Cleaning leather gauntlets

Boardnashea

Hi All
I had a nice visit to my two colonies and did a good bit of tidying up. I got a bit messy, pulling ivy and weeds etc and cleaning off a good bit of brace comb (I promise to be a more regular inspector!), so now my suit is in a hot wash but I'm not sure what to do with my nice leather gauntlets.
Hand wash in cool water?
What do you do?

bpmurray

I threw them away. They're disease-spreaders and almost zero sensitivity - you can't feel the bees. I've completely gone over to latex gloves now: the bees usually don't sting them, and they protect from propolis and general stickiness and, importantly, I can scrub them between hives to hugely reduce carrying anything between hives.

Apiarist

I use either disposable latex gloves, or household cleaning gloves if I do something that would upset bees more than the usual inspection. I have not thrown the leather gauntlets I got as a beginner away -- they are useful when cutting brambles and for other similar jobs.

Danzy

Use gloves I got for handling farm chemicals, like thicker marigolds, easy to eash between each hive.

Will try latex this year.

copper12

Quick fix for leather gloves
Having had a hole develop in the thumb of my glove
This is the fix I came up with; works well
And will get another season out of them

Danzy

bpmurray wrote: »

I threw them away. They're disease-spreaders and almost zero sensitivity - you can't feel the bees. I've completely gone over to latex gloves now: the bees usually don't sting them, and they protect from propolis and general stickiness and, importantly, I can scrub them between hives to hugely reduce carrying anything between hives.

Marigolds, lighter gloves etc, the bees don't sting them.

People are often apprehensive about that.

Rougebladez

Yellow or Light blue Marigolds.

Flipperdipper

Next time you're passing a farm supply shop go in and get a box of blue nitrile gloves that farmers use for milking. Cheap and cheerful, the bees don't attack them anything like the leather ones and when you can't clean them any more just grab a fresh pair.

Rougebladez

If you need to wash the heavy gloves I've been told to use Soda Crystals on my course.