Gloves or no gloves?

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Frithgar

New Bee
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
75
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Location
Launceston, Cornwall
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3 and one nuc
As I've only recently returned to beekeeping I'm making sure I use gloves at all times when handling my bees. I use marigolds and I've removed the finger tips from the gloves as I find that the gloves stick to the propolis on the frames which causes a lot of jarring which agitates the bees.

The few beekeepers I know in the area all wear full bee suits but no gloves as the find them a hindrance, they keep them for when dealing with bad tempered hives/swarms only.

Just wondering what people here use for protecting their hands? I'm not planning to stop using a full suit, but the gloves are an issue. I don't want something that will cook my hands, but also want something that will give me adequate protection and enable me to manipulate my hive without upsetting the bees.
 
I use latex gloves, if they get too sticky or I move to another hive I use another pair.

Mike.
 
Use Latex/Nitrile gloves to keep my hands free of propolis as much as anything.

There's no protection per se but I find that my bees are a lot better tempered since I switched as I don't crush as many. Had one sting across 20+ different colonies (3 of my own plus a few others I've been through) so far this season.

Find Tesco value washing up gloves offer a reasonable compromise between a degree of protection whilst still allowing you to feel what you're doing, but I don't like using them anymore I find I'm a lot more clumsy using them.
 
Use Latex/Nitrile gloves to keep my hands free of propolis as much as anything.

:iagree: WHS
I think it gives me a bit of "confidence" ie I KNOW they don't provide much protection but they make me feel better......
Plus when I see all the gunk I get on them I am happy its not all over my hands.... just wip them off and I'm done.....

Just come back in from my ladies and I think the only comment I've got is "Its Bl**dy Hot!!"..... Feet in pools of sweat in the wellies.... hands sopping from the gloves..... undies and Tee-shirt wet..... (stripped to shreddies under Suit)......

Still - the girls were charming.... and everything looked good!!
 
I do find the heat can be a problem somtimes, it seems to annoy the bees to have sweat drip from my nose into the top of the brood chamber when I'm picking out another frame to inspect!

As I'm still new to beekeeping I love having the propolis on my fingers purely because of the smell of the stuff so I think I may switch to no gloves at all, might help to keep me cooler.

Thanks for the comments guys
 
As a newbie, I started with latex,then nitrile gloves. Now nothing.

Two stings on hands so far: both my carelessness. I have a pair of thick gloves inside closed (taped) pocket in my bee jacket in case of emergencies. Not used so far

Also antihistamnine tablets and handwipes ditto...

Edit: My bees are v docile as are those in N STaffs Apiary...where I train..
 
i have always used leather gloves but tried rubber gloves for the first time this weekend - wilkinsons heavy duty washing up gloves - very good. Much better to handle the frames with etc. One or two bees tried to sting but they didnt let any through.
 
Ensuring sympathetic handling is (or should be) the aim of all of us, my only concern about the theme of this thread (i.e. minimum / no hand protection) is the 'un-expected'. We might understand the rules but you can't ensure the bees do. See a previous threads with regard multiple sting reactions and a previous thread where a (subsequently identified as queenless) hive on rape attacked me when I hadn't opened or manipulated their hive at all. There we hundreds of stings on gloves and fore arms and a few got through. By the time you had registered the situation and put your thicker protective gloves on it would have been too late to protect you.

There are times when you are planning to handle the queen or similar where 'feel' is essential, there are other times where maintaining protection should be the norm. I think having gloves that are both effective at protection and fit properly is important. How many times have you seen people in gloves that are wrong for them with spare leather hanging off the end of their fingers to get stuck under frames.

When it comes to PPE I think we should go back to basics, 'plan for the worst, hope for the best'. Sorry, from my own experiences I dont feel happy with the minimalist protection tone of this thread. A happy end to my story, the queenless bitches are now queen right and off the rape and little darlings again. Bee temperament can change faster than your gloves.
 
I would love to be able to use no gloves but with mine it's not possible.

