Author Topic: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools  (Read 4420 times)

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Offline Riverrat

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #20 on: November 01, 2018, 09:15:59 am »
reminds me of an old timers who I met when I first got into beekeeping several years ago.  He had an interesting story.  When he was young man there was a beekeeper down the road and he had taken an interest in beekeeping.  He knocked on the keeps door and asked him if he would teach him beekeeping.  The guy agreed and told him to come back the next day and they would get started.  He went to town bought him a veil and went over the next day for his first lesson.  The old keep told him when he said he had to get his veil not to bother he wouldn't need it.  He took him out back banged around opening the top cover the bees boiled out an he got stung several time.  The old man closed the cover and said "thats your first lesson. Come back tomorrow for your next. "  He left said he was a bit upset but did go back the next day.  Again he told the keep he was going to get his veil.  The old keep again told him he didn't need it.  They went out to the same hive and the young man stopped the old man and said "if you think im coming out here for your entertainment watching me get stung Im done"  The old man laughed said " No yesterday I taught you how to get stung today I will teach you how not to get stung and work bees the right way"  The old timer later told the guy he did that to everyone who asked to learn beekeeping.  Said if they come back the next day they was serious.  The young man in this story was in his 70's when I met him and was still keeping bees.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #21 on: November 01, 2018, 11:05:34 am »
I love that story Rrat. I do know a woman in our area, in her second year, who is so positive that she has this loving worldly connection with her bees, that she would never get stung. She got stung on the eye this late spring when the hive was superceding.

She messaged me crying for pete sake.

Hand on my forehead, Oy Vey
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Offline Sour Kraut

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #22 on: December 20, 2018, 03:45:57 pm »
I was told by an inspector to scorch hive tools in the smoker.

Gloves and suit, I guess washer on heavy-duty HOT cycle

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #23 on: December 20, 2018, 04:28:54 pm »
I love that story Rrat. I do know a woman in our area, in her second year, who is so positive that she has this loving worldly connection with her bees, that she would never get stung. She got stung on the eye this late spring when the hive was superceding.

She messaged me crying for pete sake.

Hand on my forehead, Oy Vey

 :) I guess it's mean of me to grin over this, but come on. They are insects, not puppies. Mine do things that tickle me, like when I am outside working one or two will coming buzzing around or even land on me and lick up some sweat. I think they are used to me but it would be anthropomorphic thinking to assume affection.

By the way, this really impresses Sweet Wife, who is highly allergic to stings. She thinks I'm some kind of bee whisperer. :laugh: I wish!
Neill Sayers
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #24 on: December 21, 2018, 04:15:28 am »
I was told by an inspector to scorch hive tools in the smoker.

Gloves and suit, I guess washer on heavy-duty HOT cycle
Leather gloves would be ruined in a hot washing machine.  Some suits would be too.  I have a suit that I was afraid to wash because the hood would come off in the washing machine.  I never could get the hood back on.  It took a 16 year old kid about 30 minutes to zip the hood back on.  After that, I never washed it again.  After all, the hood is the most important aspect of the suit.  Perhaps someone with experience could comment on whether gloves and suit would be contaminated enough that they might need to be destroyed.

Offline iddee

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #25 on: December 21, 2018, 07:05:08 am »
I wear my jacket 5 or 6 times a year. It's washed once or twice a year. I unzip the hood and my wife washes it in the sink. Then she machine washes the jacket.  I wear my gloves once every year or two. I have never washed them. I do smoke them well when I use them.  DO NOT USE BLEACH  It will cause the cloth to come apart in shreds.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline Jen

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #26 on: December 22, 2018, 11:04:42 pm »
Sometimes my gloves get so sticky and gooey that I go to the sink in our garage and put them under the faucet, my hands still in the gloves, and give them a good rinse, then take them off of my hands and hang them to dry. This way, the gloves stay in the shape of my hands and they're easier to slip on the next day. The leather in the gloves does get stiff while drying but they soften up again pretty quickly.
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #27 on: December 23, 2018, 12:32:03 am »
Sometimes my gloves get so sticky and gooey that I go to the sink in our garage and put them under the faucet, my hands still in the gloves, and give them a good rinse, then take them off of my hands and hang them to dry. This way, the gloves stay in the shape of my hands and they're easier to slip on the next day. The leather in the gloves does get stiff while drying but they soften up again pretty quickly.

This is a good tip! Thanks Jen. :)
Neill Sayers
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Offline rober

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #28 on: December 29, 2018, 10:20:26 am »
like jen while wearing my gloves I wash them under warm water. after they dry while wearing them I rub mineral oil into them much like rubbing in hand cream. I take the veil off of my jacket & soak it in a tub with soap & oxy. then spray it off with a hose & hang it to dry.
baker-I had a hard time reattaching my veil the first time. once I figured it out it was actually easy.

Offline Les

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Re: Washing Contaminated Hive Tools
« Reply #29 on: December 29, 2018, 03:27:59 pm »
Baker, putting the veil back on is like solving a Chinese puzzle LOL.

Jen, with so much info out there about beekeeping, I just can’t imagine folks taking on beekeeping without some level of understanding. Oy vi is right!