Hello All Perhaps as a relatively newcomer to the craft (this is my second year), I can give my short experience of bee stings to date, and what I do to try to minimise them. I work the bees without gloves unless they are in a vicious mood, and it is necessary to keep on working them, in which case I will wear gloves (at that stage usually on well stung hands!, and possibly with a few bees trapped inside the gloves to add to my woes!). The stings hurt no less than on my first day, but the swelling is certainly less. I am of the opinion that the mental attitude of the beekeeper has a lot of influence on this particular aspect of beekeeping. I believe that each time I handle a hive there is a good possibility that I will be stung, but I normally behave so as to minimise this possibility. However, I sometimes like to obtain a few stings for what I believe has therapeutic benefit, but this belief is not shared by many of my beekeeping friends, many of whom who see bee stings as something to be assiduously avoided. I use vaseline liberally on all hive surfaces which touch. This has a marvellous effect, since it makes it so easy to open up the hive without causing vibration which really antagonises the bees. (I will liberally apply vaseline to all of my hives again next spring). Sometimes the vaseline allows me to get in and get out quickly without the bees being aware of my presence. When the hive is open, work quickly and with attention. Pay attention to where your fingers are touching the hive parts and the bees. This will save bees from being crushed. Ignore any bees which crawl on your hands or fingers, except to avoid crushing them. If a bee is on your hand for a few seconds and has not stung you, chances are that it won't, unless it is in danger of being crushed. Avoid moving your hands quickly over the supers or brood boxes. Rapid movement really annoys them. And do not cause any vibration, no banging crown boards or roofs against the hive, or tramping around the hives, they cannot hear, but they certainly respond badly to vibration. I once asked an experienced beekeeper how to avoid crushing bees and he replied - 'Move your hands more slowly than the bees move'. Someone once described the correct movement of a beekeeper as like the slow motion we sometimes see on TV broadcasts. If things get too hectic, I try to recognise that the bees are just not in form for my intrusion, and unless it is absolutely necessary, (such as at a distant apiary etc.), I just close up shop, consider discretion as the better part of valour, and come back another day. Sincerely Tom Barrett 49 South Park Foxrock Dublin 18 Ireland e mail [log in to unmask] Tel + 353 1 289 5269 Fax + 353 1 289 9940 Latitude 53 Degrees 16' North Longitude 6 Degrees 9' West of Greenwich