# 9 mil nitrile gloves



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

jcolon said:


> We all know how bulky typical beekeeping gloves are and how they allow no dexterity at all. Is anyone using 9mil disposable gloves successfully? By successfully I mean no stings...


i use these:

http://www.simsupply.com/SHOWA-BEST-Disposable-Gloves-9905PFXL/dp/B00SLNXYA6

they are 6 mil, and the bees can sting through them but they dont. i think it's because they can't smell your hand through them.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

If I use gloves they come from Harbor Freight tools 7 or 9 mil, bees will sting mabee and they are reuseable. If you but power in them before you put them on... Make sure the cuff is long enough...


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I switched to nitrile gloves (Ag-Vet Tru-Blue from Betterbee) last summer and it made an amazing difference in my beekeeping experience.

The bees are much calmer as I am not squishing them without knowing it. I call them my magic gloves.

Can you get stung through them? Well very occasionally, I do. But if you immediately pull the glove away in a small "tent" it pulls the sting out cleanly so it's less traumatic. I don't like to be stung - and I curse like a sailor when it happens! But I don't get upset about it any more. The gloves made all the difference to me. I can feel bees walking on my finger tips, which is kind of cool.

Try them in the spring when the bees are calmer and preoccupied. I keep leather gloves in my kit just in case something comes up, but otherwise I have used nitrile for all work since last March.

Enj.


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Bees of SC said:


> If I use gloves they come from Harbor Freight tools 7 or 9 mil, bees will sting mabee and they are reuseable. If you but power in them before you put them on... Make sure the cuff is long enough...


I use the 9 mil from Harbor Freight. Used them all season long in 2015 and love them. They are tougher than a person may think. I got stung through them one time, and it was my fault, they are reusable as well. I bought a box of them and still have over half left for this season. 

They are powder free inside and out, they WILL sweat your hands if you have them on long enough in the sun. But for my money, i'd buy again and again.


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## Fishmaster50 (Apr 30, 2015)

I use the 14 mil all last year and never got stung thru them. Worked great too. And ya you can dump out sweat from them in the summer but no stings. Seen some stingers in them but never got to me.


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

I use the 5 mil over baseball batting gloves. http://t.harborfreight.com/5-mil-nitrile-powder-free-gloves-100-pc-x-large-61359.html I may try golf gloves as they seem a better.

These tear, but you can feel well and no stings with the combo.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

I have so much propolis they stick to the frame lugs and tear before I get one colony inspected. I now use them only on the rare occasion I am handling Hopguard. If the bees are in a bad mood I get out the leather gloves, usually I am bare handed.


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## wvbeeguy (Feb 20, 2011)

i use the thin fingerless gloves that Cabelas sells for UV protection from sun- sting will occasionely get thru, but fingerless on tips lets you feel when you start pushing down on a bee and they vibrate slightly to let you know- work slower but much easier on bees and less agressive, when one stings the pheromone is released and brings more bees to that area


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I use 5 mill nitrile gloves with nothing else. When I use glove which is about 10% of the time when working with the bees,


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

I also use the 5 mil Nitrile gloves. Harbor Freight just had them on sale .. I believe it was $5.99 for a box for 100, bought 2 boxes. 

When I used to use the goatskin gauntlet gloves there were stingers hanging out of them all the time. Switching to Nitrile gloves made me slow down a bit and be much more careful in handling the frames, which was a very good thing for me. Yes, the bees can sting through them as Enj. already mentioned. But I find it rare, and it's usually my fault by getting in a hurry and pinching a bee under my finger. 

The 9 mil would work too, but the cost is probably twice as much as the 5 mil, and they really don't provide that much more protection.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

I'm looking and scratching my head asking "what are those blue things?"

I never use gloves and I've handled some very hot colonies at times. That might not work for everyone, but it does for me. There is only one time in my life that I actually wished for a full suit with thick gloves and that was to handle a very strong colony that had been blown over and was being robbed from the bottom. I tried to set the colony back up and took over 100 stings in less than a minute despite having a veritable cloud of smoke around me and the bees.

On the other hand, when I am cleaning superhot pepper seed like Bhut Jolokia or Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, I make a point to wear nitrile gloves. They save a ton of anguish from having capsaicin slowly seep through your skin and burn for hours.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

My "standard " kit is/are the harbor freight 7mil gloves over a pair of the "(brown jersey)" type cotton gloves. I would use thinner inner gloves if I could find them.
The 5 mil gloves tear very quickly , so I do not use them in the beehive. Wearing nitrile over cloth, the cloth absorbs the sweat. I keep several pair at hand & if I have to unglove, I get another set & re use the others after they have dried, but you can pull the glove on over the damp cloth glove. As a mechanic, I wear the size medium 5mil gloves, but as a beekeeper, I wear the size large 7 mil gloves over cloth. 
Only once have I been stung when I pinched a bee between my fingers.
As previously mentioned, the bees can sting through the nitrile or the cloth alone.
I have used the thicker gloves, but the 7 mil works for me. .... CE


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## KenNashua (Jan 31, 2015)

Aren't the 9mil from HF black? Thought black would irritate the bees more.


