Aggressive bees

[Frenchie]

hi,I've been bee keeping for about 18mths now and have 3 colonies.One colony became Queen less and a fellow bee keeper gave me a laying queen.This colony is becoming more and more aggressive.I fed all 3 colonies today and 2 were fine,but the aggressive colony started their attack as soon as they were opened.I estimate at least 50 stings in one glove alone.I had on a clean suit and sterile gloves,plus I was very gentle with the hive.I guess I need to change the queen,but this can't be done until the spring when drones are active again.Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Busybee]

I would be inclined to dispatch vicious queen and unite queenless hive with one of your other two good tempered colonies. Expand again next spring to three hives. Nothing worse than vicious bees which never seem to improve temperament.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I would be inclined to dispatch vicious queen and unite queenless hive with one of your other two good tempered colonies. Expand again next spring to three hives. Nothing worse than vicious bees which never seem to improve temperament.

Does that not risk passing the stinging pheramone into another hive and making a calm hive agitated?

 

[Busybee]

Vicious bees are generally rectified by queen removal and replacement with good tempered queen. (reason for uniting). Any bees produced by vicious queen after introduction into queenless hive may also have vicious temperament. This would normally subside in 4 to 6 weeks. As winter is coming by the time hives opened in spring these will be gone.

 

[itma]

...I guess I need to change the queen,but this can't be done until the spring when drones are active again. ...

Sounds like the aggression might be down to the new queen and her progeny. But you need to eliminate other possibilities.

Depending on how your apiary is situated, you might be thinking of sending them away for a holiday, far away from people!

If you are completely convinced that the behaviour and the queen are connected beyond reasonable doubt, then you might still JUST find another beek with a surplus mated queen that could be passed on to you (rather than palmed off on you!)
At last weekend's (Dover) association meeting, two beeks turned up with caged queens in their pockets - free to a good home. So, you might still be lucky!

 

[oliver90owner]

but this can't be done until the spring when drones are active again

Agreed. At this time of the year, leave them until spring before changing, as long as they are not causing a nuisance. You are unlikely to inspect again, I would think?

Buying in a mated queen of known provenance might be a good plan. She can be changed early, before drones from that colony are around, and it should be a fully productive stock for the whole season. Early matings for home reared queens is not reliable for most UK beeks. A lot have been tearing their hair out at artificial swarming time, this last two seasons.

 

[beebreeder]

Allthough you say you have re queened this colony, have you seen the queen? if you were just feeding them today and they got nasty it may be because they have rejected and killed the new queen.

 

[For want of a better word]

BEFORE attempting to unite, you would need to filter out the old queen.

Don your full metallised beekeepers outfit and ignite smoker + have a spare going in case first goes out.. have a small boy on hand to keep at least one smoker going !

Into a spare and empty brood place all the frames with all bees swept smoked shaken into old box as frames removed... fill old box with empty frames.
Place QE on top of bottom box containing bees and empty box with brood and stores above.
Next day all the brood bees will have moved up, leaving queen and drones in bottom box.
Remove bottom box to new stance a good few meters away, leave new box with brood and bees on old stance for any flying bees to return, plug up in evening and reunite with another colony using the newspaper trick.
Do with old nasty queen and accompanying drones as you will!

Better get a move on... alternatively leave alone till next spring !
Good Luck !!

 

[oliver90owner]

Before talking about/suggesting uniting, it might be useful to find out just a little more about the colonies. No point jumping in advocating unification if all three colonies are already very strong. No point at all, just a waste of time, resources and one colony.

Beekeeping is a practical hobby/occupation but does need some thought before jumping in with potentially impractical suggestions.

 

[drstitson]

IMHO provided all colonies strong, i'd leave til spring - the colony'll be weaker and queen easier to find.

 

[Outlander]

IMHO provided all colonies strong, i'd leave til spring - the colony'll be weaker and queen easier to find.

leave until spring.

 

[itma]

IMHO provided all colonies strong, i'd leave til spring - the colony'll be weaker and queen easier to find.

However, if there are any queens still available right now, they will be as cheap as it gets.
In early Spring, at the very time when the colony is at minimum, any over-wintered queens will be at a premium.

My inclination (assuming for the moment that requeening is appropriate) would be towards any better queen ASAP, with a view to possibly repeating the exercise in *late* spring with a young and potentially more productive candidate.

 

[stephenpug]

BEFORE attempting to unite, you would need to filter out the old queen.

Don your full metallised beekeepers outfit and ignite smoker + have a spare going in case first goes out.. have a small boy on hand to keep at least one smoker going !

Into a spare and empty brood place all the frames with all bees swept smoked shaken into old box as frames removed... fill old box with empty frames.
Place QE on top of bottom box containing bees and empty box with brood and stores above.
Next day all the brood bees will have moved up, leaving queen and drones in bottom box.
Remove bottom box to new stance a good few meters away, leave new box with brood and bees on old stance for any flying bees to return, plug up in evening and reunite with another colony using the newspaper trick.
Do with old nasty queen and accompanying drones as you will!

Better get a move on... alternatively leave alone till next spring !
Good Luck !!

Thank you it has been explained in laymans terms that i can understand, my differerence is i have a colony that is quite small and i am worrying about getting them thru winter but i did not know how to find the queen so i can unite with a stronger colony,when is the latest i can do this operation [work commitments] thanks again

 

[Frenchie]

Thanks for every ones input.I was to dispose of the aggressssive queen and unite the colony with another,but fear that the aggressive bees might kill the queen in the new colony.Therefore I will resolve the problem in the Spring,may be the bees will mellow during the Winter.

 

[Poly Hive]

LOL you wish.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

fear that the aggressive bees might kill the queen in the new colony

Probably the right decision but either the above is a diplomatic fudge for the reason, or one that is flawed. They may well be better tempered in the spring - for a while until colony strength increases.

 

[REDWOOD]

Nothing wrong with bees being a bit defensive.