Why are bee suits normally white?

[Wendy122]

Recipie

1 kg washing soda to 2 galon of water. Add a little washing up liquid to give it suds.

A bucket with this in is where the hive tools and drone uncapping tool live. The tools go back in between hives and live in the bucket 24/7.

There is also a scotchbright sponge for smoker rubbing.

The bucket is also used for dunking hands in.

Gloves worn are 2 pairs. One pair marigold and a latex thin medical pair on top. The idea is the thin pair are discarded between apairys. The marigolds last a few weeks. They wash well and turn them inside out to dry.

W

 

[mikeyspikey]

Hi Bcrazy,
Two pairs does sound excessive I know,but I am a coward and don't like getting stung!!! The first pair are thin and the manipulation of frames etc seems OK to me through both pairs. I guess I will have to pluck up the courage to try marigolds because hygiene is an issue with leather.

 

[BKF Admin]

Hi mikeyspikey

I used leather gloves all last year and took 2 stings through them.
I have purchased a pair of large marigolds to use next year.

I am not looking forward to the first time yet think the 2 stings I took may have been down to the leather.

Plus after a season with them they are dirty and I would assume carry disease.

Regards being a coward I think there are lots of us who up until now have used leather gloves.

 

[Wendy122]

I have never seem my local bee inspectors wear any leather cloves other than. 1 marigold or similar and an outer glove. Then a latex or nitrile outer glove.

Nitrile is stronger than latex and has needle puncture resistance.

 

[doorman]

I use the thin surgical type glove over the leather glove, the bees are less likely to sting, your leather gloves stay clean and the surgical gloves can be replaced easily when they become sticky.

But. When you remove the gloves don't leave the surgical on the leather as the leather cannot dry and mold will grow between the two layers.

 

[mikeyspikey]

Thanks Doorman that is a good idea. I presume you have the largest size of marigold possible to fit it over the leather glove. Seems like the best of both worlds.

Admin. Whilst I have been using the double leather glove system have not been stung through them. They have probably tried, but my reasoning was that a double layer defeated them???