Choice of Gloves ... for a newbie

[Willie Bee]

Thanks for all the replies to my posting “Choice of Bee Suit” … I think I have decided on the one piece outfit, with the round hat, as opposed to the fencing style. Two members of a recent course, kept having to pull the mesh off their faces. OK a baseball hat underneath might help, maybe even offering more protection. Decisions !!

Now what about gloves ..

On the course, all the students (5) were wearing washing up gloves… I had a lovely pink pair, but as a chap I’m not too sure they suited me.

Anyway, none of us got stung

Looking on the internet, many folk say they have more feeling with thin gloves, rather than the heavier leather type ones.

Which would folk here recommend please ?

Thanks

ps I suppose it would depend on the bees too ... happy calm bees, would be suitable for thin gloves, wee stinkers of bees, heavy gloves.

 

[Shabro]

I use the slightly thicker flock lined nitrile gloves, and find them a good compromise. unlike the thinner ones you can just keep washing them and using them.

 

[madasafish]

If I have to use gloves, Nitrile - for light work. Marigold Tough for really bad bees.
Nitrile +Marigold Tough for horrible bees.

Nitrile tend to sweat a lot but deflect most stings. Good touch sense.
Marigold - less sweat, tougher, deflect more stings. Poor touch sense.

I usually use bare skin +Olbas Oil to deter stinging.. Works quite well. No sweat, teaches you to feel bees under your fingers before you crush them...
On average 2 stings a week during the season.

 

[susbees]

If I have to use gloves, Nitrile - for light work. Marigold Tough for really bad bees.
Nitrile +Marigold Tough for horrible bees.

Nitrile tend to sweat a lot but deflect most stings. Good touch sense.
Marigold - less sweat, tougher, deflect more stings. Poor touch sense.

I usually use bare skin +Olbas Oil to deter stinging.. Works quite well. No sweat, teaches you to feel bees under your fingers before you crush them...
On average 2 stings a week during the season.

Nitrile - every day use.
Plastochrome with attached gauntlet - evil stuff.
Less than a sting a week this season (not including a cut-out in April when they really didn't want to move). It really is down to feeling for the bees....and listening as they get lost in a fold in the suit so you can release them. And having no truck for snotty colonies of course.

 

[Elaine]

Depends on your bees - we normally dont wear any gloves - but you do have to learn not to flinch when you get a couple who decide to wander off the frames on to he palm of your hand, or they start licking your fingers it takes quite a lot of will-power to start with! Last year from 4 or 5 hives I probably only clocked up a total of 5 or 6 stings all season - and I put them down to my own fault - not an unprovoked attack.
On the rare occasions when a hive is a bit tetchy, and we have no choice about going in, I wear my summer motorcycle goves (with nitrile over the top for a propalised hive) and Derek has used his TIG welding gloves - as they are a very lightweight leather

 

[clv101]

I use Marigolds, first sting of the year through them on my thumb yesterday.
Leather gauntlets just don't have the feeling and can't be washed easily.

 

[SimonB]

I use these : http://www.****************.co.uk/item/55/beekeeping-rubber-gloves-with-gauntlet

I really prefer not to get stung if I can avoid it and these gloves seem to do the trick, yet I find them thin enough and flexible enough to handle frames etc.

They're cheap enough (IMO) that when I went through one pair I just replaced them.

If I can be bothered then I add nitrile gloves over them, but I have large hands and they tend to split and just get in the way so don't often bother. With a bit of washing soda they clean up fairly well.

EDIT Hmm, no linky allowed - glove details are below, am sure Google will find you a MODERN supplier of BEEKEEPING equipment.

Beekeeping Rubber Gloves with Gauntlet

Not to be confused with disposable gloves, these heavy duty Beekeeping gloves are cloth lined with an elasticated gauntlet. They are washable and very hard wearing.

Recommended for general beekeeping work where there is a need to have a glove which can be washed and sterilised. Available in Sizes 7 to 12.

 

[beebopalula]

Nitrile gloves usually, so the propolis does not stick to my fingers and Plastochrome with attached gauntlets for grumpy girls. Never leather - not dextrous enough and cannot be washed / harbours pathogens.
Not Latex - some people can become allergic and suffer from anaphylactic shock (has happened to a nurse I know).
Whatever type you choose ensure the finger tips are the correct length, there is nothing worse than trying to manipulate frames with an inch of floppy glove on each fingertip.

 

[RogueDrone]

I started with Marigolds and as confidence/ experiance grew I cut the fingers of (well they perished) I now only use gloves if really required. ie unknown bees same really goes for smoke.

