benefit, as there are great solutions to the problem of struggling vision !

Any Q's, ask away !

regards

Somerford

 

[steve1958]

Thanks Somerford.
Not due an eye test just yet but definately will hunt this thread down when I do

 

[Poly Hive]

Excellent info as I am finding grafting more difficult now I am using glasses.

Thanks

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for the tip. I do have reading specs to look into the frames but I find peering through a veil difficult so I'll toddle off to savespecers and get a pair with an Ultraclear coating and an extra half dioptre. It's those little eggs I find so difficult but the strange thing is that once I spot one suddenly I can see more..

 

[arl]

Thanks for that info Somerford,
I do need to sort out some aspects , and that will help when I next see them.
Nice one

 

[starflex]

I find my bifocals ok, but I have a small Maglite in my toolbox as you always find the sun goes in when you start to look for eggs!!

 

[Mandeville]

The Ultraclear coating is the brand name of an Anti-Reflection coating supplied by a particular chain of opticians. If you ask for this in a practice not part of this company, you may get some blank looks!

Having said this, most decent varifocal or bifocal lenses come with an anti-reflection and scratch-resistant coating automatically.

A stronger reading addition in the varifocal is a good idea for close-up tasks and fine detail - but not all practices give "free" second pairs, so beware having stronger lenses in a pair that you'll be using for normal everyday tasks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cheapies from Primark? £2.50 a go for light frameless ones.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Thanks Somerford - soon to go off for a prescription update so will take a copy of this with me.

Out of interest anyone tried one of these?

 

[Mandeville]

Cheapies from Primark? £2.50 a go for light frameless ones.

Absolutely ideal if you don't need a distance correction



PS I'm an optician so I do know what I'm talking about on this subject

 

[RoofTops]

I tried anti-reflective coatings and would never do so again. The coating is very soft so scratches easily.

I've got some magnifying glasses with a built in light (not the ones pictured above) and used them for grafting last year and found them ideal. I will use them again this year, but I might also have a look through the local chemist at their low cost reading glasses and see if one also suits.

 

[Mandeville]

I tried anti-reflective coatings and would never do so again. The coating is very soft so scratches easily.

These days, most good quality AR coatings also have a "Hard coat" which is scratch resistant and also water repellent (so in theory don't steam up so much).

I've got some magnifying glasses with a built in light (not the ones pictured above) and used them for grafting last year and found them ideal. I will use them again this year, but I might also have a look through the local chemist at their low cost reading glasses and see if one also suits.

If you tend to be a bit tough on your spex - cheap ready-readers are a really good idea, but ONLY if your two eyes are pretty similar in prescription and you don't need a significant distance correction.

 

[gwenyn bach]

I'm assuming a petzl or similar walker's headtorch would work the same ? Or would shining a really bright torch into a hive during inspections really annoy them ???

 

[margob99]

I wear reading glasses and oh dear lord, if only they wouldn't keep steaming up when I'm wearing them inside my beesuit on a hot day. As for the continual slipping down my nose, and falling off inside the veil, let's just not go there ...

 

[Storm™]

Surf shops and I would assume opticians sell for about £4.00 straps. They have a rubber tube inside a tube of material. The rubber tubing slides over the ear rest. This forms a loop from ear piece to ear piece. Then there is the clip. So you put your glasses on, slide the slip knot clip up to the back of your head and this holds the glasses on tight. I have them for fishing, so when I lean foreward the glasses dont end up in the drink.

You can get them here very cheaply - http://tinyurl.com/6ko3orx

 

[Drew]

Surf shops and I would assume opticians sell for about £4.00 straps. They have a rubber tube inside a tube of material. The rubber tubing slides over the ear rest. This forms a loop from ear piece to ear piece. Then there is the clip. So you put your glasses on, slide the slip knot clip up to the back of your head and this holds the glasses on tight. I have them for fishing, so when I lean foreward the glasses dont end up in the drink.

You can get them here very cheaply - http://tinyurl.com/6ko3orx

A thick Elastic Band does the job.
Loop back an end
pass 1 arm through
pull tight-ish (to grip the arm)
Loop back 2nd end
pass 2nd arm through & pull tight

Put on as normal - if the Elastic is too long tie a knot in it
Or if you can be bothered use a Paperclip to fashion a sliding grip.

Can get fancy and knick some shearing elastic if you want.

 

[Mandeville]

Surf shops and I would assume opticians sell for about £4.00 straps. They have a rubber tube inside a tube of material. The rubber tubing slides over the ear rest. This forms a loop from ear piece to ear piece. Then there is the clip. So you put your glasses on, slide the slip knot clip up to the back of your head and this holds the glasses on tight. I have them for fishing, so when I lean foreward the glasses dont end up in the drink.

You can get them here very cheaply - http://tinyurl.com/6ko3orx

Ask your optician for a "sports band" or try http://www.topsellings.com/en/sungl...retainer-p10438.html?language=en&currency=GBP

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Ask your optician for a "sports band" or try http://www.topsellings.com/en/sungl...retainer-p10438.html?language=en&currency=GBP

I use these when sailing, attached to my sun glasses. Do you have anything that keeps salt spray off the lenses?

Brian

 

[Mandeville]

Umbrella ?

Someone did once market specs with built-in battery-driven windscreen wipers, but I don't think they worked very well!

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Oh well, I will just have to carry on using my tongue to clean them.
The only problem with that method is that I need to drink 20 pints of beer after a long trip.
It could be all that salt.....

Brian