Advice needed re defensive hive requeening

[Amari]

Ha, yes it has knocked my confidence. I am going to pad my suit with bubblewrap before I brave them again.

For major hive inspections I nearly always wear my ventilated suit = spongy material which is thicker than a bee's sting. Not been stung through it yet. Available from Old Castle Farm, BBWear and Ozarmour (but I don't like the Oz neck zip). For a dodgy job I add pair of nitriles over or under my marigold gloves. I also have some Olbas bath oil for the gloves (recommended by some on here) but usually forget to apply it. Memo to self: I must conduct a trial with the oil on only one glove and see if it makes a difference when inspecting an angry colony.

 

[user 819]

Yes it is understandable that the queen will influence bees traits. I have a very gentle hive which I will try to raise queens from next year but is it also advisable/useful to put extra drone foundation in to have more drones with those traits too?

I'm foundationless so the bees build the comb/cell size they wish to. All of the colonies at this particular village location are all generations of Q's from the original one now no longer, so far the genes are running well in the later queens and all colonies are FL.

 

[Barnowl]

For major hive inspections I nearly always wear my ventilated suit = spongy material which is thicker than a bee's sting. Not been stung through it yet. Available from Old Castle Farm, BBWear and Ozarmour (but I don't like the Oz neck zip). For a dodgy job I add pair of nitriles over or under my marigold gloves. I also have some Olbas bath oil for the gloves (recommended by some on here) but usually forget to apply it. Memo to self: I must conduct a trial with the oil on only one glove and see if it makes a difference when inspecting an angry colony.

Thankyou I will be looking at your recommendations, the olbas oil is interesting too. Many thanks. J

 

[Swarm]

For major hive inspections I nearly always wear my ventilated suit = spongy material which is thicker than a bee's sting. Not been stung through it yet. Available from Old Castle Farm, BBWear and Ozarmour (but I don't like the Oz neck zip). For a dodgy job I add pair of nitriles over or under my marigold gloves. I also have some Olbas bath oil for the gloves (recommended by some on here) but usually forget to apply it. Memo to self: I must conduct a trial with the oil on only one glove and see if it makes a difference when inspecting an angry colony.

What do you not like with the Ozarmour zip? The zip fasteners meet nicely, press down the velcro inside, then press down the velcro flap that covers the zippers.

 

[Murox]

For major hive inspections I nearly always wear my ventilated suit = spongy material which is thicker than a bee's sting. Not been stung through it yet. Available from Old Castle Farm, BBWear and Ozarmour (but I don't like the Oz neck zip). For a dodgy job I add pair of nitriles over or under my marigold gloves. I also have some Olbas bath oil for the gloves (recommended by some on here) but usually forget to apply it. Memo to self: I must conduct a trial with the oil on only one glove and see if it makes a difference when inspecting an angry colony.

I had a strange experience with Olbas oil which is allegedly a repellent - stroppy hive decided to "attack" anywhere there was a strong smell of it. I didn't get stung but he suit or rather jacket I had on (Old castle farm's best) had stingers in it where I had placed a drip around the neck area at the back.

 

[Amari]

What do you not like with the Ozarmour zip? The zip fasteners meet nicely, press down the velcro inside, then press down the velcro flap that covers the zippers.

Assuming Ozarmour neck zip design is the same as when I bought mine c. four years ago: the zip joining the veil to the suit does not 'meet nicely' in the middle. In my Sentinel suit (Old Castle Farm) the zip-tracks meet in the middle under my chin. I pull each zip, right and left, until they meet in the middle. I then press the velcro flaps which cover the join. The Oz is/was different: the left track is longer than, and overlaps the right track. You pull each zip until the left overtakes and overlaps the right, so they don't meet in the middle. Great in theory but so fiddly that I had to do it in front of a mirror. Then in the apiary I would realise I'd forgotten to put on my specs and have to unzip with the bees buzzing around me!
To cut a short story long, I donated the Oz to a beekeeping project at HMP Wayland. I'm waiting to hear if any would-be beekeeping residents have been stung.........

 

[Swarm]

Odd, mine is at least that old but the zips meet as well as my BBwear suits. Did your cuffs have velcro or elastic? I've heard others mention velcro where mine has elasticated cuffs.

 

[ericbeaumont]

It has always been a little bit defensive when being inspected but was manageable

as soon as I lifted the crown board many bees covered my suit immediately stinging. I aborted my mission and retreated with many stings through my suit and gloves.

Sounds like escalating defensiveness if it's been a background feature all season. Late summer protection of stores has given them good opportunity to reveal their true colours.

Simplest way to rid yourself of the stress is to find and kill the queen and unite the colony with newspaper to the next. Ask another beekeeper for help. Have a water spray handy to keep them down, and wait until the ivy is in flower - foraging will reduce bad temper.

Whether you do it this year or next, do it before drones are laid in spring.

 

[Barnowl]

Sounds like escalating defensiveness if it's been a background feature all season. Late summer protection of stores has given them good opportunity to reveal their true colours.

Simplest way to rid yourself of the stress is to find and kill the queen and unite the colony with newspaper to the next. Ask another beekeeper for help. Have a water spray handy to keep them down, and wait until the ivy is in flower - foraging will reduce bad temper.

Whether you do it this year or next, do it before drones are laid in spring.

Thankyou,requeening is definitely on the agenda, will update when things progress.
cheers J

 

[mbc]

This is my first post although I have been on your site lurking and learning for the past year. I need advice regarding a very defensive hive please.
This hive was one part of an artificial swarm in June -it was the nurse bee part and was left with a queen cell . Queen emerged,mated and was laying in late June.
It has always been a little bit defensive when being inspected but was manageable. I took 2 supers off it 2weeks ago no problem, put supers back on for them to clean ,still no problem then a couple of days later when I tried to take clean supers off they were very vicious as soon as I lifted the crown board many bees covered my suit immediately stinging. I aborted my mission and retreated with many stings through my suit and gloves.
I don’t think it is hunger as there is another super on which is half full of stores. They are not being bothered by wasps.
I have access to a laying queen from a nuc that is being combined so thought I would try to requeen.
Plan ; move hive away by few metres to separate main brood from flying bees.
Put new queen in cage with some drawn frames and some brood on original site so that flying bees go back there and hopefully accept that queen.
Then go through brood box to see what is going on and find queen ,destroy her and recombine the brood at original site.
Questions; is it likely that the flying bees will accept the queen?
Would it be better to introduce new queen to the nurse bees first?
Will nurse bees be less feisty than foragers?
Is it likely that they will become calmer again without requeening?
Would I be better to leave decision until Spring?
cheers J

The older flying bees are the ones least likely to accept a new queen.

 

[Barnowl]

The older flying bees are the ones least likely to accept a new queen.

Thankyou, that it useful to know . Cheers J

 

[Amari]

Odd, mine is at least that old but the zips meet as well as my BBwear suits. Did your cuffs have velcro or elastic? I've heard others mention velcro where mine has elasticated cuffs.

Can't remember. Please ask residents of HMP Wayland.

 

[smok]

I had a strange experience with Olbas oil which is allegedly a repellent - stroppy hive decided to "attack" anywhere there was a strong smell of it. I didn't get stung but he suit or rather jacket I had on (Old castle farm's best) had stingers in it where I had placed a drip around the neck area at the back.

thanks to god
I've been sure becomes craziness.
i have exactly same reasults ,bees attacks
everything including hot parts of the smoker touch by oilbias.
not even mention what happened with my veil ,forehead smear with it.