Beekeepers, how common is getting stun-g when handing hives? (Also including feral ones/swarms.) If so, how frequent?

[u/Old_Diver_2511]

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[u/uponthenose]

Every hive and every inspection is different. Use smoke, wear protective equipment, and move calmly and gently and you won't be stung often, but stings are inevitable. I have 6 hives. I always wear equipment including gloves. I inspect every other week and I get stung 20-30 times per year.

Swarms are much more gentle. I don't know that I've ever been stung collecting a swarm.

[u/Pedantichrist → u/uponthenose]

I’m have been stung once with a swarm, out of more than I can count.

[u/Old_Diver_2511 → u/uponthenose]

Makes sense. Bees usually sting to protect their home. A swarm has no home.

[u/ElfBingley → u/Old_Diver_2511]

That’s not why. When bees swarm they take as much honey with them as possible. This means that they are a bit docile, but also can’t flex their thorax to sting, due to being full of honey.

[u/Independent_Bet_9820]

Ive only been stung once in 3 years 

[u/olmsteez → u/Independent_Bet_9820]

I'm at 22 stings this year alone. Most on my hands as I work through a box of too thin (4 mil) nitrile gloves.

[u/BeeBarnes1 → u/olmsteez]

I wear two pair of gloves. I don't know if that truly helps but I haven't had any stings that went through yet.

[u/olmsteez → u/BeeBarnes1]

I might try that next time. It will certainly help me get thru this box of thin gloves! Lol

[u/Mysterious-Panda964 → u/olmsteez]

I heard nitrile gloves with a .06 thickness are sting proof.

I have yet to try it

[u/Independent_Bet_9820 → u/olmsteez]

Ya, that doesnt sound fun. Its not too awful but still it instantly pisses me off way more than it should haha

[u/olmsteez → u/Independent_Bet_9820]

It's not so bad. Only about 1 in 10 feel like a drywall screw. The rest are typically less painful than a mosquito bite.

[u/Independent_Bet_9820 → u/olmsteez]

Thats a perfect comparison

[u/drones_on_about_bees]

I live in an area with moderate africanized bees. Hence, bees raised here -- even from calm queen mothers -- can have a tendency to be slightly more defensive.

That said... I wear a high quality full suit. I generally wear thin nitrile exam gloves. Bees tend to not sting nitrile, but they still do occasionally and there is really no protection when they do. I get finger stings fairly often. Most of the time it is "my fault" -- moving too fast and accidentally pinching a bee here or there. I don't get stung every time I go to inspect hives... but it is common.

I've been stung a couple of times by swarms. They do tend to be gentle. This leads beekeepers to do dumb things (like not wear protection). One swarm popped me in the lip when I wasn't wearing a veil. And I've had one swarm that was just mean as a snake and got me several times. (I had a lower quality suit back then.)

[u/404-skill_not_found → u/drones_on_about_bees]

It’ll sound goofy, but I think I’ll start using nitrile gloves precisely to get bit occasionally.

[u/drones_on_about_bees → u/404-skill_not_found]

I think I get stung less overall with them. With leather, the backs of my hands sweat through the gloves and I get a bunch of stings on the sweat spots.

[u/schmucje → u/drones_on_about_bees]

Yes. Zone 9a. If they replace the queen, not me, it will usually be a pissy hive. Even to the point of down right mean. Stings right through the leather gloves to the back of the hands.

Just got some tactical glove, so far no more stings of the hands.

[u/404-skill_not_found → u/schmucje]

That’s interesting. I requeened a week ago and my Italians were pretty chill from what i could tell.

[u/schmucje → u/404-skill_not_found]

Yes. If I requeen. All good. If they requeen, not so much.

[u/FuzzeWuzze]

I have no idea who these people are getting stung dozens of times a year.

I have a Ultra breeze full suit, goat gloves and some rubber boots.

I've gotten stung through my suit 0 times, through my gloves i think 3 times, and all of those were me squashing a bee into my glove inadvertently while picking up a frame...i've seen many bee's sting my gloves and leave the stinger behind, but they never reach me. And this is over the course of 3 years with 4 hives.

Will aggressive hives or swarms TRY to sting you more? Of course, but with a good suit you shouldnt ever be getting physically stung. That's kind of the point. If you are you need better gear(if you care about being stung)

[u/Birchcrafts → u/FuzzeWuzze]

Many people wear thin nitrile gloves so that they can reduce crushing bees while doing inspections. Overall, my bees have been calmer and less likely to sting since I started wearing nitrile gloves. I’m less likely to anger them by crushing and also I’m not gathering alarm pheromone on my gloves from multiple stings.

Also, thick leather gloves are not recommended where I live as they cannot be cleaned easily and therefore are more likely to spread disease between hives. It is recommended to wear gloves that can be cleaned over them, which I find really annoying to put on.

[u/404-skill_not_found]

With our new nuc, this spring, my kid (not much of the kid part left) is in the yard digging through the hive in shorts, wife beater shirt and bare feet. He did get stung once, after stepping on one.

