Aggressive Bees Just Before a Swarm

[Tom Bick]

Has anyone on the forum come across this before.

I had a report yesterday that a large swarm left one of the hives on a site where I have a couple of hives along with another beekeeper so at this stage don’t know the hive that swarmed.

The site is a large community allotment site and they had a work party working the herb garden about 50’ from the bees and just before the swarm left the hive they were buzzed by the bees, one person got stung twice a number of people got bees stuck in their hair, the person in charge has a bit of experience and said the bees definitely went for them, the bees apparently stopped and then the swarm left one of the hives.

I know all the hives on site apart from one but from the outside and up close to the entrance seems to be like all the others good tempered bees.

It is possible to stand at the fence 6’ from the first of the hives with bees flying all around and I have never been investigated once so this aggression just prior to a swarm is new to me and was wondering if any one has also experienced it.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Its not something I've witnessed either Tom.

 

[Tom Bick]

It is a bit strange one possible explanation is they perhaps unearthed a bumble bee nest in the herb garden just before the swarm or similar?

 

[Mandeville]

Could it be some of the plants in the herb garden attracted/upset the bees?

 

[sunshinemedic]

Could the person who was stung have panicked and tried to swat the bees? That could have triggered an attack.

 

[Swarm]

From my experience, it's hardly likely to be bumble bees. I've accidentally unearthed a nest while digging up a bamboo plant. It was quite a large one with lots of bumble bees and they were more concerned with trying to sort out their home than go for me.
I was devastated at the sorry site and the bamboo was left in situ until winter.

 

[johna]

My bees have been a bit prickly before a swarm this year. Most likely to do with the strange weather we've been having.Hot,cold,dry, wet ,calm then windy and sometimes a hint of thunder in the air.Not noticed it in other years however.

 

[circe]

I artificially swarmed a colony just about to swarm. They were not aggressive - but clearly very confused at the interruption. They have still not settled and are noisy, busy stuffing themselves in the supers, furiously drawing wax and generally acting like thwarted bees. I expect them to try and have another go - the colony will be united in the autumn and queen removed (unless they outsmart me again and swarm on uncapped cells.... I think if I had let them go, fly about, and hang up in a bush, they would be content to have been rehived, but I couln't take the chance of them heading off over the hills.... I think Finman calls it "swarming fever".....

 

[victor meldrew]

Its not something I've witnessed either Tom.

Last year I did an a/s on a hive and placed a qx under the old queen , the day after ,the hive tried to swarm as I was about the apiary ! I walked through the trees to see if I could spot an assembly point (thinking Q have wriggled through the qx). I must have been 50'/60' form hive and out of direct sight of same when I was pounced on by more than a couple of hostile bees. I retreated deep into the undergrowth and lost them but not before picking up a couple of stings in my ear .
I put it down to frustration . the bees tried to swarm again the day after but eventually settled down

VM

 

[viridens]

Many posters have reported hives abnormally low on stores in this strange year.
Is it possible that these bees were hungry when they swarmed, and so less happy and docile than usual?

 

[Gardenbees]

Yes, in answer to the original question: in my experience they hate being disturbed in the hive immediately prior to a swarm, and are quite defensive whilst still milling around thinking about it. It's when they've left completely, and/or are clustering just after leaving, that they're really docile. Absconding from hunger or illness or other problems is another matter: I certainly wouldn't want to trust their temper under those circumstances.

Mine had a right go at me at the end of March when I AS'd them just as they were preparing to swarm. They caught me out by getting going so early, and already had sealed queen cells. I split them three ways because they had built up so quickly (I hadn't even fed them). After a VERY tetchy week of following and pinging, they settled down and have since been back to their usual good-natured selves.