Stung through leather gloves

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In reply to the OP, there are various leather gloves and some are thicker than others. Yes you will be stung through them and any other glove or glove combo. Obviously some stings will not connect but where the fit is tightest will always be the weak spot.

Don't listen to all the nonsense about lack of feel, that's why you buy a size smaller. The feel with nitrile gloves where the finger tips are stretched and flapping due to propolis is by no means great at all. Cleaning leather gloves is not a problem if vinyl ones are worn over them and this also solves the spreading disease fears. The most beneficial thing with leather gloves is the fact they soak up sweat, therefore your fingers don't resemble sponge after inspections.
 
I would briefly suggest the following from my point of view.
I have been stung through leather gloves and clothing.
The barb never came out so I think of this as a minor "sting".
However I did get a more than usual reaction from this.
When I got well and truly stung a few times with barb/sting firmly in my skin and when started to blow up in all sorts of different places away from the location of the sting I got worried.
I went to the doctor and had a test and found that I was highly allergic to bee venom.
I am well down a course to desensitize my and my Kul rating has come down a lot.
Remember most beekeepers get less sensitive to stings as the season goes on, But a person who is sensitive or allergic actually gets most susceptible to a reaction after successive stings and they can become fatal.
This reply/post is as brief as I can make it I have lots of info and will be more than pleased to pass it on
Michael
 
As anyone tried neoprene gloves, I have some fingerless ones for fishing I would not think a sting could get through that material.
 
I would briefly suggest the following from my point of view.
I have been stung through leather gloves and clothing.
The barb never came out so I think of this as a minor "sting".
However I did get a more than usual reaction from this.
When I got well and truly stung a few times with barb/sting firmly in my skin and when started to blow up in all sorts of different places away from the location of the sting I got worried.
I went to the doctor and had a test and found that I was highly allergic to bee venom.
I am well down a course to desensitize my and my Kul rating has come down a lot.
Remember most beekeepers get less sensitive to stings as the season goes on, But a person who is sensitive or allergic actually gets most susceptible to a reaction after successive stings and they can become fatal.
This reply/post is as brief as I can make it I have lots of info and will be more than pleased to pass it on
Michael
 
Not sure I'd agree with the notion of tolerance build up, there are plenty of cases where beekeepers develop worse reaction, I know two beekeepers who have given up their bees due to bad reactions (loss of consciousness). Reaction itself can vary so much anyway, from minor irritation to major swelling, systemic reaction and worse.

I would always advise taking every precaution to avoid being stung.
 
Not sure I'd agree with the notion of tolerance build up, there are plenty of cases where beekeepers develop worse reaction, I know two beekeepers who have given up their bees due to bad reactions (loss of consciousness). Reaction itself can vary so much anyway, from minor irritation to major swelling, systemic reaction and worse.

I would always advise taking every precaution to avoid being stung.
I'm sorry to disagree ; but if you're a beekeeper you WILL get stung !
Regular stinging will inure you to local reactions ! If however you suffer from a systemic allergy to bee venom then yes in a very short time (number of stings) your reactions will increase . If this is the case you either have to get desensitised (doesn't always work ) or give over beekeeping altogether !! There is no in between !
A past president of the Lancashire beekeepers had to do just that ! he was also a qualified honey judge (able to award the 'blue ribbon') he once confessed to me that he ;when judging at honey shows, kept a weather eye open ,just in case an inquisitive bee gained access to the show room !
VM
 
I'm sorry to disagree ; but if you're a beekeeper you WILL get stung !
Regular stinging will inure you to local reactions ! If however you suffer from a systemic allergy to bee venom then yes in a very short time (number of stings) your reactions will increase . If this is the case you either have to get desensitised (doesn't always work ) or give over beekeeping altogether !! There is no in between !
A past president of the Lancashire beekeepers had to do just that ! he was also a qualified honey judge (able to award the 'blue ribbon') he once confessed to me that he ;when judging at honey shows, kept a weather eye open ,just in case an inquisitive bee gained access to the show room !
VM
Yes, you will get stung but I don't agree with the rest. How would you explain the long standing beekeeper who has had bees for years and been stung plenty of times in the past suddenly bang, unconscious and a hospital visit?
I'm stung every year as most of us are, still try not to be.
 
I don't agree with the rest.
Your privilege old man :) . Regarding the established beekeeper suddenly becoming allergic, points to a major alteration in the way his/her body regards bee venom . These cases are not as common as is supposed :)
VM
 
As anyone tried neoprene gloves, I have some fingerless ones for fishing I would not think a sting could get through that material.

I often use neoprene gloves of a similar thickness to washing up gloves and have never been stung through them yet.
 
Thanks for all the replies.Will try various options.Fully expect the odd sting,but would like to limit them as much as possible.Once again thanks for all the advice.
 
I use a latex glove which the fishermen up in the NE of Scotland use. They are excellent regards being stingproof, I haven't been stung on the hand for the three years I have kept bees. The fisherman need to be able to feel the fish when gutting on a moving boat so they are tight fitting and you have a good feel with them. They are called MAPA Professuional Jersette 301.
Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for that Boboblue, will do a search for these.How long would one pair last and do you tape up the cuffs.
 
They would last a couple of seasons easy. No need to tape the cuffs due to their snug fit.
 
I use blue nitrile gloves and seal the cuffs with a strip of double sided velco - not sticky and infinitely adjustable.
 
Your privilege old man :) . Regarding the established beekeeper suddenly becoming allergic, points to a major alteration in the way his/her body regards bee venom . These cases are not as common as is supposed :)
VM
I'm not being argumentitive, honestly. I've always held the opinion that some form of immunity develops with regular stings, but with recent events I'm not so sure.
The case I mentioned happened to a friend a few weeks ago. Beginning of the year (she's in Australia) it was my daughter and last year it was a fellow association member.
 

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