Every once in a while, customers reach out to us to say they’ve been stung while wearing our beekeeping gloves or other protective gear. Anytime we hear this, we genuinely feel disappointed — because our entire mission at Apis Tactical is to bring more joy and confidence to your beekeeping experience. And let’s be honest: as much as we love the craft, getting stung is never the highlight of anyone’s day.
Despite what our attention-getting headline may suggest, beekeeping and bee stings go hand in hand. If you keep bees long enough, youwill get stung. That’s simply part of the job. But the real goal — and the reason we design high-performance, sting-resistant gear — is to reduce those stings to the point that they’re rare and manageable.
No matter what any company says, there’s no such thing as truly sting-proof gear. (The only exceptions are rigid wasp suits that cost over $500 and are wildly uncomfortable.) If you want to understand why that is, we’ve written a full companion article called“What Makes Beekeeping Gear Sting-Resistant?” which breaks down the science in simple terms.
Still, when someone is stungthrough their gloves or suit, the cause is almost always related to something happening in the hive or during handling. Let's break down the key factors.
1. Start With the Real Question: Why Are Your Bees Trying to Sting You?
Your overall approach — your technique — has more influence on stings than any other factor. How you move, how calm you are, how often you disturb the hive, and even the time of day all impact how bees respond.
In fact, the likelihood of getting stung while wearing even the best beekeeping gloves is overwhelmingly tied to:
-
Sudden movements
-
Crushing or pinching bees accidentally
-
Flicking or shaking bees off your hands
-
Working bees when weather conditions make them testy
-
Opening hives too frequently
One newer beekeeper sent us a video wearing our gloves that perfectly illustrated this:
Every single sting followed a fast hand-flick meant to shake off bees.
-
Fast movements = danger
Danger = defensive response
Defensive response = stings -
Move slowly. Stay deliberate.
Let bees walk off naturally whenever possible.
There are a lot of great beekeeping videos out there. Here are just a few examples:
David Burns — Reducing Stings:
https://youtu.be/9K4mghkfuos?si=Z2aDZTINY60yUDY0
Randy Oliver — Bee Behavior & Handling:
https://youtu.be/yyQgQWoJRwY?si=JvLPEur9EH2qFleB
These techniques alone will solve nearly90% of sting-related problems.
2. Genetics: A Silent Source of Aggression
For hobbyist beekeepers especially, genetics can play a huge role. In commercial operations, overly aggressive colonies are quickly re-queened to prevent dangerous traits from spreading. …but backyard hives often go longer without genetic refreshes.
If any of these sound familiar, genetics may be the issue:
-
Bees challenging you as soon as you enter the yard
-
Bees head-butting or pinging your veil
-
Stinging even on warm, sunny foraging days
-
Defending the hive from 20+ feet away
No gloves, suit, or veil can compensate for extremely defensive genetics.
If this describes your hives, please get help re-queening. Aggressive colonies are accidents waiting to happen.
3. Alarm Pheromones: Why One Sting Turns Into Many
Bees communicate through scent. When you’re stung, that area becomes a target for every bee nearby.
This often causes people to believe their gloves are failing — when it’s actually apheromone hotspot.
If you’re stung:
-
Smoke your gloves immediately
-
Wash and re-smoke them later
-
Allow them to fully air out before your next hive day
This breaks the cycle and prevents cluster stinging.
4. Fit Matters: How Your Gloves Sit on Your Hands Changes Everything
Your glove size directly affects sting resistance.
Traditional leather gloves must be worn loose to create distance between the bee and your skin. But that looseness sacrifices dexterity, which leads to more crushed bees — which leads to more stings.
Apis Tactical gloves are engineered differently:
-
They can be worn snugwithout losing sting resistance
-
They maintain better structure during gripping
-
They resist compression more effectively
-
They offer unmatched dexterity for hive inspections
But if stings persistand technique is good, moving up a size may help create the looser buffer zone needed for certain colonies.
Many beekeepers ultimately use two pairs:
PRO Gloves (Tighter Fit):
For inspections and high-precision work.
Heavy Duty Gloves (Looser Fit):
For defensive colonies, honey harvesting, or stormy days.
This gives you the flexibility to match your gloves to your bees’ temperament.
5. Full Body Bee Suits Matter Too — Here’s Why
A full body bee suit isn’t just fabric — it’s a protective system.
Suit design affects:
-
Whether fabric collapses against your skin
-
Airflow and cooling
-
Pressure distribution
-
How bees interact with your clothing
Apis Tactical suits are built to:
-
Maintain the crucial 3 mm+ spacing
-
Resist collapse even when bending or lifting
-
Reinforce high-contact areas
-
Ventilate at a high level to keep you calm and steady
A cooler beekeeper moves more slowly and deliberately — and gets stung far less.
7. Beekeeping Gear Must Be Used Correctly
Sting-resistant gear works best when:
-
It fits properly
-
It maintains spacing
-
It's not pressed firmly against the skin
-
It’s clean and free of alarm pheromones
-
It’s combined with slow, calm handling
Most stings happen because the gear:
-
Was worn too tight
-
Was pressed too hard against a hive or surface
-
Collapsed at the elbows, knees, or torso
-
Wasn’t washed after repeated stings
-
Had pheromones absorbed into the fabric
High-quality gear isessential — but it must be used, worn, and maintained properly.
Final Thoughts
Beekeeping is one of the most rewarding hobbies out there. With the right combination of technique, genetics, and properly used gear, stings become the exception rather than the rule.
Our mission at Apis Tactical is simple:
Help you enjoy your bees more — and get stung less.
–Jeff Heyd, Founder & CEO, Apis Tactical
