Stings on gloves

[Swarm]

If you are in plastic gloves for 30 miins on a summer afternoon you will sweat and they will turn into mini swimming pools.

Very true. I use the rubberised gloves with cotton gauntlet. Great feel and protection but the lining inside is soaking after inspections. I'm going to try fine cotton gloves underneath but not sure they will help much.

 

[peteinwilts]

If your bees sting regularly, requeen them.
If you cannot keep bees in bare hands, your bees are not fit for purpose...

I have marigolds for hard use and nitrile on top for really bad. Never had more than 5 stings from my bees. Repeated stinging = bad bees.

thats a little harsh... what is their purpose then? If i want cute and cuddly I would keep baby lop eared rabbits.

if you cannot keep bees in bare hands..., why do you wear marigolds?

When I recieve stings, it is normally for a reason (humid weather, wasps or earwigs attempting an invasion, evening visit, aging queen, me eating curry the night before etc)

I was doing an inspection on a hive yesterday when all of a sudden a Eurofighter roared over low enough to almost cut the grass (there was an airshow just down the road)
Almost immediately the bees turned nasty and I looked like a dalmation.

I do not blame them for any of the above. My hives do not have uniform temperments. They all have personalities, and all capable of mood swings and are too complicated to catigorize them into good or bad bees..

 

[madasafish]

thats a little harsh... what is their purpose then? If i want cute and cuddly I would keep baby lop eared rabbits.

if you cannot keep bees in bare hands..., why do you wear marigolds?

QUOTE]

I keep my own bees in bare hands. They don't run on combs, follow or sting (unless I trap them with my fingers).

I also visit our local Association apiary. There we inspect - basically whatever the weather. Most hives are good natured. Two are less so and one can be evil. So I am prepared with marigolds .. and nitrile gloves .. and anti histamine and hand wipes .. ( my soft tissues swell badly with multiple stings).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One of our BKA members never wears gloves, in fact last time he came to the apiary in tshirt and flimsy veil. He also rubs his arms/hands before an inspection with a concoction he makes by covering a jar full of peppermint with surgical spirit which he leaves soaking for a while - he swears by it.

 

[ladyrose1956]

Keeping bee calm when checking them

Hi when i check my hives i put icing sugar in my smoker and puf fsugar over them and that keeps them quiet and busy grooming them selves so they dont take any notice of what you are doing it works for me and i just ues washing up gloves and no stings

 

[Winker]

Let us, and Mo, know how quickly their disposition alters, as long as the new queen is known to have a docile temperament.

RAB

I got my new Queen today, she is one Hivemakers buckfasts and he assures me they are of kind nature. Due to the time I got her and the on set of rain today, I will requeen the hive tomorrow and keep you informed.

But as it is these girls go Ballistic every time I open them up for inspection, then chase me for a good 150 yards down the road, some times I have to kill the followers who want to get into the car with me.

So any change in behaviour will be notices straight away.

 

[richardbees]

winker

My sympathies! A lot of beeks have never experienced how awful an aggresive / nasty colony can be!

Good luck with re-queening.

richard

 

[merylvingien]

winker

A lot of beeks have never experienced how awful an aggresive / nasty colony can be!

I couldnt agree more, from some of the comments on this forum, i believe that there are a fair few beekeepers out there that dont know how dangerous a colony "can" be.

 

[beebod]

I have a colony that was AS'ed back on the 20th May. The queen right part has continued to be docile and well mannered and I don't need to use any smoke to go through them. However, the part which had the queen cells has turned into the nastiest colony I've ever had in 14 years of beekeeping. They're so bad that when I'm topping up the feeder on the hive next door, they come out en-masse and I have dozens of them trying to sting me through the veil. The thing I can't get over is that these two colonys are the same bees, such a contrast, one lovely and docile and the other asking for a cup of petrol to be tipped in through the crown board.

 

[oliver90owner]

Beebod,

It is well known that some second generation crosses can be vile tempered. One reason for A/S and later unification with the new queen as a way of re-queening - but only when proven! Yours may be in this category/ Was the mother a swarmed queen or bought in?

Regards, RAB

 

[region2]

I use surgical-type gloves - leather are too clumsy IMHO. Watched a bee keeper of some experience the other day in leather gloves - quickly covered in stings. I was helping in my latex gloves - no stings. So mix poor technique with sausage fingers and stings ensue...

R2

 

[Otleybee]

I have used many types of glove over the last year and have settled back on latex. I really think that the bees dont recognise it as something that they can sting. Unless I actually mishandle bad enough to squish a bee they dont sting me.

 

[oliver90owner]

The bee stings were possibly totally unrelated to his 'clumsiness' and there is a large difference between you watching, rather than doing.

I don't use leather guantlets, but not necessarily because I would be a clumsy beekeeper if I did.

Please think pheromones here, as the less blinkered reason for the problem and maybe give this beek a break on the clumsiness suggestion.

RAB

 

[Dishmop]

I read somewhere that bees dont like leather or wool.......

 

[region2]

Please think pheromones here, as the less blinkered reason for the problem and maybe give this beek a break on the clumsiness suggestion.
RAB

Nah - I see clumsy beekeepers and grumpy bees. Slow and gentle and the bees behave.

R2