Dont slack on the protection!

[Rosti]

There have been a few recent posts of people who have been caught out, I hope you guys are mending well! My son was shooting a video of an inspection for a friend who is interested but is unfortunately in a wheel chair - virtual keeping if you like. The video shows the owners of the left hand hive suddenly stream out and go for me! At this point the left hand hive had been lightly smoked but hadn't even been touched. Newbees, enjoy your hobby, enjoy and learn from your contact with the bees, but always maintain a respect for them. We don't own them, they just chose to live in our hives! Double check the integrity and closure on your gear! I started wearing the sweat bands to improve glove/suit seal, I am so glad I did, that seemed to be the main target of the attack (how do I know? see lthe last pic!). This was a historically well behaved colony and in case anyone is wondering the suit, gloves etc were freshly laundered with non-perfumed soap and soda. My son who was shooting was wearing a similarly laundered suit but did not get the same level of attack (held his nerve like a pro!). Result Beek 0 : 5 Bees (1 to arm, 1 to left hand, 3 to right hand). I am lucky, virtually no reaction to stings (currently). On the positive side the blue bells were lovely!

 

[wightbees]

Do you put gloves over the suit/cuffs ,,,,or put the suit cuffs over the gloves ?

 

[Rosti]

Suit cuffs to skin (with thumb loops on)
Gloves over suit, reasonably tight fit
Sweat bands over the junction between gloves and suit.

 

[Poly Hive]

Good heads up.

For the newbies that is mild. You NEED good protection. Please believe this safety message.

PH

 

[MrB]

Nice pics and a timely reminder.
interesting to see how they went for the wrists though!

 

[grizzly]

Rosti

Do you think black gloves and a fuzzy wrist area might have been a trigger ?

I have just been reading a few things lately and they all mention avoid black and most certainly anything fluffy or fuzzy.

After seeing you images i really must get a thicker jacket, mine is lightweight, if they hit me like that im a pin cushion.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you turn those black gloves inside out and use them they are white,if they are the marigolds.

 

[Rosti]

Grizzly, the fuzzy wrist bands are a trigger possibility since they are the only change I have made. Your point on the black gloves is right of course but I dont think it was the trigger - I have been wearing that style and colour of glove since May 2009, no real probs to date - went for a bit more thickness over marigolds at the risk of looking like a couple of bears paws!

The interesting thing is that the bands may have become the main target but can't have triggered the incident, the girls streamed out in advance of any manipulation of their hive, perhaps some vibration sensed because I did check on a swarm I housed sharing their stand.

 

[Roy S]

I must admit the black gloves go against everything I've experienced and been told. The fuzzy sweatband could be the reason that they kept attacking the area, the bees would get caught in that material, feel trapped/threatened and the result you can see in the last pic. Once a few bees start getting caught in things, the alarm pheromone goes a long way into inciting the rest of them to follow suit. If that amount of bees truly meant business it wouldnt have been just the sweatbands that copped it, you'd have been well and truly battered
I'd try a light coloured pair of gloves and ditch the sweatbands

 

[grizzly]

Sometimes its hard to know what the trigger could be, we as humans are blissfully unaware of many subtle changes in smell, vibration, or the atmosphere.

Those photos Rosti are really good to see, and a visual reminder, and i hope you did not take my comments the wrong way.

 

[Rosti]

I hope you did not take my comments the wrong way.

Absolutely not! good points, well made (and hivemaker was right if I had bothered to ever check - they are white on the inside! - Morrisons own though, cheaper than Marigolds!)

 

[Bcrazy]

That is a nasty bunch of bees. How much smoke was used? why did you not smoke the gloves and wrist bands? I feel your asking for trouble if you just let them carry on stinging the protective clothing. Sorry members but I find this behaviour irresponsible. What point were you trying to make?
IMHO this is bad form.

 

[Rosti]

Bcrazy, back in your box if you please!
Any post only includes that relevant to the point being made. The point I was making was a simple one, be careful, bees can change character in an instant, these did (any without even being opened up) and there are new beeks on the forum who may not have experienced this and be tempted not to maintain appropriate protection.

The hive that the attack came from is not the one being inspected (I made this clear) and it had not been disturbed when they streamed out. Irresponsible would have been to do what? pack up and go home? I acted appropriately and yes that included attempting to break the attack cycle by smoking clothing. In case you hadn't noticed these are stills so they dont show the actions taken in between times.

 

[wightbees]

I wear my gloves with the suit cuffs over the glove wrist and loop over the glove. It seems a good fit ,but is this the wrong way to wear them ?
I do it this way as i think that the bees wont try to go down the wrist of the glove.

 

[Bcrazy]

I'll come out of my box when I see actions so stupid as these photos and I don't care if it was to try to prove a point. I feel you should really look at what you have achieved by carrying out this type of behaviour. Nothing except show what a silly billy you are.
So you have managed to kill off over one hundred bees for what reason? No my friend you have acted irresponsibly.

 

[Black Comb]

A timely reminder Rosti.

Must admit my angry hive which usually gives me 4 or 5 stings on blue gloves gave me none on yellow on last inspection.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I wear my gloves with the suit cuffs over the glove wrist and loop over the glove. It seems a good fit ,but is this the wrong way to wear them ?
I do it this way as i think that the bees wont try to go down the wrist of the glove.

Better to buy or make a pair of gauntlets,simple and effective.

 

[Polyanwood]

freshly laundered with non-perfumed soap and soda.

I don't use soap powder at all not, just soda, because someone told me that the optical brighteners in powder attract bees who if they get stuck in the material and then try to sting you attract other bees to do the same.

I also understood that the alarm pheromone in the sting can last on your clothes....do you think that your wrist bands might have smelled of alarm pheromone from old stings Rosti?

 

[Mike a]

As suggested already I go with the theory a few bees got tangled in the bands and tried to sting. Once the sting and internal organs are pulled out they give off a scent which is likely to trigger more and more attacks.

I find smoking the stings is a waste of time unless they are removed first as they will continue to give off scent to attract further attacks. I am glad you posted your pictures Rosti and I hope it will show all bee keepers how dangerous even perfectly good tempered colonies can turn suddenly into a frenzy and sting.

I think its fair to say most people would be ok with 3 stings although very painful but if all of those stings in the wrist band had been in flesh 99% of bee keepers would of needed medical attention within a few minutes or it could of been fatal.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I tend to wear a pair of butchered rugby socks to cover the potential gap between glove and smock.

If I receive a sting on the gloves or on the sock a good smoking will deter any other bees attracted to the initial 'attack'!....the same goes for any bees near the veil.....smoke yourself!