Inspected today with marigolds over nitrile (stings don't get through) so they stung me on the arm and on the back through the bee suit - serves me right for only wearing a short-sleeved shirt under. This particular hive is awaiting a virgin to mate but it's always been bad tempered and I can't wait to see if the new queen produces gentler bees.

Normally I use nitrile only as the other hives all produce lots of propolis which is not easy to wash from your hands.
 
Any thread that promotes minimum / no hand protection / non-suit wearing / naked bee-keeping needs taking outside, lining up against the wall and shooting dead.
 
Although i'm new i wear everything. As i use to work in glass houses in heat of upto 100F
dressed in full white suit and wearing gloves , the heat when inspecting bees does not bother me at all.
Maybe as i get more experience i will take the odd layer off, we'll see lol

Edit >>> posted at the same time as white park. the odd layer isn't coming of lol
 
Ensuring sympathetic handling is (or should be) the aim of all of us, my only concern about the theme of this thread (i.e. minimum / no hand protection) is the 'un-expected'.

I agree with you and the other posts since. While bees can sting through the gloves, in my experience, generally they don't; even when getting grumpy. I don't know whether the gloves just mask your smell so your hands aren't perceived as living but when I was stung a couple of months back they went straight for my wrist instead where the suit had ridden up. I've never been stung through the gloves since I switched to them.

I absolutely don't advocate minimal protection. I wear a minimum of a Veil and smock, trousers and boots with gloves any time I'm opening a hive and more often than not wear a full bee suit.

I do believe that switching to Latex/Nitrile gloves makes you a more Sympathetic handler, to use your phrase, at minimal additional risk but if the thought of using them actually ends up making you more nervous then continue with something thicker.

I'm just sticking to my limited observation that you need the protection afforded by thicker gloves to make up for making your bees that much angrier by wearing the things to begin with. The thinner my gloves have gotten, the less my bees have tried to sting me.
 
Well I know it's not my gloves when they start pinging the veil as I walk up to the hive. As I said, they swarmed so I await the new queen (assuming she mates).

I've noticed they react less to yellow gloves.
 
When I started last year I wore yellow kitchen rubber gloves, but one of my mentors wore none. He never got stung on the hands, so I started leaving my cloves in my box. At first i was nervous, but it makes you look very carefully at where you put you're fingers. I have not been stung and my confidence has grown. I still carry my cloves but have only used them for cutting out comb from a chimney and a swarm collection when I had to put my hands into and around the cluster.
Steve.
 
Any thread that promotes minimum / no hand protection / non-suit wearing / naked bee-keeping needs taking outside, lining up against the wall and shooting dead.

A bit drastic :auto:. come to my apiary when my mates are here and you can pretend you're up the lakes . :conehead:

John Wilkinson
 
Specifically about Cloves

EDITED/DELETED
Thought I'd piggyback my Oil of Cloves question onto a thread where it had been touched upon.
But actually, I now think it was just a typo for 'gloves'.
So, I've started a specific thread, and deleted the post here - sorry!
 
Last edited:
Nitrile gloves here but if I stretch they expose my wrists, Id say they are longish cuffs but maybe someone knows of better one's?
 
We had a chap (beekeeper) die in plymouth last year (perhaps year before) it was reported that he had taken 30 stings.

I use full protection all the time!

I cant use leather but do go for heavy duty washing up gloves, i have considerd taping them to my suit as they keep riding up.

Even when realy hot i keep long sleved clothes under suit and just sweat.

many of the experanced guys at the assoiciation go in bare handed but i think its just that they are REALY experanced and although i would wish to emulate them i am not realy experanced and should stay on the side of caution.

I hate wearing a veil as i cant seem to see stuff right but i wouldnt dream of going in without one.

If like me you feal a bit of a 'plok' with yellow gloves go find the black ones:)

Stay safe
 
Nitrile gloves here but if I stretch they expose my wrists, Id say they are longish cuffs but maybe someone knows of better one's?

Kimberly Clark Nitrle Xtra Gloves have a longer cuff. I have been using them since spring with no problems. Got them from Solway Bee Supplies.
 

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