Thick rubber stingfree gloves?

[merylvingien]

I didnt mean to open a can of worms here, i just wondered if anyone knew where i could get some thick rubber gloves from

I would prefer to be cautious and not get whacked if at all possible, i spend most of my days jousting with wasp and hornet nests and sometimes it does get "emotional" So i am all too aware of what can happen when things go "tits up"

So if i HAVE to wear something with a bit more sensitivity, i just want to make sure that i am not twitching like an alchoholic in the middle of a desert that had just spilt his last shot of meths into the sand

 

[drex]

New to beekeeping this year, so on a steep learning curve. I started off with leather gauntlets that came free with my BB suit. Could not feel much. Talked with another student at apiary and he wore Sainsbury blue "Thick" rubber. Still not sensitive enough for me. Have enfded up in Wilkinson own brand kitchen and bathrrom cleaner gloves - long cuffs. Just right. had several stings, none have penetrated yet! Tutor tends to not wear gloves, and lets us use what we are comfortable with ( I think 2 students go gloveless). Each to his own. They are his bees. Glad he has laid back attitude

 

[Polyanwood]

But what would your reaction be if one of these people then keeled over in front of you, as I did a couple of weeks ago, then say that it was your fault because you had insisted they didnt wear what they thought was appropriate protection?

It is depressing to think that in helping people learn for free, we should have to worry about getting them to sign disclaimers or being sued. It puts me off. Still, I have the epipen, I can do CPR and am 10 minutes from a hospital, so God willing, all will be well.

Visiting people at their homes/apiaries to support them learn beekeeping was a nightmare with people ringing up all the time and demanding visits at short notice... and then the flowers and chocolates and inappropriate invitations....
Is it only me who has had this trouble?

 

[Biddly]

I have a pair of those gloves too ( from Modern Beekeeping ) and i am very happy with them.

 

[Hombre]

. . . we should have to worry about getting them to sign disclaimers or being sued. It puts me off. Still, I have the epipen, I can do CPR and am 10 minutes from a hospital, so God willing, all will be well.

Using an epipen (particularly one that is not prescribed to them) on someone that subesequently dies or lives and sues is a good way to come face to face with the realities of the legal system.

It could be that you are a medical professional which might change the perspective, but otherwise the scenario seems muddy.

 

[Roy S]

Visiting people at their homes/apiaries to support them learn beekeeping was a nightmare with people ringing up all the time and demanding visits at short notice... and then the flowers and chocolates and inappropriate invitations....

I thought that only happened to the likes of me! .....but I'm not going into details

I would just encourage anyone to use what they feel comfortable with, that doesnt endanger them OR the bees.

But I'll tell you what, I cant even remeber having conversations like this 20 years ago....nobody worried about the legality of anything then. Common sense prevailed, and if accidents happened then they were just that ACCIDENTS....isn't life a lot worse for so called improvements eh?

 

[MJBee]

When I lived in Devon I took the "Basic" exam. The examiners commented that after 6 years beekeeping I should get rid of my gloves

I still wear gloves but have downgraded to nitrile - I am allergic to propolis

PS took the exam in 1986

 

[Peter Cox]

Hi I use a pair of nitrile(purple surgical gloves) provided by my sister, a rep. Over these I wear a pair of blue marigold flock lined gloves I buy on the internet. Sometime the little blighters can even penetrate this but the sting never stays in and the venom dose is negligable. I tried two pairs of nitrile but found them a little too restricting. Be warned, after Saturday's inspection of 12 hives I could pour the sweat from the gloves and had hands like wrinkled prunes.

You'll find that wearing a thin cotton gloves under the nitrile gloves will help dramatically with the sweating, you may need to go up a size in the nitrile for this.

For leather gloves I use goatskin with gauntlets
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/prodinfo.asp?number=720 MEDIUM&variation=
sort of like this but mine have a ventilation band on the gauntlet . Hands still sweat in them but the sweat will penetrate the leather. Have never been stung through them in 4 years. Maybe they don't sell them in Europe though.

 

[BKF Admin]

It could be that you are a medical professional which might change the perspective.

