4 of 4 disillusioned Bee Keeper

[Mothman]

As you can see from the other posts I am having a few troubles at present. I am a second year bee keeper with two hives that I spilt from one rapidly growing Nuc last year. I even got them both through the winter having got 16lbs of honey off them.
I have learnt to love beekeeping, it keeps my mind active and I enjoy all the hive and frame making honey extraction etc. My main problem is not enough time, I can usually make time at the weekend but often it is not the perfect weather or time of day but that is the only time I have to visit.
This year started well two hives through the winter, I then managed to AS both one into a 3rd hive and one into what was to be a temporary home made Nuc ' just in case'. Then came the winter OSR. The bees became a little more aggressive but nothing too worrying - probably through breeding and the OSR.
Then Came the Spring OSR the bees have become more aggressive I managed to unite the two AS hives but not the nuc which had become so heavy - meaning that in a few weeks the bees had filled the roof and every space with comb and honey meaning I would need to destroy the whole thing to get it apart.
During the spring OSR I managed to get on 3 supers per hive and get 4 of them back on and off again for approximately 100lbs of honey.

However since the end of both runs of OSR I have not managed a weekly inspection without getting at least two stings - which means the affected part swells up for a few days after a heavy dose of anti histamine - without the dose it stays puffy for a few more days. I expect to get stung occasionally but to spend part of every weekend a bit sleepy from the anti histamines and going back to work swollen in paces every week just won't wear.
I have gone from no gloves back to marigolds and added manipulating cloths and sugar water spray to my armoury of controlling the bees. All to no avail. Thus I really haven't had the enthusiasm to do anything with the Nuc and cannot seem to get to the brood box in either hive without being stung, Whilst I am fairly sure both hives are queen right I have only managed to see brood in one of them (the united one)
I am not getting stung in the same places, my suit is washed and well aired. I am trying to visit at good weather times but this does mean (with the present weather) I am leaving the shower clean and well aired, but then dripping with sweat as I am inspecting. I suspect they are trying to rob each other, a problem I didn't have last year, possibly due to smaller hives?

Is there anything else I can do to avoid being stung?

As for the future I plan to try and visit one hive a week to get the cleared (see 3of 4) supers off. Then get another super off. Then put a super full of honey under the brood box for winter on each hive and treat with apigard (so that’s six weeks worth of visits planned assuming its not so hot that I'm going to fill the suit with sweat in which case I won't even bother that week and delay the plan by a week) Does that seem reasonable?

Thanks in advance for all your helpful comments. I do realise I am probably doing some things wrong but that is all part of the learning experience!

 

[thorn]

Is it your hands that they attack? If so, why not try leather gloves? They're a bit clumsier, and there are those on this forum who naysay them, but I like them, and I've not found them stinging through mine (which I bought from my local society's shop).
If they're getting you elsewhere, then maybe you need a different suit. Or perhaps you're making the error that I once did, and not quite zipping up properly.

 

[beeno]

Hi Mothman,
I don't know if it is any consolation, but two of our apiary colonies were very stingy on Sunday and inspection was abandoned. Well, maybe it is the time of the year, large honey stores and robbers about! Keep going perhaps it is only temporary.

 

[VEG]

Get some non drowsy antihistamines.

 

[Mothman]

They're not attacking any place in particular, in the last few weeks I've had both hands (Through marigolds), both arms (through suit) a leg (through jeans (sweat soaked) and I suspect I would have had a few in the head had I not had my suit on.

 

[Pendragon]

My lovely calm nuc has become more aggressive since growing into a full colony and having honey to defend.
I have bought some leather gloves - first outing with them at the weekend, a bee did sting the glove but the stinger didn't reach me.
I am trying to take things slower and gentler avoiding as much vibration as possible and smoking myself (only a little - legs and lower body - don't want to inhale to much! ) Also loosening the super or queen excluder and waiting a little. (I read it somewhere maybe on here)
I bought a polycarbonate quilt which means I can see the top super without disturbing them if I don't want to, so that is one lot that aren't open to get me. This is one of the best things I have bought and I have just ordered another one for the other hive.
Also I have a dummy board in the brood box still (I know some don't do this and think it is a waste of space) but it is easy to get out and then have space to move the bee laden frames out/about.
I half cover the open brood box with the dummy board or you could use a piece of plywood which calms them I think and makes it harder for them to get out! And I definitely won't go inspecting without my wellies again, no matter how hot it is - mine do like to sting your ankles given a chance.
I hope you find a way to enjoy your bees again.

 

[Queens59]

1. Where in the 'UK' are you - we are a big community and if you are local someone with a bit more experience may be able to advise or help you...

2. Bees are more stingy this year - as I have found to my cost as I react really badly...

3. Think about re-queening...I know it is difficult to find HM...but there are ways...search 'requeening' threads...

4. See if you can find a keeper who will support/inspect if you can't...for a honey split maybe?

5. Talk to someone in your location assoc...see if it is a local phenomenon...

6. Don't give up - I went through this, and I am sure many relative newbees do...things will calm - or you will solve the issues and it will calm down and then you will enjoy it again...