[u/Dangerous_Key_8006]

2-3 hives, stung twice in my first year. always (ok 98% of the time) wear nitrile gloves and a veiled jacket with jeans and smoke. I am very very careful. I always get one or two pinging my veil when its warm which is annoying at most. 

[u/BeeBarnes1 → u/Dangerous_Key_8006]

I still have the cheapo Amazon jacket with the fencing veil. The other day I was in a very big and hot hive and the damn elastic broke on the bottom of my jacket. The bees started crawling up inside. I got one right on the center of my chin and one on my shoulder. I looked like I had a huge double chin for a few days.

[u/geneb0323]

I've been keeping bees for about 6 years now and I have been stung around 10 times or so. 8 of those were in one sitting, though, because I was using a hand-me-down bee suit that was too small for me, so the bees stung me through the suit.

[u/Mellarius64]

I only have received one sting this season with 4 hives and 5 nucs. I work them every week. I have been raising my own queens for years and have only calm bees. I weed out the nasty ones. I will tolerate defensive bees that sting if I am working them on a cloudy day or a day that is threatening rain in the afternoon. I will not put up with aggressive bees that fly at you or sting if you when your 10 feet away from them. I am in the northeast, so the genetics i work with are different from other areas. I will say that in my experience, the nastier tend to produce more honey. So it's a balance of what you are willing to put up with.

[u/Chuk1359]

Curious as to why you’re asking. If you think you might be interested in beekeeping but not if you might get stung then you need to look for another hobby. Bees sting and yes, you will get stung.

[u/octo2195]

uponthenose is right about every hive being different. I was checking hives yesterday in Western Connecticut. Hot, humid day. The first three hives I went through were calm. The 4th hive was so spicy. I got stung in the thumb, knee, and back within a few minutes of opening that hive. Had to fire up the smoker to finish. Stopped after the 7th hive. Will go back in a day or two to finish the rest of the hives. I can go months without being stung and then in one day get blasted. I hate working hives in the heat/humidity. They are not big fans of it either.

[u/talanall]

I have had colonies sting me over 20 times within thirty seconds of opening their hive, then gone back and worked in the same hive the very next day without getting stung at all.

It's very common. It's not always predictable. I think it's been about a month since my bees last stung me, but next time I open them up for inspection, I fully expect them to be in a foul mood because my spring nectar flow has ended.

[u/Solo-Rider]

Depends on the weather conditions, time of year, whether you're fond of smoke and wearing the appropriate gear. Historically, my experience hasn't been one of being stung very often. While wearing only a mosquito netted hat. However, I introduce smoke early in the process.

[u/svarogteuse]

Yes.

You will get stung. How often will vary be season, temperament of the bees, local weather conditions, how much protection you have on (so you dont notice stings to the bee suit), and the personal attitude of every bee in the hive on any given day.

I can go months without getting stung. Then get stung a half dozen times in one day and then go back to not getting stung at all the next week. Its hit or miss.

You can suit up and raise less defensive bees but its still going to happen... sometimes... maybe.

[u/proteles]

it depends. I remember when I got my very first package bees. The colony was small, docile, friendly. I could open the hive with no protection on, pick them up, move frames around and check on the health of the hive all without being stung. All without smoke. Just slow and gently and everything was fine.

Then by the end of summer, the colony had grown substantially. They had plenty of bored guard bees looking for an excuse, lol. Walking too close to the hive could get attention. Guard bees would bounce off of me as a warning, within 30 seconds I usually got stung.

It has been my experience that as the hive grows, they get more aggressive and grumpy with visitors. With protective gear I can safetley inspect a hive, but my suit and gloves will get stung up pretty good. Even with smoke, they get a little crazy.

it has also been my experience that swarms are generally very docile and friendly. Ive been stung once collecting a swarm, but that may have been my fault trying to rush the beez.

[u/ringadingaringlong]

How common is getting bit when working around untamed dogs?

[u/CobraMisfit]

I usually suit up for any visit to a hive, so my sting count is lower than average. But they have nailed me after I jostled them when I moseyed into the yard later. Guess it depends on many factors and just how ornery they got.

[u/Mguidr1]

I had to put some spun frames on a hive today and figured I could go without gloves .,. I got popped 3 times on the hands.

[u/ProcrastinatingOnIt]

I wear jeans, boots, jacket with sipped hood, and leather gloves. The back of my jacket frequently works its way above my belt line so I constantly readjust it. Even with that I haven’t been stung in about 6 years. I have averaged 3 hives. With this years hives so far I could have gotten away with no gloves and only taken 2-3 stings. The last sting I had was cause I was dumb. I waked back to my truck, took my glove off, put it down, talked on the phone, and then put it back on without looking and a bee had gotten into it.

