12/4/2023 0 Comments Busy bee glovesBy changing gloves, you eliminate the risk of cross contamination between hives, which is essential to keeping your bees clean and healthy. Plus, a pair of disposable gloves is also much more sanitary when switching between colonies. It’s better for the bees and the beekeeper. Remember, if you wear the same pair of gloves between colonies, each successive colony will pick up on the pheromones of the last colony, which can create a lot of agitation.īy changing gloves in between colonies, each colony gets a fresh start and a better chance at a positive interaction. While it does produce more trash, it’s also the quickest way to get a fresh start in between inspections. Given the choice between reusable and disposable nitrile gloves, disposable gloves are actually the superior choice for beekeeping gloves. That way, you’ll be able to feel what you’re doing, but you’ll have the peace of mind you need to conduct your inspection without missing a beat. This gives you the best protection while still preserving tactile sensitivity in your hands. Nitrile has remarkable tensile strength of 200 to 3,500 PSI (especially compared to the 18 MPa minimum for latex gloves). When you reach for a thin glove, you should always reach for nitrile. In other words, thin gloves enable gentler beekeeping, which makes for happier bees and a better experience for everyone. But because you’ll be able to feel the bees, it will be much easier to avoid squashing bees through clumsiness. Granted, bees will still get agitated if you accidentally squash some of their siblings. Thin gloves dramatically increase your sensitivity, dexterity, and your grip. But because you can’t feel them, you upset them even more during each weekly inspection. The sole benefit of thick leather gloves is that you can’t feel the bees. While it may seem counterintuitive, thin but durable gloves are actually the superior choice as beekeeping gloves. Why Nitrile Gloves are the Best Gloves for Handling Bees Ergo, more stings, more agitated bees, and a higher likelihood of getting stung when you move to a different colony simply because the new colony responds to lingering alarm pheromones. This angers and distresses the bees, especially when you inevitably crush bees by accident, causing them to release the alarm pheromone to the colony. The net result is that you will get stung-mostly because you’re not handling the frames bull-in-a-china-shop style. Thick leather gloves will protect you from the sensation of being stung, but they also take away most of your tactile sensitivity, manual dexterity, and your grip. It’s a bit like a brain surgeon-if a brain surgeon operated while wearing mittens, or tried to wield a scalpel with their feet. While many people picture thick welder gauntlets as the ideal gloves for beekeeping, these are actually a great way to get stung. What Does Not Make Good Beekeeping Gloves That’s why a thick glove is actually the wrong choice for beekeeping gloves. What many beginner beekeepers don’t realize is that sting protection is actually the least of your concerns when buying beekeeping gloves. They’re often made of leather, though nitrile gloves are an increasingly popular alternative. What are Beekeeping Gloves?īeekeeping gloves are one of the most common items of personal protective equipment for beekeepers. Here’s a look at why you should make the switch to disposable beekeeping gloves and how to choose the perfect disposable glove to keep you and the bees happy. So before you get busy with the hive, it helps to don a good pair of beekeeping gloves. After all, working with bees comes with the inherent risk of getting stung-and because beekeepers work with bees up close, there’s a greater risk of disrupting the bees and making them more prone to stinging. The most characteristic feature of beekeepers is the protective gear they use for their work.
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