gloves

[Kier]

what is recommended for sting proof gloves , I wear cow hide with nitrile gloves underneath but still get stung on the knuckle area

 

[pargyle]

what is recommended for sting proof gloves , I wear cow hide with nitrile gloves underneath but still get stung on the knuckle area

Marigolds with nitriles on top - never had a sting through that. Still retains the feel you need to handle the bees. You can swap the nitriles mid inspection if they get ripped. Get some Olbas Oil - a few drops rubbed onto the gloves discourages the bees from crawling on your hands.

 

[Antipodes]

I've used a cheap pair of supermarket cotton type gloves under the leather ones. It's not sting proof but helps.

 

[Repwoc]

but still get stung on the knuckle area

Stop punching them!

 

[Kier]

Stop punching them!

i didn't start it

 

[Niv]

Not heard the Olbas Oil tip before. I think I will give it a go. Currently I only wear nitriles.

 

[enrico]

Plastic with gauntlets
https://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/bee-suits/gloves-blue-plastic/
Only get stung when they are a couple of years old and wearing!
E

 

[Swarm]

The bees can sting through all of the above suggestions. They can also sting through the sting proof suits.
More care equals less stings and you won't achieve that with a pair of welder's gloves, chain mail or whatever.
If you keep bees you will get stung.

 

[Repwoc]

I use similar gloves from Maisies with unfriendly bees:

https://www.bees-online.co.uk/products/category/Latex Gloves

 

[Swarm]

I had a pair of those blue gauntlet things years ago.
Whack!

 

[ericbeaumont]

The bees can sting through all of the above suggestions. They can also sting through the sting proof suits.
More care equals less stings and you won't achieve that with a pair of welder's gloves, chain mail or whatever. If you keep bees you will get stung.

These are the plain facts from which there is no escape.

Kier, you may wish to protect yourself to the hilt but your neighbours have no such advantage. On our training courses we forbid any gloves other than nitrile because leather or thick gloves leads to clumsy handling. Besides that, stings are inevitable on animal skin gloves, they retain bacteria or virus unless cleaned, and when washed become rigid.

Stings will reduce as your handling becomes smoother and/or you select less defensive stock. Do not tolerate defensive bees; ask at your BKA for help. Do tolerate your lack of smooth handling, but wear thin nitrile gloves and work out a way to improve a little each time.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i use marigolds and they are excellent, having tried a variety

nitrile were next but more expensive and more rubbish

marigolds = multiple use and many attempted stings never got to me...

 

[madasafish]

Not heard the Olbas Oil tip before. I think I will give it a go. Currently I only wear nitriles.

Avon Skin So Soft Original sprays are even better.. I have used both.Avon not only deters bees -but helps keep your hands soft (!) and makes propolis removal easier.. As used by the Army on exercises in Scotland to deter midges...

Avon also smells better...which is important till I light a smoker and can smell nothing but smoke.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Way back when, I quickly discarded gloves and inspected bare handed (my grandfather never actually posessed beekeeeping gloves apparently - nor a veil until my grandmother made one and insisted he wore it!) it teaches you to be careful and to take your time around the bees, something I've never forgotten although I now normally wear marigolds as it's easier to keep clean and maintain hygiene when inspecting loads of colonies.
I used to entreat all my beginners to at least try inspecting sans gloves once as it does hammer home the importance of not winding up the bees clattering around the hives like a bull in a china shop just because they think they're invincible.
I do have a pair of leather gloves which I reserve for when I'm trashing around the hives with a sickle, or have got a vicious hive which I have to deal with (but even then they have to score something like minus one on the behaviour scale before I bother )

 

[B+.]

These are the plain facts from which there is no escape.

Kier, you may wish to protect yourself to the hilt but your neighbours have no such advantage. On our training courses we forbid any gloves other than nitrile because leather or thick gloves leads to clumsy handling. Besides that, stings are inevitable on animal skin gloves, they retain bacteria or virus unless cleaned, and when washed become rigid.

Stings will reduce as your handling becomes smoother and/or you select less defensive stock. Do not tolerate defensive bees; ask at your BKA for help. Do tolerate your lack of smooth handling, but wear thin nitrile gloves and work out a way to improve a little each time.

Alternatively, get bees that are less aggressive.
The same points come up year after year on this forum: people saying how wonderful their local bees are so they don't need to buy in queens....then, later in the year...people talking about how swarmy and stingy they have become. If more people joined the dots they'd see that the answer to all these things is to get better bees.

 

[robmort]

Wow, there must be some fierce bees around! I just use Wilko's best (like Marigolds) which give excellent "feel" and I've never been stung through them even when fiesty.
I clean the sticky propolis off afterwards by leaving them in washing soda. They last months.

 

[enrico]

These are the plain facts from which there is no escape.

Kier, you may wish to protect yourself to the hilt but your neighbours have no such advantage. On our training courses we forbid any gloves other than nitrile because leather or thick gloves leads to clumsy handling. Besides that, stings are inevitable on animal skin gloves, they retain bacteria or virus unless cleaned, and when washed become rigid.

Stings will reduce as your handling becomes smoother and/or you select less defensive stock. Do not tolerate defensive bees; ask at your BKA for help. Do tolerate your lack of smooth handling, but wear thin nitrile gloves and work out a way to improve a little each time.

I personally hate these groups that forbid gloves. What a way to put new beekeepers off. If you don't want to wear gloves it should be a personal preference after some experience is gained.
E

 

[Niv]

Avon Skin So Soft Original sprays are even better.. I have used both.Avon not only deters bees -but helps keep your hands soft (!) and makes propolis removal easier.. As used by the Army on exercises in Scotland to deter midges...

Avon also smells better...which is important till I light a smoker and can smell nothing but smoke.....

Thanks for the tip!

I wear nitriles as it makes it easier to remove the sting if I get one. Which, I am glad to say, has only happened once this year and was probably more down to me doing some DIY outside the hive in their flight path than anything else.

 

[madasafish]

Wow, there must be some fierce bees around! I just use Wilko's best (like Marigolds) which give excellent "feel" and I've never been stung through them even when fiesty.
I clean the sticky propolis off afterwards by leaving them in washing soda. They last months.

Alocohol sanitisers dissolve propolis very quckly..My hands have lasted decades.
Kill two birds etc..

 

[madasafish]

Thanks for the tip!

I wear nitriles as it makes it easier to remove the sting if I get one. Which, I am glad to say, has only happened once this year and was probably more down to me doing some DIY outside the hive in their flight path than anything else.

A fingernail along the skin removes stings PDQ...