Gloves and Smoker recommendations

[paul4848]

What would you recommend for long cuff gloves that are robust but still allow ”feel” and withstand some angry bees? Also looking for a recommendation for a new smoker but not over say £50? Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

marigolds and double thickness gauntlets from Sherriff for the forearms
If you are not prepared to spend a little more than £50.00 on a Dadant smoker - then any old cheapo on ebay will do.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Marigolds for me. I get the turquoise long cuff bathroom ones and slip a sweat band over the cuff
When I got my first bee suit a pair of long cuff leather gloves were included. Nearly threw them away but did keep them. They were handy, with nitriles on top to keep them clean, for finding a queen in a very aggressive colony

 

[blackcloud]

Marigolds and
Sleeves

 

[Wilco]

A new queen plus marigold gloves! A pair of nitrile/latex gloves over the top makes them pretty sting proof and means they stay clean.

How many hives do you have? Most of the time I use one of the mini ones, which are fairly cheap. As above cheapish ones on ebay although some of the rivets pull through with time. If Thorne do their budget copper smoker in the next sale I recommend those although they still have flaws. Will DM you this evening as I have some to sell and post if you're interested. However it's probably worth just splashing out on a top quality/price one if you plan to be beekeeping for a while. Buy cheap buy twice.

 

[blackcloud]

I've had to bolt the bellows bracket and lid hinge back into my current one.It's done four years so far and was an eyewatering eight quid.
Take from that what you will.....

 

[ericbeaumont]

withstand some angry bees

Welding gloves.

If your bees are defensive (anger is a human emotion) then it's either because of your handling, thundery weather, your perfume (google isoamyl acetate) or the genetics of the queen.

Thick gloves are not the way to deal with those factors.

Best smoker is Dadant at £60 from Modern Beekeeping, and worth waiting until it's back in stock (ring them). The extra tenner on your budget will prove in time to be worth £100.

https://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/toolssmokers/the-original-dadant-smoker-7

 

[JamezF]

I usually wear the standard yellow marigolds, but I'm also trying out these and these. Because my suit cuffs are not a very good fit around my wrists I also wear a pair of gauntlets made from the sleeves of an old beekeeping smock. The Supertouch gloves are perhaps a little thicker and do make me feel more confident when handling a stroppy colony, though generally I don't tend to find that stings to gloves are common. I don't know if that's because I wash my (gloved) hands in my washing soda solution between every hive (I'm sure most people do that) or because the bees don't recognise them as anything threatening or something else entirely.

The main negative with all these gloves is that I have to carry lots of pairs because my hands sweat like crazy when I'm wearing them. Even the flocked ones don't help. It's particularly unpleasant if you need to raise an arm and find a load of sweat running out of your glove down to your armpit

James

 

[JamezF]

If your bees are defensive (anger is a human emotion) then it's either because of your handling, thundery weather, your perfume (google isoamyl acetate) or the genetics of the queen.

Perhaps there's an opening in the market for a perfume with a pheromone component that makes bees feel calm and relaxed I've certainly got a couple of colonies where I'd "splash it all over".

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

Marigolds for me with a hair band over the sleeves

 

[JamezF]

Marigolds for me with a hair band over the sleeves

You've just triggered a memory of my grandad (who died almost forty years ago I think). He used to have some sort of stretchy metal bracelets that he put over his shirtsleeves, I assume to stop his sleeves sliding down in this case and getting dirty.

James

 

[Damo944]

Love my Rauchboy from Beckys Bees handy hive tool holder built in.

Gloves mechanics nitrile gloves Like These I have a pair of leather gauntlets for the girls that I've managed to upset

 

[Curly green finger's]

You've just triggered a memory of my grandad (who died almost forty years ago I think). He used to have some sort of stretchy metal bracelets that he put over his shirtsleeves, I assume to stop his sleeves sliding down in this case and getting dirty.

James

I thought about using a bracelet or two the little guys have some , I was using elastic bands but I got piss++ of with them braking all the while.
What about those cycling bracelets might be a thought?
I’m glad I’ve brought back a memory

Plenty of hair bands knocking about in this house you only need to either look under the sofa or down the sides of the sofa

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You've just triggered a memory of my grandad (who died almost forty years ago I think). He used to have some sort of stretchy metal bracelets that he put over his shirtsleeves, I assume to stop his sleeves sliding down

They still make them - SWMBO bought me a pair a few years ago - they stop your cuffs sticking too far out out of your suit sleeves

 

[JamezF]

They still make them - SWMBO bought me a pair a few years ago - they stop your cuffs sticking too far out out of your suit sleeves

Hard as it may be to imagine, that's not a problem I suffer from

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

He used to have some sort of stretchy metal bracelets that he put over his shirtsleeves,

Sleeve garters

 

[The Poot]

I usually wear the standard yellow marigolds, but I'm also trying out these and these. Because my suit cuffs are not a very good fit around my wrists I also wear a pair of gauntlets made from the sleeves of an old beekeeping smock. The Supertouch gloves are perhaps a little thicker and do make me feel more confident when handling a stroppy colony, though generally I don't tend to find that stings to gloves are common. I don't know if that's because I wash my (gloved) hands in my washing soda solution between every hive (I'm sure most people do that) or because the bees don't recognise them as anything threatening or something else entirely.

The main negative with all these gloves is that I have to carry lots of pairs because my hands sweat like crazy when I'm wearing them. Even the flocked ones don't help. It's particularly unpleasant if you need to raise an arm and find a load of sweat running out of your glove down to your armpit

James

You paint such a lovely picture….

Marigolds and Dadent smoker.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I don’t have a dadent smoker but I perchased a big lookalike one from the Telford show and I hate it , it doesn’t light easy and keeping it going is a ball ache so I’ve gone back to my old fashioned brass/copper one it’s smaller and the bellows are all leather and it’s wonderful to use you can’t beat the old ones

 

[fizzle]

I use a pair off TIG welding gloves that were lying about. They do the job and you can feel through them as its Goat skin. The propolis builds up eventually.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I use a pair off TIG welding gloves that were lying about. They do the job and you can feel through them as its Goat skin. The propolis builds up eventually.

Put nitriles in top