05/18/2015
So, why don't you wear gloves? Are you nuts? I would want every square inch of my body covered if I was going to be near bees!
Of course you would, because bees can and will sting, right? This I first learned when I was about four years old, as I frolicked barefoot through the clover, and I still can recall how that first sting felt. Of course, I'm grateful that this also proved that I was not allergic to bee stings, but still it hurt, ya know?
I also remember the first time, a few years ago, when I decided to open a hive without gloves. Ooh, the thrill of doing something so crazy, (kind of like the first time I went hang gliding, but that's a story for another day). I knew all the "old timers" worked the bees without gloves, some without a veil, yet I didn't have their tough, leathery skin. But I faced my fear and I'm glad I did!
One of the first things I discovered was that the bees didn't automatically sting, in fact they didn't sting at all, if I moved slowly, used a little smoke, and opened the hive in the middle of a nice, sunny day. Another thing I discovered, when I opened the hive on a cooler day in the spring, was that the bees give off heat, like warm-blooded critters, and that, without the thick gloves in the way, I could feel that heat. It removed a barrier between us and made me feel closer and more sympathetic towards them.
Now, sometimes they will crawl on my hands, and I don't have to react with fear. Sometimes they will get defensive and make little bluff charges at my hands, like they're warning me not to go too far, and sometimes I do get stung, but hey, it comes with the territory, right?
Mostly, I just enjoy the bare-handed dexterity, and accept that I'm slowly, but surely, joining the ranks of the old-timers!