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## ToeOfDog (Sep 25, 2013)

There are three thicknesses of Harbor Freight gloves. I am not sure what the thicknesses are. Maybe 3mm, 5 mm and 9mm. The bees can sting through the thinnest and the thickest. The bees rarely will sting through them and the glove offers no protection if they want to. The thinnest will usually tear by the end of 4 deeps. The thickest wont tear. The thickest have longer wrists or gauntlets. They are a dark blue. The thinnest are a baby blue. I will consider the middle thickness next time. By the time you finish a colony or two expect to have about a 1/4 cup of sweat in each one.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

KenNashua said:


> Aren't the 9mil from HF black? Thought black would irritate the bees more.


I have black nitrile gloves that i use very rarely, usually when doing cutouts because of the sticky mess that comes with cutting and recovering the comb. The black gloves have never irritated the bees.

A different topic, i know, but i often wear a dark t shirt or dark shorts when working my bees, and the dark (including black) has never been a problem. I've read all over that black is a trigger for bees, but i have never experienced that. 




Fusion_power said:


> On the other hand, when I am cleaning superhot pepper seed like Bhut Jolokia or Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, I make a point to wear nitrile gloves. They save a ton of anguish from having capsaicin slowly seep through your skin and burn for hours.


This, and handling MAQs and such. There are uses, for certain! Working my bees i prefer barehanded, but stings don't bother me all that much. If they did, i would do more things differently.


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## michkel (Dec 1, 2012)

As I'm not brave enough yet to go bare handed, I use the rubber dishwashing gloves. I can still feel through them if I have a bee under my finger, and they are reusable for the year. I probably feel more protected than I am. One finger has a tear in the side now, and I'm still using them, so maybe I am getting braver.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

The only reason to use gloves is when you put mite treatments in the hive . I love the feeling of the bees crawling over my fingers.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I have been using 7 mil, and if 9 mil are available they will probably be my next box of disposable gloves. I use goatskin gloves most of the time, but if dexterity is required, or I'm working in someone else's hive (usually my mentor or someone I'm mentoring) I use disposable gloves so as to reduce the risk of transmitting diseases between apiaries.

Disposable nitrile gloves are good for handling formic acid, too.

I like the dexterity but the bees can sting thru them. Usually the sting is not bad as they don't manage to implant the stinger fully.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

I started using 7 mil nitrile gloves from HF. Works just fine. Only tore 1 or 2 while working with the bees and no stings. 
when that box ran out, I picked up another box of them. It turns out the box I grabbed was 5 mil. Whatever. I went with the flow. The 5 mils tear fairly easily, but taking care, they work fine. I think this fact is helping me improve my be handling technique. I've had only one sting come through the glove and it wasn't much more than a scratch.

The worst stinging incident I've had with nitrile gloves was when I was helping a pal with one of his beeyards. Wearing 5 mils, I tore one of the gloves and went to the nearby truck to get another. I removed the torn glove and wandered back to the hive stacks whle pulling on the new glove. Before I had the glove pulled over my hand 2 of the pissed off bees nailed me on my wrist and top of the hand. So now, for heavier work I will use heavier gloves or 2 layers.

Nitriles are plenty for most of the work in my small hobby apiary, and are even adequate helping in my pal's larger operation. The dexterity is well worth the drawbacks, IMO. I only rarely use my leather bee gloves anymore.


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## waspslayer (Jan 3, 2010)

I use the darker blue gloves from HF. I can't remember the mil, they are in my beemobile and if it wasn't so cold out I'd get the box to see. I use these gloves over a thin pair of nylon inspection gloves which I have had for a few seasons. I have hand washed the nylon gloves many times to get rid of the dried sweat and dirt. Since I started using this combination I haven't gotten any stings to the hands. They are thin enough to allow me to feel any bees or problems. I can also pick up Queens with these.

I have been searching for another pair of the nylon/cotton inspection gloves ever since I started using these. The inspection gloves are just about on their last leg, a few holes have developed and they are looking pretty poor. If anyone knows where I could get another few pairs of these nylon gloves I would really like to know.

Thanks.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I bought inspection gloves like that from McMaster Carr. My wife loves them.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#inspection-gloves/=10iv9iq


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## J O'Haro (Feb 4, 2014)

just smoke your hands/wrist before and every so often as you work your hives. nitrile glovels are nice to help keep hands clean, but way too hot


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

I use the harbor freight blue 5mil nitrite disposable blue gloves. 6.49 per 100. They rarely sting though them. Just throw them away when they rip. I go through a couple pairs. especially when they get sticky.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

J O'Haro said:


> nitrile glovels are nice to help keep hands clean, but way too hot


That's the main reason I use them, to keep the propolis off my hands, so it doesn't get on other things. 

The price of a box of nitrile gloves is insignificant compared to the cost of getting propolis on something valuable, and then it can't be removed. Just ask my wife. 
I'll take hot and sweaty over the alternative ... to keep the peace.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Use 7mm black gloves nitrile from NAPA labeled as mechanic's gloves. Hold up well, usually can go completely thru 15 to 20 hives, pulling every frame before i tear one. But have a short cuff. Do get stung through them occasionally but rarely does it penetrate deep, just pull glove up like tent and stinger is out. 