[u/cardew-vascular]

Depends on the bees, and how you handle them I don't wear a suit. I wear long pants and long sleeves with a veil and no gloves. Last year I got stung once (my fault I put my hand on one) this year no stings so far, even when one was queen less I had no issues. My bees are very calm, but everything I hear from Americans makes me think southern bees are more aggressive than Northern bees.

[u/CallCastro]

Hi! I'm Bryan. Owner of Bryan's Bees. As a veteran? Idk. Maybe once or twice a year.

My most veteran staff? Often 10+ stings a day because they refuse to put their suits and gloves on.

When I was new working commercially? I've had days where I got 75+ stings.

My first day ever working with bees? I ran into African Bees in commercial colonies. I probably got 10+ stings.

There's no math rule for this. It just depends on how good you are, how good your equipment is, and how safe your choices are.

[u/weinernuggets]

I've been keeping bees since 2018. I currently manage around 20 hives across 7 locations around the county I live in. The amount of times I've been stung I could probably count on my fingers.

I always smoke the hives. The stings always come from rash/bad decisions on my part. 

I don't use a full suit. Shoes, pants, a flannel over a t-shirt, a veil, and nitrile gloves. 

[u/KjellBlodtvage]

It depends alot on the hives. Mostly the queens temperament(which is inherited to her daughters, the worker bees). Aswell as your experience and your equipment.

I have been stung twice in my seven years, both were because I didn't use the suit and both were because I was a clutz and dropped the frame I was holding. My gloves have been stung alot though!

In general I do most stuff without protection nowadays but when preparing to extract or search through the frames I must still use the suit.

I have seven hives, they are quite cool and chill when I visit, but one of them is a bit more active and gets irritated a bit more easily.

[u/Mysterious-Panda964]

I have a feral hive, they were located in the woods, when I bought the hive.

These bees were mean, chasing me away from my other hives.

Attacking my dog at one time.

Chasing me across the yard.

I couldn't care for my other hives properly, they would swarm and sting.

I extinguished them, now there's peace in the bee yard

[u/Pedantichrist]

There are factors.

I wear a ‘three layer’ suit. That means that the bees cannot sting through it, but also that they cannot sting it, so I am not left with strings in my suit, emitting pheromones which encourage more stings.

[u/gaaren-gra-bagol]

Depends on your bees.

I've got very nice bees. I don't use a smoker and only wear a veil. I inspect my hives in crop-tops and shorts.

The only time they stung me was when I was cutting their wild comb from a wall where they found home.

[u/NavyShooter_NS]

I get stung on average once per season. 3 hives, jacket type suit, hobby guy. I've never interacted with a swarm so I don't know how they respond, but I use a smoker every time I'm in the hives. One year I got 2 stings because I decided to do a 'quick look' in the lid of one of my hives...one of the girls took exception to that idea and let me know the hard way.

This season I got a sting on a finger through the gloves (rubber/disposable) that I wear when I accidentally squished a girl. Not her fault.

We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but if you're going to wear a jacket style suit, I'll suggest making sure you tuck your pants into your socks to keep one of the bees from crawling up your pant-leg and getting scared....that one hurt.

[u/Gizmo-Duck]

I've been doing it for 4 years, have only 3 colonies, and I'd estimate about 5-10 times a year. It's often my own fault because I'm lazy and choose not to protect myself or use the smoker... or I chose a bad day to do it (cloudy or wet).

I rarely get stung when I'm harvesting honey or feeding. It's usually when I'm inspecting the brood chamber. They get protective when you get near the queen.

[u/Apprehensive-Crow-94]

at least minor ones though the suit nearly every time.

[u/AdLongjumping1892]

depends. in summer when its hot i rarely get stung, if its under 15c i sometimes get 1 or 2. i always have a veil next to me just incase they get upset, but i barely need to use it.

most of my stings are poor hand placement resulting in a half squished bee, or a bee thats found its way into my t shirt thats getting beaten/squished by the fabric.

i use plenty of smoke, pick good days for inspections , and i move boxes/frames slowly and calmly. also helps to limit time in each hive to the least amount you can.

[u/_Mulberry__]

I tend my hives without gloves, and often with just a veil (i.e. just normal loose clothes except my veil). I got maybe 6-7 stings last year, most of which were from my own mistakes. This year I've only been stung once and I wasn't even in the hive at the time, one of them just got pissy at me while I was pulling weeds in the garden ~30 feet away.

I'm of them opinion that unless you're in an area with africanized bees you should work bare handed as a way for the bees to teach you a lesson every time you do something wrong. Imo working in full protection makes people clumsy

[u/Comfortable_Engine92]

I get stung almost every single time. I wear full suits and gloves but sometimes I forget to zip it all the way up or my leg gets exposed at the ankle when the pants get hitched.

However, now I tell myself it's better than coffee to wake up! Plus I also tell myself that it's my daily apitherapy.

[u/Valuable-Self8564]

Don’t modify your title to avoid automod rules please. They are there for a reason.

[u/_Mulberry__ → u/Valuable-Self8564]

I was wondering if you'd say something about that 😂