Beekeeping: How To Reduce Your Chances Of Being Stung!

[@Blackswan19874]

Thanks for your well done videos Dave ! My wife and I started beekeeping 8 years ago and when we first started neither of us were allergic to the stings so we started up a cottage industry based on our honey and bi-products . However about 3 years ago I became anaphylactic to the stings . An old school Allergist told me to take two Benadryls every time I went out to work our bees and have a back up Epi -pen . Of course now I wear an oversized Beesuit ( ventilated) but with pants and heavy tee shirt under the suit . It’s been a little over 4 years now and by Gods grace I’m still doing what I love , but at 68 I’m mentoring our son to take over in another five years ! Oh , also double gloves ! 😂. It can be done

[@beek]

What a tropper!

[@anthonypeterson3112]

Bee stings make me feel like I just had 2 glasses of wine, get a litte buzz

[@beek]

Interesting.

[@anthonypeterson3112]

@beek not really, just couldn't resist the chance at a bad pun

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

The bane of my existence! Regular leather gloves usually have fingers that are too long for my hand; nitrile gloves are better, but oh boy, my hands gets sweaty.

[@darlenebradley6756]

Apply some cornstarch based powder (unscented) to your hands...it won't prevent sweating, but it does help.

[@beek]

I can get so much more work done faster when I wear my yellow or rubber gloves.

[@CrazyIvan865]

Tip 6, spend some time around the hives meditating and getting into a calm state of mind. Leave work at work, leave bills where bills go, leave family stuff back at the house. Be Zen. Tip 7: have no fear, anxiety, angst, frustration, stress, etc. You know how they say dogs can small fear? Well bees olfactory sense is much stronger than that of a dog's. And they communicate through pheremones. Humans still emit various pheremones based on the chemical reactions and hormones going through the bloodstream. So if you're afraid, they're afraid. If you're stressed, they're stressed. If you're angry, they're angry. Keep calm, and hive on.

[@beek]

I've found this to also be true.

[@AstralWalker316]

Another great video. I've been funneling people to your videos from multiple bee pages. I find that most every question asked in these forums you've made a video on. You're getting very positive reviews there. 👍 Thanks again to you, Sheri & the team.

[@beek]

Thanks for sharing our videos with others. I appreciate it.

[@gaellach]

Love that you recommend wearing the full suit, way ahead of you there as I will be wearing all the time when I get started. Hate being stung.

[@beek]

No reason to act all tough and cool. Just suit up and be comfortable.

[@ChanceHubbell]

Always good seeing you David. Thank you.

[@beek]

Thanks!

[@hamishlovesit4731]

Really important to realise that as a beekeeper you build up a tolerance but that can change and what would usually wouldn't normally bother you can put you on your arse .. without warning you become sensitised .

[@beek]

Yup, we can have a bad reaction, any time.

[@TimSanders-v7m]

Lovin new Bobble Head David!

[@beek]

Thanks!

[@jayglosser2014]

David THANKS for the heads up on bee stings. Well it got to 60 degrees today but the next 4 days NOT GOOD, expecting low 30's to mid 40's, rain, and 1 to 3 inches of snow by Thursday night. So, I have decided to keep the hive insolation on until next weekend.

[@beek]

Yup, I'm holding course as well.

[@jayglosser2014]

At sunrise snow flakes, currently drizzling, bees are staying home. HAVE A GREAT DAY 👍

[@earlharris571]

I finished inspecting my hives yesterday and took off my veil to clear an area near the hive to prepare for new hives. I guess I pissed off one of the girls and she stung my forehead. My forehead began swelling and by the next morning both eyes were swollen shut. Getting stung while inspecting the hive sucks, but getting stung away from the hive is worse.

[@beek]

Ouch!

[@WildwoodsBeekeeping]

Nice video David, good tips to reducing the chances of being stung. Hope you had a great Easter David :) have a great day

[@brianpetrocine294]

I don't like getting stung but I swear it has greatly improved my hand arthritis. Brian Petrocine

[@jamesbarron1202]

I went out this afternoon to put tie down straps on my horizontal hives because high wind storms are coming tonite and one hive was all over me. I even stood on the back side of them. I put Apiguard on them 2 days ago and I guess that’s got them agitated.

[@zhodge0]

Your videos are very helpful to me. My wife's hobby has become my chore and I need all the help I can get.

[@beek]

Glad to help

[@chuckroast7053]

Mr. Burns, I have been stung in the finger tip area, and those type of stings, hurt like a son of a gun! I felt your pain all the way here in Ca.

[@beek]

I got stung on my arm next to my arm bit on the bottom of my arm and that was more painful than the finger. The worst for me once was the temple.

[@Meghhon]

Thank you for another great video! I think your book mentions banana smells too, (sorry if I am wrong) which I thought was so interesting! Love the new bobble head!!

[@beek]

I made a video answering your question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJ3cgIh4mdyjg8Usi=aYNzvSGhtpoM40NJ

[@PatrickCoste]

Getting my 1st hives in few weeks. This is priceless info!! I’m very excited, borederline stressed haha the line is very thin haha

[@beek]

These tips will definitely help you!

[@arthurmccutchan7000]

Thanks for the good info

[@beek]

Any time!

