Beekeeping Gloves

[Poly Hive]

Said in the oil business too. Mind you in my early days with the spinning chain (dinna ask) it was amazing the number of missing digits.

PH

 

[darrenperrett]

My old boss always used to say to me, "Never put your fingers where you would not put your ****"
.

That`s put me right off my kit kat.

 

[MrB]

That`s put me right off my kit kat.

HaHa

 

[MrB]

fancy being stung on that though reckon it would make tears in your eyes.


Mo

it would be all right untill the swelling goes down

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Said in the oil business too.
PH

That was where we both came from, I was mud man But now power for me now.

 

[MrB]

I have a box of nitrile gloves that i sometimes use, however, i am glad i didnt use them when the hive was Q-

 

[Poly Hive]

?

Lost me here?

PH

 

[grizzly]

My Latex gloves should be throw away but I always end up with about 10 used pairs in the car before I bin them.

The boot of my car is the same, however i have found a use for them, i like to keep all my gear in the boot for travelling between sites, but the smoker doesnt half pong.

So when the smoker has cooled i stretch one of the used gloves over the top of the smoker, and i cant smell a thing.

 

[beebreeder]

Buy a pick up and leave it going!!!!!!!!! easier going from site to site and have'nt been stopped for excess smoke yet

 

[FenBee]

Mostly I use Marigold nitrile gloves, these are blue with a long sleeve, which is good as there are no thumb straps on my bee suit and these help to hold the bee suit sleeves in place. Other times if its a very hot day I do not bother with gloves, just use a couple of elastic bands on my bee suit and go in with bare hands.

You can purchase these gloves from Farnell, size 9 is extra large, so I guess that 6.5 is small. Here is the link ... NT14B PF

 

[Arfermo]

I couldn't agree more with Goodbobby. When I started beekeeping I had a pair of calfskin beekeeping gauntlets but the bees could penetrate them dead easy so they got binned. I bought a pair of Sainbury's washing up gloves (largest they had) some years before for my wine making and fruit juicing activities and they have since proved absolutely ideal for the bee jobs, so much so that I bought another pair recently - about £8. I am not interested in lack of sensitivity, nor are my bees. That is a load of bollocks in my opinion. During manipulation I am not touching them up for the fun of it dammit. Very occasionally a sting does just manage to just about penetrate but only very slightly and since I now have immunity anyway, stings don't really bother me after the initial plonk. I had 2 or 3 today as a matter of fact but can't remember where except that they were through my double layer clothing. Why the hell some clever dicks want to test the tolorance of the bees during manipulation beats me and as for advocating no gloves where novices might think it will save them a few pence too strikes me as bordering on the irresponsible. Bah.
Arfermo

 

[madasafish]

I would not keep bees that keep stinging me. Period.

I now use bare hands with my own bees and nitril gloves at N Staffs Apiary..

If the bees there were aggressive, I am sure I would not be alone in refusing to go.

I don't mind one or two stings...but any more and it's masochism...

 

[jezd]

cant believe the leather glove count, 30%+, wonder if these are all new beeks?

bare hands, hmm, maybe on a mating nuc at a push.

I would be keen to see a survey on those that don’t use smoke or do, its something I am trying more and more to avoid but its hard work and only achievable on 50% of my hives.

 

[madasafish]

Aaprt from bare hands, I use a water sprayer and no smoke.

Of course, this is all during a honey flow period. When there is a dearth, they may be much less pliant.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Past couple of inspections moved onto some relatively heavy duty marigolds. Loads better then leather. Not yet been stung, but not certain they are actually sting-proof mind.

 

[Teemore]

I am a new Beek and my main concerns in purchasing gloves were that I could get gloves that could be cleaned properly and that were a close fit. I went for a pair of size 9 rubber gloves from Modern Beekeeping (i've seen them from other suppliers too) and they are standing up to repeated washings and work around my mentor's apiary and with another friend's hives. These gloves have the added attraction of an attached sleeve that is elasticated at the elbow end. I'm minded to try out a double layer of nitrile/latex gloves as my dexterity is affected by the thick rubber gloves even though they are an excellent fit.

 

[kazmcc]

The gloves we use are marigolds.....i'm not too sure they would stop me being stung either. can you double up? would that make a difference?

 

[victor meldrew]

As a beekeeper you are bound to collect stings no matter how careful you are or how gentle your bees !
Even long standing beekeepers such as I get stung . Having said that imho it is far better to receive stings to the hands than other places notorious for swelling ! Each spring time I experience slight swelling at the site of stings , these swellings disappear as the season progresses. Now if you were to succeed in avoiding stings to the hands then you will never really become inured to their effect! and the unexpected sting usually in the facial area will a least give your colleagues/ family/friends something to laugh at

John Wilkinson

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks for that John, lol, I aim to be the first beekeeper never to be stung ( in my dreams )

 

[topbar24]

on the subject of gloves i recently attendedd a seminar near hexham in northumberland and all the demo people wore no gloves at all. Part of the demo was one person using leather gloves on two of the hives and then when the third was opened up he put one of his gloves near the top of the hive and a loud buzz of anger was clearly heard and which died away when he removed it from the scene . The point being made was smells on the gloves being carried from hive to hive clearly upset the bees before we had began any sort of inspection .