Taking stings through the leather gloves recently

[minz]

I have been rushing a bit as I bounce around trying to do everything in life but I do not think I have ever been stung through them and I at almost 3 stings for 3 yards, do they get thin? Yeah I am getting sloppy in the quest for speed, but it happens when you have yards at the in-laws and you end up fixing all their equipment when you get seen there!

[GLOCK]

When I start to get stung a lot when I'm in the hive that is when I know I am not doing it right .
But that's just my way of reasoning why some thing I love so much just hates me some times

[Bamabww]

Never been stung through the leather but have through the vented area of the sleeve.

[pistolpete]

The trouble with gloves (IMO) is that you can be squishing bees and not even realise it.  Pretty quickly the gloves get loaded with attack pheromones.   Go gloveless for a few weeks and get some good habits back.

[LazyBkpr]

Scrub the gloves. If they are wet from dew, rain, or sweat they seem to be easier to sting through. The smell of sweat will also bring more stings.   My old hat gets me stung just under the rim quite often... I am going to have to break down and wash it one of these days

[blueblood]

Minz, I have tried and true Meyers goatskin gloves from Mannlake.  On my second pair.  Have taken some stings to the glove but never penetrated.  As stated, I have been stung through vented gloves.

[riverbee]

minz, your gloves stand up by themselves?........

i really don't think there are any gloves that are totally sting proof.  i have all sorts of gloves, i do have the vented cowhide, and have taken stings in the fingers, but not through the venting. like dave, i do have the meyers gloves, i have two pairs of the old style of calf leather, and now they make them with goat skin. i will have to say this they have always been one of my favorite glove and one can manipulate frames easily.  i just ordered another pair of them. 

scott's right on about washing or scrubbing the gloves.  i don't scrub them, but i do take care of them, and i will hand wash them. this will keep them lasting longer and also getting the pheremone off.

i have never squished bees with the gloves on, but i have squished bees moving frames.  pete, really not sure what you meant by getting some good habits back by going gloveless?  there are those of us who choose to wear them for one reason or another, and there is no shame in doing so or bad habit for wearing them. 

[ablanton]

I usually don't wear gloves; but, I will use puncture-resistant, nitrile gloves if I get into a hive with an ornery mood.  I have seen them try to sting me, and have even had a few stingers get hung in the nitrile, but none have made it through so far.  Not to say they never will, but none for three years.  I like the nitrile because it does not interfere with my sense of touch.  If I start to mash a bee, I can feel her buzz.

[LazyBkpr]

hehe.. apparently the nitrile gloves I have are not puncture resistant...  does it say that oin the package when you get them Ablanton?

[Zulu]

I usually don't wear gloves; but, I will use puncture-resistant, nitrile gloves if I get into a hive with an ornery mood.  I have seen them try to sting me, and have even had a few stingers get hung in the nitrile, but none have made it through so far.  Not to say they never will, but none for three years.  I like the nitrile because it does not interfere with my sense of touch.  If I start to mash a bee, I can feel her buzz.

Back on a bad hive ,
Even dble gloved I have took one through the nitrile gloves , they are not totally impenetrable , they help a lot though. But I so seldom use gloves anyway these days.

[pistolpete]

I was not meaning to slight anyone, River.  It's just that I have seen some bee keepers be quite careless the way they handle frames with gloves on.   So by bad habits I mean pinching bees and not having to pay the price for it.   That is absolutely not to say that one can't handle frames just as gently with gloves as without.

[LazyBkpr]

  PP has a point, if not phrased perectly..  going without gloves tends to make you use a bit more care because of the possibility of being stung..
   Kind of like the confidence you get when wearing a full leather suit, Helmet and restraints when strapped into your race car..   take all that stuff away and drivers are not nearly as aggressive....
    Watching some long time beekeepers handle their frames makes me cringe..  At this point.. I still stop the stupid lawn mower when I see a bee on a dandelion.. wait for it to fly off before I begin mowing again...

[jb63]

I like to put smoke on my hands before working with bees.I suppose it would work the same smoking the gloves.

[GLOCK]

I use thicksters .They work great but when I'm not beeing right my hands get worked over mostly my wrist  but I'm learning.

I have done 1 DBL. deep in the last 5 years with no gloves  got no stings . I have to man up one day I guess.

[riverbee]

"I was not meaning to slight anyone, River.  It's just that I have seen some bee keepers be quite careless the way they handle frames with gloves on.   So by bad habits I mean pinching bees and not having to pay the price for it.   That is absolutely not to say that one can't handle frames just as gently with gloves as without."

thanks for the clarification pete. i thought you meant developing bad habits by wearing them.

I still stop the stupid lawn mower when I see a bee on a dandelion.. wait for it to fly off before I begin mowing again..."

.... ......i do too!

[minz]

No, you are all correct.  I have behind the curve here this year in a bad way and went back to the gloves to tear through the hives and ‘get er done’. Last year I was working so hard on gloveless but the propeless killed me.  This year I was doing inspections every 10 days in 3 or 4 locations and working long hours at my real job.  I really need to just slow down and take a breath but life is right on my rear! I have not been stung though the gloves since I posted this.  I currently have no idea of how many laying queens I have, how much equipment in reserve or how I am going to get my RV floor put back together in time for our family vacation!
Wait for a bee? Last weekend I folded up a swarm trap at 7:30 PM and brought it home.  I have no idea how many bees got left behind.  Yeah my confession, I am turning into a hack with too many irons in the fire.

[apisbees]

Although if you do use gloves if you also use a frame grip you will crush less bees also.
Never used a frame grip myself and gave up on gloves the firs month and haven't worn a pair since. This being said I do receive most of my stings in the end of my middle finger, it is the finger that I put under the frame top bar ends to get leverage to flip the frame up to see the other side. and pinch a few bees while doing so.

[riverbee]

gee minz, sounds like you don't have enough to do.......

"Last year I was working so hard on gloveless but the propeless killed me."

mix up a small spray bottle of yellow sudsy ammonia and water.  spray it on your hands, and it takes the propolis right off.  (also works on gloves and hive tools).

[minz]

I will have to try that, I have been using rubbing alcohol and it really dries out my hands (which did not need any help). Was laying down flooring when a friend called with swarm, I almost turned it over to KathyP but the directions were based on landmarks that no longer exist ‘go to where the goose blind was by the pond…kind of things.  More bees left behind.
I need to find a grove or rut for time management. I have too many small yards, too many different types of gear and too many different management practices.  Thinking of going and asking a couple of organic vegetable farmers in the area if I could set up hives and just drop most of mine on one location and consolidate. 

[LazyBkpr]

Having them in larger groups closer to home is nice.  I don't like to have more than 20 in one location, but have 25 at the house/home yard this year, and have not made queens for summer splits yet...   Going to have to move a few before the goldenrod kicks in.