[@timmaskell344]

Hi Dave I'm from BC Canada, just wondering if you could make more short videos with good advice and methods for being a good beekeeper.

[@beek]

Thanks, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for watching. And be sure to join our livestream every Thursday 7pm CST, here's the link: www.honeybeesonline.com/live/

[@philiphearn9297]

Great video. My view is that unless you are super experienced you should always wear a suit. Having 10,000 bees all trying to sting you at the same time is just somewhere you don't want to be.

[@beek]

With the exception of the Africanized honey bee, most bee colonies will not try to sting you in great numbers. But when in doubt, where a suit and gloves.

[@Robbie-Rob_Bees_Apiary]

do suites retain attack pheromone? should they be washed / sprayed?

[@beek]

Probably, and washing would help, but I doubt if many experienced beekeepers would do that. I never wash my suits or gloves.

[@rosswagner9083]

Is the upcoming Cicada hatch going to be anything of bee concern?

[@beek]

Nope, bees just ignore them and carry on as usual. Thanks for watching. And be sure to join our livestream every Thursday 7pm CST, here's the link: www.honeybeesonline.com/live/

[@SIBEEMAN]

Cool “older and improved” bobble head David. Where do we get one made? I would like to get one for a friend….

[@beek]

Sheri has them made up. Are you wanting one of me, or have one made of someone else?

[@SIBEEMAN]

Though yours is great, I would like one made of another beekeeper.

[@djskeez313]

4th year beek, and I consistently get stung. sucks. i get in zen mode, smoke em, play jazz, wear the suit (zipper broke 2nd day I had it 😢) Pro tip: find broad leaf or thin Plantain (it’s not a weed!) chew it and put the poultice on your sting and it will go away quick!! miracle plant

[@beek]

I've heard that before but have never tried it.

[@KatiesBaeBees]

Ugh I swear I could feel it 😂😂😂 2:00

[@LordPenny95]

I use cow milking gloves normal rubber gloves like latex but stronger and thicker

[@beek]

Good tip! Thanks for watching. And be sure to join our livestream every Thursday 7pm CST, here's the link: www.honeybeesonline.com/live/

[@MiguelMartinez-bf5nk]

best way to avoid stuns, wear the proper equipment and protect them, remember when they sting, they died.

[@yureopaquito2093]

It is really bad to be stung was your finger tips it was painful but being stung from the nose was the worst it's the painful 😣 feeling you don't know what to do having teary eyes, itchy , runny nose and the feeling you want to sneeze but you can't Im not really comfortable wearing bee suit during inspection but for harvesting honey i am using bee suit since the bee's are more defensive during honeyflow

[@beek]

I remember a friend got stung in the nose. Ouch

[@darlenebradley6756]

Wear a suit! I do, but only since I had a reaction that sent me to the hospital in a life squad....now, I'm never without my trusty epi-pen! If you can afford it, I would encourage everyone to talk their MD about a script for one of these life savers. If you don't have a bonafide allergy, you probably won't get your insurance company to cover it and have to pay the full price (they are pretty expensive). But it's worth having one on hand for yourself, or anyone else who may be around your yard, in the event of a serious reaction. It's important to know that you can develop an allergy over time with repeated stings. You should also have Benadryl on hand, at the very least. If you have a sting, and begin having a reaction, the faster you get some Benadryl on board, the better off you'll be.

[@beek]

Better safe than sorry.

[@mapache_del_sur]

I am always completely suited. We have a lot of crossbreeding with local Texas bees here, and they have some African genes. One of my coworkers doesn’t put on gloves until he gets stung about 30 times. I mean, just walking out to the yard they will come out. I had one sting me in the face the other day and I was probably 50 feet from the hives. This probably sounds like I am exaggerating to some of you. Texas bees are not nice. These are domesticated bees too. My boss tries to act tough without a suit and ends up regretting it almost every time.

[@beek]

Indeed!

[@brendajenkins5264]

I got stung at about the same spot last week. And yes, that is a sensitive spot..

[@beek]

Indeed

[@patrickmcauley151]

New bubble head Dave looks like a formula 1 driver 😅

[@beek]

Exactly, my father-n-law said I was in my pajamas.

[@iditarod4081]

And don't wear black and red, the universal colors of danger. Got stung 6x in seconds going into a hive with red/black workgloves.

[@beek]

I've been able to wear black shirts in my hives, but I don't recommend it.

[@angelooliveri1838]

got only 3 stings all of last year,, 2 were my fault, pressed on the bee by mistake and one got me out of the blue mowing the lawn 50 yards from the hive,, go figure,,

[@beek]

Yup, I usually have a few hives that hate the mower noise.

[@chrisgcrane5217]

Stings do hurt,depending on where your stung & wether its a honeybee or type of wasp etc,but how are you going to be/react if those asian giant hornets show up

[@beek]

I'm prepared with some specialized traps I've made for my hives if necessary.

[@virgilcrites8906]

Tip 6 wear gloves

[@beek]

That was Tip #3 in the video 👍

[@timan2039]

Skip rawhide as the ladies don’t seem to care for it.

[@beguileme8201]

I was just stung on Saturday through my gloves on the wrist. The worst is the itching last night & today. I have a hive of very "spicy" ladies.