7. Agreed - non-drowsy anti-hists are a must otherwise zombie mode strikes!

 

[davnig]

Maybe you should think about requeening next spring from a strain of Q that has been shown to be less aggressive. If you're in your local assoc, chat to people there about requeening;

and have someone inspect with you to see if your technique is somehow disturbing them

Ah, just seen Queens post - covers my points and more

 

[clarealdus]

Hiya,
I am not an expert but would suggest that you make sure you are covered by two layers all over i.e. long sleeve shirt under your beesuit/smock and two layers of trousers (if I wear a smock I put loose jeans over tight fitting jeans). Loose fitting is good too; the sting is quite short and can get through one layer more easily than two and if the clothes aren't touching your skin directly the sting will only go into the clothing and not into you.
Good luck

 

[Queens59]

Ha like it Clare - unfortunately NONE of my clothes are loose Too much honey

 

[Goodwood]

Best solution i found to the second year of beekeeping with a primed immune system, was to avoid the stings.
My advice
A good suit...BBWear or sherriff.
Double gloves- best i have found are green flock lined nitrile and inner thin blue nitrile.
Get these from GlovesRus.
The twin ply makes a huge difference and the nitrile means less loss of feel
Most important - gauntlet cuffs over the top to stop the bees getting up the gloves.
Good boots
Once i decided avoidance was better than remedy my confidence rose.
I too got into the swelling up stage which i think is common in second years.
I found antihistamines awful as they would leave me hung over for hours.
Hence the above.
Regards

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hiya,
I am not an expert but would suggest that you make sure you are covered by two layers all over i.e. long sleeve shirt under your beesuit/smock and two layers of trousers (if I wear a smock I put loose jeans over tight fitting jeans). Loose fitting is good too; the sting is quite short and can get through one layer more easily than two and if the clothes aren't touching your skin directly the sting will only go into the clothing and not into you.
Good luck

All good advice. Get a low cost, thick fabric round veil suit for around £36 from ebay together with some polyco jet 527 cleaners gloves also from ebay around £3.50. These will keep you separate from stings. If the bees get aggressive they are not going to bother you inside your suit. If they follow you from the hive after you finish your works you need to wait them out, preferably in a darkish cool shed. They dont persist for ever.

 

[Outlander]

Get some non drowsy antihistamines.

And take it before you inspect the bees. I get stung regularly with my clumsy fingers but the swelling is far less since I started taking an antihistamine before hand. If colony remains nasty then re-queen which may be better done next season unless buying in a mated queen.

Next season though you may be asking for trouble if you miss a weekend and leave it until the next during the swarm period.

Good luck and hope you get thing sorted.

 

[Luminos]

Mothman, you don't mention a smoker and if/how you use one.

If I got "at least two stings" each time I inspected, I'd be more than happy, as it's generally many more. (Easy for me to say as it's no worse for me than a mozzie bite).

You sound like you need a bit of moral support there - is there a beek near you (poss a forum member?) that could accompany you on inspections?

 

[Mothman]

Mothman, you don't mention a smoker and if/how you use one.

If I got "at least two stings" each time I inspected, I'd be more than happy, as it's generally many more. (Easy for me to say as it's no worse for me than a mozzie bite).

You sound like you need a bit of moral support there - is there a beek near you (poss a forum member?) that could accompany you on inspections?

Thankfully, this forum has given me the moral support I needed! I do have contact with other beekeepers outside the forum but I find it easier to find a right way for me through the replies here rather than the do it my way answers I tend to get from them.

I do use a smoker- fairly sparingly as I have found lots of smoke can be counterproductive.

 

[weebee]

A lot of good advice given but I would ask how do you handle your supers?

By that I mean are they covered when you remove them? If you remove one super, cover the next then remove it and so on. The bees tend to stay inside the supers. This way many of the bees carry on working away reducing the chances of them bothering you.

Just a thought as it is something I do and it reduces the number of bees flying around during inspections.

 

[enrico]

Mothman, firstly don't despair, stings will put you off keeping bees so you have to sort this! You have two choices, change your bees or get bombproof, I would suggest the latter, if you know you can't get stung you will gain in confidence .
Bomb proof is ... From bottom up ... Wellies, all in one suit inside wellies , trousers and long sleeve shirt under suit, veil attached with zip that is clear of your face at all times and plastic gauntlet gloves from pxxnes. Bees do NOT sting through them..... I promise. Now get someone with experience to watch how you handle your bees, take any advice offered. Eventually those butterflies in your stomach you get before an inspection will go and your confidence will increase. Good luck and perservere.... Please!
E

 

[Chris B]

There are times in each season when bees are a bit more edgy. Yes requeening is part of the answer as others have said. Meanwhile pick your moments to do whatever needs doing as some days/weeks they will simply be better behaved than other times. As long as you get honey off and varroa dealt with and feeding by end of September it will be fine. You could probably leave them alone for a month and still have time to do everything.
The only thing where you really need to bite the bullet sooner rather than later is the clogged up nuc. If possible I would move it to another apiary one night and then deal with it - in a shared apiary the inevitable mess would likely trigger uncontrollable robbing at present.

Forgot to say. If you don't requeen this year, and then your bees are pussycats next spring, don't be fooled. Early spring colonies are often that way and don't show their true colours till later.

 

[Tom Bick]

The 2nd year can so often be the worst year. You don’t feel it but it is giving you good experience. You will start the third better equipped and more in tune with the bees.

I don’t experience OSR so have no experience of it but have noticed many times people commenting that after it is over the now big strong hives with little to forage on get grumpy.

One final point smoke is a great tool and on grumpy hive best to smoke the entrance and then give it a good three mins then inspect nice and steady with the occasional puff over the frames.

 

[Swarm]

Forgot to say. If you don't requeen this year, and then your bees are pussycats next spring, don't be fooled. Early spring colonies are often that way and don't show their true colours till later.

Don't fall for it.