How to reduce the likelihood of getting stung
Every once in a while we have customers reach out to us to say that they are getting stung while wearing our gloves or other gear. We are always disappointed to hear that, since after all, our goal is to bring more joy to beekeeping, …and getting stung isn’t all that joyous.
Despite what our attention-seeking, dramatic headline of this post might insinuate, getting stung is a part of beekeeping that is inevitable. If you keep bees, you will get stung. Our goal is to reduce the number of times that it happens to the point that it’s quite rare.
No matter what any company tells you, there are no real “sting-proof” products of any kind on the market (well, other than those uncomfortable wasp suits that cost over $500). To explain what that’s the case, we have a great article on “what makes something sting-proof” in our blog section on our website. I highly recommend reading that if you haven’t already.
The first thing to consider is: “why are your bees trying to sting you in the first place?” How you approach your bees, when you choose to work with them, and how often you “bother” them, fall into a category that I call “technique.” Call it your “management style” or whatever, the way you handle your bees is the biggest factor in how likely you are to get stung. This is a long complex topic, but it’s one that every beekeeper should understand very well. …and it’s one that I’ve noticed that few beekeepers really do understand. Here is a link to an excellent video by David Burns with some tips on reducing bee stings: https://youtu.be/9K4mghkfuos?si=Z2aDZTINY60yUDY0 For even more details on improving your technique with bees, I recommend this video by Randy Oliver: https://youtu.be/yyQgQWoJRwY?si=JvLPEur9EH2qFleB
I highly recommend stopping what you’re doing and watching this video right away. These techniques will solve 90% of what is probably causing your bees to want to sting you so much.
Another problem that I run into, especially with hobbyist beekeepers, is genetics. My experience comes more from commercial beekeeping where aggressive hives are dealt with quickly (by re-queening) to keep overly aggressive traits under control. Since creating Apis Tactical, I’ve spoken with several backyard beekeepers who can no longer even go out in their back yards, even on nice sunny days when the bees should be busy and docile. This is a sign that aggressive or even wild/Africanized genetics have made their way into your colonies.
No beekeeping gloves, suits, or veils are going to correct this problem. If you are facing this, please get help to get your colony’s genetics straightened out as soon as possible. Overly aggressive colonies are accidents waiting to happen.
Another interesting rookie mistake that can cause bees to sting more than usual, one that I’ve witnessed when a new beekeeper sent in a video, …is flailing or making sudden movements with your hands while near or working with bees. Slow, deliberate, calm motions are what you need to focus on when working with bees. Again, that video linked above talks about this. In other words, don’t try to flick or shake bees off of your hands, it just makes every bee within sight of you want to sting you.
Bees, as you know, operate on scent (sensing molecules in the air). Once you’ve been stung a time or two in a certain spot, all the bees in the vicinity are going to have an irresistible urge to also sting you. That’s just the way they are programmed. This is likely what is going on when several bees are going after your gloves for example.
While the alarm pheromones go away after a while, it wouldn’t hurt to smoke your gloves right away after they’ve been stung and then later wash them and re-smoke them.
Finally as our blog article on “What makes something sting-proof” describes, how your glove is sized and how it fits can determine how often bees can sting through your gloves. Again, the fact that bees are frequently trying to sting you actually relates more-so to your technique (see the Randy Oliver video linked above).
Traditional/Old-fashioned beekeeping gloves are worn loosely since bees can sting through leather. It’s the loose fit and movement that reduces bee stings through leather gloves. Apis Tactical beekeeping gloves are the first beekeeping gloves that can be worn tighter for better dexterity. However, if you are getting stung frequently while wearing Apis Tactical gloves (and you are unable to improve your technique or your bees’ genetics), you may wish to consider a loose fit and opt for a larger size.
Many beekeepers end up owning 2 different models of Apis Tactical gloves. One tighter-fitting pair of our PRO model and one loose-fitting pair of our Heavy Duty model. This will allow for the dexterity of the PRO model on nice days while doing inspections. The Heavy Duty model can be used for when more protection is needed, like when you are harvesting and the bees are just not happy about it.
I hope these tips help reduce the number of times you get stung and increase the amount of joy you get from beekeeping.
-Jeff Heyd
Founder and CEO of Apis Tactical