That will not change anything Hombre,daft thing is if you are not carrying out your duties while being employed by an NHS trust/private health company then you really should have an up to date red cross certificate in first aid to treat a member of the public, or else it could be turned in to an assault case in court.

Its often safer to stand back and allow a red cross first aider to give assistance while you stand over and offer support/advice.

 

[mbc]

spontex tough

 

[BKF Admin]

mbc,in Google that comes up as Scourer's.

I can see Spontax sensation or comfy but not tough.

Is it these ones ?

 

[mbc]

I havent seen them for a while but I used to get all blue spontex tough(maybe tuff ?) from tesco's and I found them comfy and sting free for 'stingy' jobs
just looked at spontex's interwebsite and it doesnt look like they do them anymore but I'm sure the gardening or heavy duty range would be similar

 

[Crg]

So any pointers would be good, keywords here are THICK ARMOR PLATED lol

No, the key words here are - get better bees.

You shouldn't need gloves when working your bees.

 

[Poly Hive]

Rubbish Crg.

I have kept bees for over 20 years and use gloves all the time.

You can argue the other side tlil you are blue in the face but I am not going to stop wearing gloves.

There is beekeeping and beekeeping and the slowly slowly approach suits some, and they will faff around doing it.

There are those who get on get it done and leave the bees alone. If I can do an inspection in under five minutes and let them get on, is that not better than messing about for half an hour?

It is in my thoughts and it seriously annoys me to read such comments that gloves should not be worn.

Utter and total claptrap. Esp from someone living in a specialised area as London is where the temperatures in general are higher and boosted further by the locale.

To all the newbies and all in general if you feel more comfortable in gloves carry on regardless of this "should" rubbish.

PH

 

[Rosti]

Crg, I think sometimes the circumstances the bees find themselves in determine their disposition. 1 hive that earlier in the year and indeed all last season was tranquil and a pleasure to work became the bitches from hell earlier this year when (and just before) they went queenless. This situation was typified by an attack on me while I was working another hive. Their hive had not been touched for a week previous and hadn't been disturbed at that point (save some smoke) on that visit. There was no indication at that point that I needed 'better bees' and indeed now they are re-queened they have returned to being better bees.

 

[Cazza]

:
To all the newbies and all in general if you feel more comfortable in gloves carry on regardless of this "should" rubbish.

PH

Polyhive, you are absolutely right. I can't understand the "shouldn't wear gloves" viewpoint. Each to his own but I refuse to be made to feel guilty about this. Gloves for me are essential, I can't afford to be stung and no matter how careful one is, it will happen.
Cazza

 

[susbees]

The blue "stingproofs" that Maisemore sell haven't let a sting in yet. I only wear them on the commercials/National, never had a sting on the TBCs. They haven't let one through yet. A quick spray with water with a little clove oil in masks the smell of sting pheromone and saves further bees from unnecessary acts of self-sacrifice.

However, for dexterity they are still wide in the fingers but a good range of sizes if you've fingers like sausages and the cuff should be fine as it comes quite high up the forearm and is ribbed.

 

[rowbow]

YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THIN SURGICAL GLOVES OVER THE TOP OF A COTTON ONE.
jOHN

 

[oliver90owner]

No, the key words here are - get better bees.

You shouldn't need gloves when working your bees.

The 'logical' conclusion here is that anyone with 'better' bees will not need gloves, therefore will not get stung. Oh and of course, 90% or more should change their bees!

What utter cr*p! Let's 'logical conclude' a little further. If you are not going to get stung, why wear a veil? Why wear a bee suit? I just wish these people who make these sweeping statements would think just a little, before posting such things. Beginners out there have a hard enough time without someone telling them to do something which is patently flawed.

Regards, RAB

 

[m100]

You shouldn't ever need leather gloves unless you have the bees from hell.

IMHO we should be breeding or promoting better behaved bees that don't crawl all over the hands of the beekeeper, or ping off the veil, but we should at the same time be educating all beekeepers to use thin nitrile / latex gloves so that feel and thus handling of the bees is improved. Given the chance I'd lock all the leather gloves beyond normal use at our association apiary and stop selling them from the shop.