Leather gloves?

[Gilberdyke John]

Various suppliers offer beekeepers suits with leather gloves as part of the package. Our society tutors prefer rubber or latex as they are cleanable/sterilisable or disposable. However for beeks that only handle their own bees does anyone know how to effectively clean leather and more particularly remove smears of propolis? Is there a known solvent for it?

 

[Davelin]

I think that's why we prefer disposables!!

 

[Swarm]

The best way is to wear vinyl gloves over them. You won't be spreading disease around your own apiary just because your gloves are leather but they can be washed and treated with neatsfoot oil to keep them very supple.

When the weather gets hot (?) I wear leather gloves and I put vinyl ones over them. I find this the most comfortable way to avoid pools of sweat in each glove and the impossibility of pulling new nitriles onto sweaty hands. The vinyl glove will keep the leather stain free but they will still become stiff due to wicking sweat. Apply neatsfoot oil if this becomes a problem, it will make the gloves very supple and also protect the leather. Make sure your gloves are one size too small so they are tight.

 

[pargyle]

Various suppliers offer beekeepers suits with leather gloves as part of the package. Our society tutors prefer rubber or latex as they are cleanable/sterilisable or disposable. However for beeks that only handle their own bees does anyone know how to effectively clean leather and more particularly remove smears of propolis? Is there a known solvent for it?

I only wear latex but methylated spirits will dissolve propolis then perhaps you should give them a good scrubbing with washing soda. If you really need to wear leather gloves I would suggest you wear disposable ones over the top of them to prevent soiling. Any sting pheremone on them will give you problems when you handle the bees.

 

[Bob Bee]

I would recommend hanging on to your leather gauntlets for the odd occasion when your just moving kit or filling feeders. When handling frames and learning to handle bees the heaviest recommended would be a marigold style glove. blue nitrile is much better and if you intend to handle queens and mark them in the future get used to wearing a nitrile on at least one hand as the heaviest glove viable for that kind of operation.

 

[Luminos]

Washing soda in HOT water is effective.
But I've binned my leather ones in favour of marigolds, since I discovered it was the leather gloves causing the aggression in one of my hives.

 

[barratt_sab]

The best way is to wear vinyl gloves over them. You won't be spreading disease around your own apiary just because your gloves are leather but they can be washed and treated with neatsfoot oil to keep them very supple.

When the weather gets hot (?) I wear leather gloves and I put vinyl ones over them. I find this the most comfortable way to avoid pools of sweat in each glove and the impossibility of pulling new nitriles onto sweaty hands. The vinyl glove will keep the leather stain free but they will still become stiff due to wicking sweat. Apply neatsfoot oil if this becomes a problem, it will make the gloves very supple and also protect the leather. Make sure your gloves are one size too small so they are tight.

This is exactly where I have ended up, with nitriles over leather. You can change the nitriles between apiaries for hygiene and it on the (hopefully rare) occasions you get stung on the glove it means that the gloves don't continue to attract stings.

 

[theeggman]

We use black industrial 'marigolds'.
On numerous apiary visits the hosts have worn leather and they have the ends of the fingers bent and gunged up and the level of 'feel' must be nil.

We would advise wearing anything but leather unless you have a colony from hell.

Tim.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Black?

 

[theeggman]

Black?

Yes, left over from keeping 10,000 layers.

They do the job and can be soaked in washing soda when required.

On one occasion I was seriously attacked on the hands but a change of gloves cured it.

I occasionally still get stung through them but so far not a problem!!

Tim.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have a pair of leather gloves, chuck them in the washing machine, the do go like a prune but soon come back to life with a couple of coats of baby oil

I've tried marigolds and find them to restrictive but Nitrle gloves are more hygienic than leather,

 

[psafloyd]

Don't buy leather gloves, John. Great for gardening, but not for beekeeping.

 

[cjhart2]

I use Special Forces kevlar sniper gloves . Can not fault them , clean up well and you can use virtually any cleaning solvent on them , wrist straps are excellent and are tight around the suit . Very soft outer leather and super stitching . No stings get through them .
Have not found a use for the anti knife slashing pad on the back of the glove yet !

schhhhh not aloud to tell you where they came from .

 

[richardbees]

Special Forces kevlar sniper gloves

- I'd hate to ask what you use in your smoker!

 

[cjhart2]

Special Forces kevlar sniper gloves

- I'd hate to ask what you use in your smoker!

Gloves in action !

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I started out with leather gloves that came with the suit but by the second lesson they were showing propolis smears. This didn't want to shift by washing with soda or washing up liquid so I now use rubber gloves. These are about the same thickness as marigolds.
It just struck me as slightly odd that leather is being supplied with the suits when so many beeks say they are less than desirable from both hygeine and sensetivity.
I will continue with the rubber for the forseeable future.
As to handling queens i have fairly thick skinned fingers so any queen marking I do will be by use of a marking cage with foam plunger and any transfers by use of a queen clip. No good being ham fisted with valuable queens.
Thanks for the input.

 

[enrico]

Blimey, a few propolis smears.....mine are yellow now, my suit is heading that way despite regular washing..... A little change of colour does no one any harm! Adds to the seasoned beekeeper look!
E

 

[pargyle]

If you have a pair of leather gloves they are useful for people who want to see the bees but are nervous ... there is something very reassuring about the feel of a pair of iron gauntlets ! Just as long as they are not 'helping' ... just watching !

 

[thisgardener]

I have used leather gloves in the past, also marigold type gloves, the black industrial type marigolds, and the thin white latex type gloves . nowadays I have a pair of marigolds in the bee box just incase but routinely do not wear gloves when inspecting colonies .I find the advantages in being able to feel the presences of bees under frame lugs etc when going through a hive far out weighs the odd sting I get because of not having gloves on. our bees are much easier to work since not wearing gloves, its a leap of faith thing I feel but well worth trying .