- Joined
- Sep 7, 2013
- Messages
- 329
- Reaction score
- 297
- Location
- Loughborough
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 11
As I am wont to do on a Friday, I went out at lunch an dropped-in on my out-apiary today, ostensibly to check-in on two colonies - a nuc and a full 14x12. In the car, I had my suit and my 'bee-box', but had not registered either a lack of gloves or wellies. Hmmmm. Whenever I just 'pop-in' I almost never use a smoker; just using this for planned inspections.
Lack of wellies is always a mistake, and lack of gloves would normally have been a dealbreaker, but this time - for the first time in 11 years - I decided to try and inspect gloveless. In any event a risk, but more so as rain was in the offing.
The reason for posting is that this was (initially at least) revelational. I inspected the (busy) nuc, going through the all frames two or three times, and it has to rank amongst my top three beekeeping experiences. Being gloveless was so much more liberating and felt that I had that direct connection with the bees and the comb.
Wonderful.
On trying to replicate that on the full hive, I got taught a lesson about 3 frames in. Probably half a dozen stings to the hands, but probably double that to the ankles (mea culpa). Now I have the full-on King Charles fingers
I have to say that, if I had had wellies, and access to a smoker, I would have persevered with the inspection. I think there is mileage for me in this gloveless malarkey. Not only did it provide the emotional connection, but I tend to think that it might be a solid way of evaluating the sh*ttiness of the bees (or otherwise).
Lack of wellies is always a mistake, and lack of gloves would normally have been a dealbreaker, but this time - for the first time in 11 years - I decided to try and inspect gloveless. In any event a risk, but more so as rain was in the offing.
The reason for posting is that this was (initially at least) revelational. I inspected the (busy) nuc, going through the all frames two or three times, and it has to rank amongst my top three beekeeping experiences. Being gloveless was so much more liberating and felt that I had that direct connection with the bees and the comb.
Wonderful.
On trying to replicate that on the full hive, I got taught a lesson about 3 frames in. Probably half a dozen stings to the hands, but probably double that to the ankles (mea culpa). Now I have the full-on King Charles fingers
I have to say that, if I had had wellies, and access to a smoker, I would have persevered with the inspection. I think there is mileage for me in this gloveless malarkey. Not only did it provide the emotional connection, but I tend to think that it might be a solid way of evaluating the sh*ttiness of the bees (or otherwise).
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