They are typically full of sweat in the summer, just have to dump them out.

Wash them with dish washing soap (Joy) on the outside and then rise the inside out. Hang and dry it out.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

KenNashua said:


> Aren't the 9mil from HF black? Thought black would irritate the bees more.


I have used white and black, latex and nitrile respectively, from home depot. disposable one time use. rip easily putting back frames but worked well. not sure of the mil but NEVER got stung with them. 
I had another post saying when I changed from white to black I thought I noticed increased aggressiveness. Others disputed it so I did some tests with one in white and one in black. didn't make much difference. the hive in question had just gotten hot for some reason and they jumped on both gloves when I moved any of the frames.


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## TxGypsy (Mar 17, 2012)

I use the light blue disposable mechanics gloves from Harbor Freight. The bees can sting though them, but because I can feel what I am doing I am much less likely to get stung. When the girls are cranky I double glove. I have a box in every vehicle and bee equipment building I have. When I have students come over to work bees that is one of the first things I do is make them take off the clunky leather gloves and put on a pair of the nitrile gloves.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

Mike Gillmore said:


> That's the main reason I use them, to keep the propolis off my hands, so it doesn't get on other things.
> 
> The price of a box of nitrile gloves is insignificant compared to the cost of getting propolis on something valuable, and then it can't be removed. Just ask my wife.
> I'll take hot and sweaty over the alternative ... to keep the peace.


I went from leather gloves to 9 mil rubber to none. I MUCH prefer the bare handed approach and recommend it to anyone who's not a newbee. I carry a box of individually wrapped disposable alcohol patches you buy at CVS to remove the propolis. I sweat like a pig and the gloves would fill with sweat and when my hands would get above horizontal the sweat would pour down my sleeves. I cut the finger tips to let the sweat out. Then I realized I can handle bees without gloves. I'm not brave, and the stings hurt just as much as they did when I started, though I don't swell up now. You learn quickly how to work them barehanded and feel for bees in areas you can't see into without getting stung.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

D Coates said:


> I went from leather gloves to 9 mil rubber to none. I MUCH prefer the bare handed approach and recommend it to anyone who's not a newbee. I carry a box of individually wrapped disposable alcohol patches you buy at CVS to remove the propolis. I sweat like a pig and the gloves would fill with sweat and when my hands would get above horizontal the sweat would pour down my sleeves. I cut the finger tips to let the sweat out. Then I realized I can handle bees without gloves. I'm not brave, and the stings hurt just as much as they did when I started, though I don't swell up now. You learn quickly how to work them barehanded and feel for bees in areas you can't see into without getting stung.


:thumbsup:


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

Phoebee said:


> I bought inspection gloves like that from McMaster Carr. My wife loves them.
> 
> http://www.mcmaster.com/#inspection-gloves/=10iv9iq


only $11.00 for 5 pairs, but I think it was $8.00 minimum shipping!
I guess I got a lifetime supply, I bought 2 packs.
Thanks for the link 
CE


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I too started with the goatskin and then tried the nitrile. I like the nitriles. I even started cutting the fingers off like Coates, but not for letting the sweat out. But for caging queens and her attendants. I'm sure I'll start going barehanded this spring, but there is probably times when I'll get the goatskin back out. Like on hives that I'm using for cell building, (that last one I used got nasty).


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

Mike Gillmore said:


> ...getting propolis on something valuable, and then it can't be removed...


Have you ever tried rubbing alcohol? It works quite well.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Yes, Rubbing Alcohol or Acetone work fine to get propolis off the hands. But once it gets on things like fabric it's pretty much there for good. It's so much quicker to just slip off the gloves, and I'm done. Personal preference.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Tech - I get a box of 100 for about 10 to 12 dollars. Bought them for bees, but darn they are nice for working on old engines, etc. 

Will have to look at those you have the link for.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

I ordered the" inspection" gloves to wear under the nitrile gloves. I expect them to be made of "nylon stocking" type material. I have been wearing cotton gloves under nitrile for sting protection, but the thickness is a drawback.
CE


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Please let us know the actual thickness. As a heads up, the last HF gloves I got were in a box labeled Large, but I think they are XL.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

Thicksters:
http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Safety-6603-Thickster-Textured/dp/B0002STTW0

I've done cutouts and not have them rip. 

If you get stung you will feel it, but it isn't near as bad.


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## warrior (Nov 21, 2005)

https://youtu.be/Apw_uyuoUII

Here's one of me doing it all wrong I guess. Gloveless, suitless, on a ladder, dressed in all black. 
Who knew? Only been doing this bee thing since I was 12.

I got some video on my phone doing cutouts in a kilt!

Do whatever makes you comfortable but the sooner you get to know bees the better off you'll be.


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## BigGun (Oct 27, 2011)

I used the 7 and 9 mil from harbor freight this year. Only got stung a few times thru the 7 and only when they were real testy. Never got stung thru the 9's. I'll keep my leather around for serious trouble though.


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