# Nitril gloves



## Maplevalleykennel (Aug 1, 2014)

Anyone try nitril gloves instead of the old beek gloves? What thickness is necessary for the bees not to get through? 14mil?


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## richh (Sep 14, 2013)

All i use is nitrile gloves,inespensive and effective, it seems like the bees do not like to crawl on the nitrile as i usually never see bees on my hands


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## Maplevalleykennel (Aug 1, 2014)

What thickness do you use?


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## richh (Sep 14, 2013)

5 mil i believe they are quite thin and like $7 at harbor freight you can get up to 9 mil i believe but 5 suits me fine


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

give bee source a search many threads on the topic. I would work towards using no gloves. Other than getting propolis on your hands its trully the best way to work a hive imo.


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## richh (Sep 14, 2013)

burns375 said:


> give bee source a search many threads on the topic. I would work towards using no gloves. Other than getting propolis on your hands its trully the best way to work a hive imo.


i agree no gloves are the best but i HATE finger stings so I stick with nitrile...... best alternative for me....usually no veil but still wear the gloves


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Expert member Charlie B swears by these:
http://www.medline.com/jump/product/x/Z05-PF00328


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

I use the ones like the hospital staff where I work does. Seems those boxes inadvertently get thrown out from time to time. Very thin They can still sting thru them, I only use em when they get real pissy and Ive already took a few. Prefer no gloves. G


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

I get the hospital grade ones from work. The bees don't seem to mind if they are tan, blue, or purple. Thin ones tear after a hives worth of work. A good pair may last me 12 or more hives and get reworn to start next time. You will get stung through them, don't fool yourself, bees sting keepers through leather gloves all the time. But it will be your fault when you pinch a bee lifting something.


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

i use nitril i believe bees hate hair and the nitril is a smooth unnatural surface its hard for them to hold on to plus they are disposible so they dont get a build up of stinger juice on them. i dip my fingers in corn starch makes them easier to slip right on and if i'm doing a deep inspection i double them up. i still get stung but not nearly as much as i used to


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't know the thickness of the ones I use, but I would think that the thicker the better and get the size larger than you think fit your hands. That way they will go on and come off more easily and if the bees do try to sting through the nitrile they won't hit skin. I got a bunch in sets of ten pairs from a friend who got them at an auction, so they were quite inexpensive. Now I can't find where I put them and I need a new set. I may have to try the store bought ones.

I know a guy who wears what I think are rubber welders gloves. He is really rough w/ his bees.

When you are taking honey off of 40 hives and sorting combs, gloves are a necessity. when you do that w/ a small number, not so much. But, like having a lit smoker handy, whether you use it or not, having gloves to use is just a good idea. Like any tool, smoker, veil, hive tool, gloves, suit, whatever, having it handy and knowing when to use it is all part of being an experienced beekeeper. One needs to learn when using a tool isn't necessary and when it's simply the right tool to use.


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

I like Thicksters. I think they're 14 mil, tough enough to reuse repeatedly but still thin enough to feel through. easy to pull on and off.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

I am using a 6 or 7 mil nitrile glove from the automotive store. They are quite a bit tougher than surgery type. I was getting stung through those. I have been stung through these but usually if I have bee pinned between my hand and something. These are tough enough that after digging into just a few hives I will wash my hands, let the gloves drip dry and then invert to dry the sweat, then reuse.

And like sqkcrk said the next size up make them nice, not quite as hot. 

Only two issues is these are black and if I wear for more than about 10 minutes I have to drain the sweat out the fingers when done. Second issue is they are short and do not cover the wrist area well. Always checking the suit to make sure the overlap is covered or there is bare wrists exposed showing a great target for the mad bees.


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## GreenWay (Mar 30, 2014)

my gloves go on when I'm sick of hand stings. I am a member of the Lehigh Valley Beekeepers Association and there was a really funny article a couple months ago. The president, Steve Finke was doing gloveless beekeeping and got a finger sting near his wedding band which quickly swelled to the point it hurt and he could not remove the ring. He used smart quick thinking and cut it off to avoid serious problems. Since I read that article, I remove my wedding band before gloveless beekeeping


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Wow. It's a bad thing to lose a finger.


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

I'm trying some of these JOKAHOLD35.....GRIP MATERIAL ON THE GLOVES, PLASTIC SLEEVE, ELASTIC END

http://www.jokasafe.fi/en/jokaxo_35.html


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

GreenWay said:


> my gloves go on when I'm sick of hand stings. I am a member of the Lehigh Valley Beekeepers Association and there was a really funny article a couple months ago. The president, Steve Finke was doing gloveless beekeeping and got a finger sting near his wedding band which quickly swelled to the point it hurt and he could not remove the ring. He used smart quick thinking and cut it off to avoid serious problems. Since I read that article, I remove my wedding band before gloveless beekeeping


I have heard of people removing their wedding rings before certain activities..:waiting:........... never beekeeping though........ G


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

cg3 said:


> I like Thicksters. I think they're 14 mil, tough enough to reuse repeatedly but still thin enough to feel through. easy to pull on and off.


Where did you get them, Charlie?


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Where did you get them, Charlie?


Not Charlie, but a quick google search shows Thicksters at Amazon and lots of other suppliers............


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> Like any tool, smoker, veil, hive tool, gloves, suit, whatever, having it handy and knowing when to use it is all part of being an experienced beekeeper. One needs to learn when using a tool isn't necessary and when it's simply the right tool to use.


Well said


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## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

texanbelchers said:


> Wow. It's a bad thing to lose a finger.


LMAO!! That was quick! :lpf:




biggraham610 said:


> I have heard of people removing their wedding rings before certain activities..:waiting:........... never beekeeping though........ G


It's probably a good thing to remove ALL rings before doing any outside work. :no: Swelling from bee stings on a ring finger can cause loss of blood flow if the ring is ihibiting that flow and can result in one loosing a finger. From personal expeirence remove rings when working on an automobile. My Dad was helping me with my car when I was a young lad of 16....he somehow touched the battery with his wedding band. Gold is the most conductive of electricity. His wedding ring melted INSTANTLLY and burned his skin down to the bone! Long time to heal and needless to say...he had no need of a wedding ring anymore cuz it was burned into his skin permentally!!! (skin wasnt gold...just really bad scarring)


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## MT204 (May 12, 2011)

Ive tried half a dozen different brands and thickness's and have gotten stung with all of them. One thing is the stingers come out real easy. One other problem is my hands sweat like crazy with the nitril gloves on.


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