Idea is to keep calm gentle bees, pleasure not punishment.

Colin

 

[HM Honey]

I use marigolds all the time. I'm not quite brave enough yet to go bare back. And I also wore pink gloves during my training.....

 

[Luminos]

I had one hive of really stingy bees, and was planning to re-queen.
One day, when my leather gloves weren't yet dry, I had to use marigolds. The hive were pussycats, and have been ever since.
I threw the leather gloves away. The queen had a reprieve

 

[itma]

...
Looking on the internet, many folk say they have more feeling with thin gloves, rather than the heavier leather type ones.
...
ps I suppose it would depend on the bees too ... happy calm bees, would be suitable for thin gloves, wee stinkers of bees, heavy gloves.

Generally, you will not be welcome visiting other people's bees while wearing leather gloves.
And IIRC, that is exactly what you are going to be doing.


They cannot be cleaned properly, let alone sanitised.
As such, they are a great way of transferring infectious material from apiary to apiary.
Which is not what you should be doing.
// and as Luminos describes, they retain sting pheromones, which stirs up trouble where none should exist



Some folk would suggest having some available for doing cut-outs from buildings. I'd suggest that by the time we get to that stage, we might not think they were needed.

 

[Luminos]

And they sting through leather gloves anyway

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Now what about gloves ..

Which would folk here recommend please ?

If you are going to hang around and contribute to this forum I suggest..................

BOXING GLOVES!

 

[Little John]

I normally wear nothing on my hands, but if I'm really taking an unknown hive apart, then I wear soft pvc gauntlets - the sort that electroplaters wear. Nothing, but nothing can pierce through those.

I've heard recently of someone wearing Marigolds, but with the fingers cut off - that sounds quite a good idea. But then - apparently I talk carbage (according to Finman), so do take this into account ...

LJ

 

[Illo]

Nitrile tend to sweat a lot but deflect most stings. Good touch sense.
Marigold - less sweat, tougher, deflect more stings. Poor touch sense.

As a compromise, I use flock-lined long-cuff nitriles, but with cotton liners. Touch sense isn't great, but they are very sting-proof and washable for good hygiene. The liners mop up the moisture which makes everything a bit more comfortable. Sweaty nitriles can get a bit smelly too, and the cotton liners seem to stop that. Both are cheap as chips from industrial glove suppliers on t'internet, and we buy them 10 pairs at a time, which lasts a couple of years. I think the cotton liners will improve the life-expectancy of the nitriles, since the main reason they were discarded was because of the eventual awful hum!

LJ

 

[DanBee]

Marigolds. Get them sized so you have no baggy bits at the ends of your fingers. Try the supermarket own brand and cheapo brand variants as they all seem to be moulded differently and some will be slack where others are tight despite all being Large size.

The only downside is that they eventually swell after a lot of soda washing, but they're cheap enough to replace as & when.

Bare handed is very refreshing and I always manage my mating nucs thusly. Excellent feel for the bees. I remember plucking up the courage the first time - start on a warm afternoon when they're almost oblivious. A pair of elasticated gauntlets adds confidence, and keep gloves in pocket for Plan B in case they are unhappy that day.

However confident you are about working without gloves, always wear a veil.

ETA: provided you do not have baggy fingertips, Marigolds give plenty touch sense to pick up and clip and mark queens.

 

[Cazza]

As I cannot tolerate stings very well, I use the blue gloves with gauntlet SimonB described. I would expect 2-3 stings a year, NONE via gloves - ever.
Usually I am stung when I kneel down and crush a bee that way.

Cazza

 

[herefordshirehoney]

I use lakeland washing-up gloves find them nicer than maragolds. Going to try use nitriles with gauntlets a bit more though this season to see if there's a difference.

 

[alanf]

After reading a previous thread, http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=240420&postcount=26 I thought I'd try these:

http://www.justgloves dot co dot uk/13760_-Nitrile-Gloves/Gauntlets-Flock-Lined.html Robust nitrile, strong enough to use day after day and regularly dip in washing soda. As used by the largest bee farming outfits. Cheap enough to have a pair per apiary.

When gloves are mentioned, bear in mind that "latex" or "nitrile" is just the material. The styles vary enormously: nitrile is made into thin single use disposables in a box of 100, thin or thick flock lined gauntlets, even kevlar and steel fibre reinforced. Similarly "marigold" is often used to mean the yellow latex washing up gloves with a cuff sold by many supermarkets, even own-brand versions. However the "marigold" brand covers a large range from single use disposables to heavyweight cut resistant.