A sense of identity

[Monsieur Abeille]

Following from a post by Alex where he/she names their colonies, was wondering if this was a common occurance for hives or queens.

I treat my (2) hives very simply, Hive 1 and Hive 2. When we got our first colony we started naming the girls individually Bee1, Bee2 etc but they wouldnt stay still long enough, and without wishing to seem species-ist they all look the same to me.

But I do name my queens, based on the colour of their year of birth, currently Beatrice and Gertie.

What do others do?

 

[freethorpe bees]

My girls are all called Daisy (no imagination) and my queen is Queen Matilda!

 

[PaleoPerson]

I have one hive called "The ASBO Bees" - Nasty Aggressive and following
Hive 1 2 & 3 at home as well as "The Swarmy Gits"
Oherwise, all colonies are labelled "Colony01, Colony02....etc.

 

[starflex]

I have Hive A and Hive B. I also had Hive C, but I sold that one.

 

[Dishmop]

Number 6

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Number 6

They are not a number, they are free bees!

 

[Dishmop]

I have Hive A and Hive B. I also had Hive C, but I sold that one.

I have,

"the ones I bought" ... "the wild ones" ... and "the ones indoors"

 

[oliver90owner]

I call them all just the one name - bees. Usually.

I do talk to them; I always say 'hello bees', or something similar, before walking between, or past, the hives, hoping they will not be surprised by me.

I have not been stung by my garden bees (yet) this year although I have regularly walked between colonies (entrances facing each other) which were only a couple of metres apart.

At less than about 3 metres I get bumped into on a regular basis as they arrive and depart, but last year one did fly into my ear and that was the only time I became a casualty for the whole season (I think). I do hold my shirt collar together to prevent bees getting trapped inside my shirt!

Regards, RAB

 

[Queens59]

Mine are known collectively as 'The Girls', I walk past saying 'morning girls' etc. sad I know, and it makes my neighbours laugh through the hedge when they hear me!

 

[Gardenbees]

I do give my colonies a sort of name: the garden ones are the Teasel Bees 1 and 2 (the numbering being chronological rather than any other reason)... because they're next to a huge teasel patch. The out apiary I used to share was the Orchard Bees (as opposed to my colleague's other apiary, The Tractor Shed Bees!).

For some reason I have only ever named one queen. She's a fast one, name of Mary. In the past there was Queen Jane ("The Nine-Day Queen"), who was named posthumously after being overthrown by her people before she had a chance to bear issue... but I'm not sure that she counts.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who talks to my bees. They're not mad keen on being breathed on, so I don't talk to the individuals, only the colony as a whole. Despite their short lives I like to think that they sort of recognise me, or at least get less bothered by my familiar presence than they would be by a complete stranger.

 

[Otleybee]

I have two colonies both named after their queens. The queens were named by my daughter and are called Elizabeth and Victoria.

 

[margob99]

I thought it might be nice to call them 1 and 2 in Japanese, sort of trying to include my partner, whom I watch doing his karate (bees are my thing, karate is his), and when they practice katas, they yell at the top of their voices

Ichi!
Ni!
San!
Shi!

So, as a sort of joke, my first hive became Itchy Knee, and my second one San-Shi.

Now that they're united, I guess they're going to be called, er ... I don't quite know, actually.

My queens have always been given some kind of descriptive name, but In Capital Letters, so :

The Black Queen
The Gangster Queen
The Grand United Queen

... that sort of thing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who talks to my bees

 

[tkwinston4]

Only named for documentation purposes really. Work Bees, Home Bees (murdered by wasps) and Mum and Dads Bees.

I always announce my presence when i arrive by saying "only me!" but then again i always say goodbye to the cats when i walk out the door for work!!

 

[Storm™]

There is lots of history to keeping bees. For instance you should always tell your bees your news. Births deaths and what your plans are. And in return they will keep an eye out for you. Always tell the bees was the saying.

 

[Dishmop]

Always tell the bees was the saying.

best not to let the neighbours hear you tho...

 

[SixFooter]

I got in the habit of doing a comentary when practising for the basic and I've carried on doing it as the bees seem to like it. However, it's no longer serious because I've passed the exam. All the workers are called Miss, the drones Boyo or Sir and the Queens Mrs <adjective> - Mrs Elusive, Mrs Blue, Mrs White, Mrs Green. One's called Mrs Beautiful because she is!

The hives are numbered according to where they are H-1 = Home hive number 1. A-1 Allotment hive nmber 1. Nucs named according to their type and colour A-KBBE1 + Allotment KB nuc which is painted mostly B lu E

 

[alex]

We started doing it because it's a bit like keeping pigs - you'd only name the mother because you're going to keep her and become attached to her, the piglets are just given numbers (if that) for obvious reasons!

In the same way, we've named only the queens we're keeping (with initials A,B,C,D so equipment can be marked easily) and only when they're successfully laying. We've found it's easier for us to remember what we've done to each colony - Amidala was a sod - moody, chasing bees (but we thought that was normal at the time!) and she swarmed in her first April, never to be seen again; her twin daughters Beatrix and Charlotte have been darlings, so easy to work with. The new addition this year, Dipsy, seems to more like her grandmother, but not nearly so extreme - moody but productive.

This may become an issue next year as we will probably have to 'retire' both Bea and Charlie if they are still with us! Luckily it's only me and the wife who have become attached to the bees, everyone else in the family thinks we're just plain daft!

 

[TBRNoTB]

Named Bees

Following from a post by Alex where he/she names their colonies, was wondering if this was a common occurance for hives or queens.

I treat my (2) hives very simply, Hive 1 and Hive 2. When we got our first colony we started naming the girls individually Bee1, Bee2 etc but they wouldnt stay still long enough, and without wishing to seem species-ist they all look the same to me.

But I do name my queens, based on the colour of their year of birth, currently Beatrice and Gertie.

What do others do?

Only two colonies: One on the hill and one on the farm! Should really change their names to 'ASBO Hill Mob' fiesty or what? seem to have calmed a little after requeening.
'The ganja Mob' seem to be a totally out of it crew, will need to keep the CCTV running on them for a while yet! collectivly termed as 'going to the bees' Hope to unite to an out apairy during winter. God only knows what they call me! Probably W.A.D.H.

 

[Stiffy]

I tend to just talk to mine very quietly and just request they move out of the way when I remove frames etc, I think they must be deaf as they tend to ignore me, maybe I should learn the 'waggle dance' and sign to them.

When they are really cross and peeed off with me and try and sting they are then referred to in my best Cornish as you ‘teasy baxxxxxds’ I then do a type of 'waggle dance' trying to brush them off

Cheers
S

 

[Moggs]

Quite amusing! Our first colony was not the long awaited spring nuc (that was to be 'B1' in the garden). We purchased a full working colony as our 'taster' (!) so with some logic, it was installed at the out-apiary as 'B2'. 'B1' duly arrived and was installed in the garden. Next came a resultant AS from 'B2' which was identified as 'B3'. Had the chance of a sizeable nuc later which became 'B4'. Then a captured swarm 'B5' and a split, which became 'B6'.

Now, dear reader, things get complicated. B1 took on a bit of a swarmy attitude so was shipped to the out-apiary, in the position that B3 had occupied (reunited with B1 due to poor performance). B6 and B5 weren't too strong by the end of the season so have been combined too (freeing a queen for replacement in B2). OK so far? Poor bees were puzzled by now.

Anyway, you can probably imagine the incredulous look on the bee inspector's face when he asked how the hives were identified.

I responded, quick as a flash "From left to right, B2, B1, B4 and B6". I swear that he was quietly counting my fingers at one point during the inspection. Hmmm.