Aggressive Bees!

[jenkinsbrynmair]

gone through quite a few apiaries in the last few days - mine and the association's (over the mountain in the next county this morning) bees have been exemplary - like lambs.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Full moon and Sirius rising, plus the moons of Uranus clearly visible.... and it has been unseasonably clement for Easter????

Cheers Cheers! This was the first literal laugh-out-loud the missus and I have had on this subject all day given matters arising....

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Hope everyone on here has reported can keep this thread alive through the week and report experiences....

 

[Beefriendly]

Hope everyone on here has reported can keep this thread alive through the week and report experiences....

I know it's one of two hives (both late F1 supersedures, so F2's....i.e local bees)...one is getting shut in tonight....and we shall see what the late morning brings.

 

[Hachi]

Not a problem here in Wilts...… at least not until time of posting.

 

[Curly green fingers]

After examining all hives at three apiarys we've a buckfast nuc that got transferred last June into a brood box. this hive superseded in late july it is now a volcano genetics buckfast X locals now,when I've got some of my own raised amm queen's they are getting requeened .
I've noticed that there's lots of nectar about and wondering if this has something to do with it also.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Queenless colonies will always be grumpier

Some could be, but not that I find here.

gone through quite a few apiaries in the last few days - mine and the association's (over the mountain in the next county this morning) bees have been exemplary - like lambs.

Same here... jeans and T shirt weather, not even needed a veil.

 

[pargyle]

gone through quite a few apiaries in the last few days - mine and the association's (over the mountain in the next county this morning) bees have been exemplary - like lambs.

I took two big 14 x 12 colonies apart today to get them out of timber hives and into polys ... bees everywhere - there was a filled super on each hive ... put them back together with a fresh super a clearer board and the filled super. It was very hot and they were very busy ... I was expecting a hard time ...nothing untoward at all ... pretty calm and all seemed to find their way to where they should be. Sounds like you and I got lucky if this thread is anything to go by ! Or .... perhaps we just have nice mannered bees ? Can't think that I'm doing anything right !

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

I took two big 14 x 12 colonies apart today to get them out of timber hives and into polys ... bees everywhere - there was a filled super on each hive ... put them back together with a fresh super a clearer board and the filled super. It was very hot and they were very busy ... I was expecting a hard time ...nothing untoward at all ... pretty calm and all seemed to find their way to where they should be. Sounds like you and I got lucky if this thread is anything to go by ! Or .... perhaps we just have nice mannered bees ? Can't think that I'm doing anything right !

Searching for clues: Is there a suburban thing going? Mine and me are "of the smoke", or close to it, in West London. Any other nasty bee sufferers near towns? The nectar flow abundance might be the clue as raised by mjt and wondered if there was a connection?

PS At the risk of raising wasteful conjecture. town versus country has probably nowt whatsoever to wi' nowt but thought I would raise it as a possibility...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

plenty of nectar flowing here, dandelions in full swing, blackthorn about to go over, hawthorn and apples just starting

 

[deemann1]

2 of my hives were very aggressive yesterday during inspection, these 2 colonies are usually fine to deal with but there brood box was getting honey bound put some drawn combs in ..
When bees fill there brood combs of fresh nectar do they move it up at a later stage ??

 

[Amari]

gone through quite a few apiaries in the last few days - mine and the association's (over the mountain in the next county this morning) bees have been exemplary - like lambs.

Today I visited my three apiaries and one belonging to a friend - all in the same parish. I got repeatedly pinged on the veil by multiple bees at all sites before I'd touched the hives. OSR in full flow ++. Bees on the combs ++. Supers 2-4 on hives. I had to get into my car with veil on and wait until the bees escaped through the window.
I always wonder if pheromones from an attack at the first site linger and infuriate the guard bees at the next site.
Why is it that angry bees attack one's head even if, to start anyway, I have no gloves (I always need gloves to open the hives).
My colonies are not always like this - some are usually benign and quiet on the comb.

 

[pargyle]

Searching for clues: Is there a suburban thing going? Mine and me are "of the smoke", or close to it, in West London. Any other nasty bee sufferers near towns? The nectar flow abundance might be the clue as raised by mjt and wondered if there was a connection?

PS At the risk of raising wasteful conjecture. town versus country has probably nowt whatsoever to wi' nowt but thought I would raise it as a possibility...

Mine are near the centre of town but fields, allotments and railway bankings in flying distance but lots of pollen from horse chestnut in full bloom and fruit trees. No **** anywhere near ...

There are so many variables that can lead to a grumpy hive it's impossible to say why it happens... as I said elsewhere... a day later and they are often back to being ***** cats. Beekeeping needs patience ....

 

[Beefriendly]

When quite a lot of experienced beekeepers start experiencing the same unusual thing (not all on this forum) it's perhaps worth taking some note. Wales excepted of course, where all the bees are like milk and honey.

For reasons that are not clear many hives bees at the moment are unusually tetchy.
Not all but certainly some...

 

[Fritillary]

Not all milk and honey here.
Not all of them anyway.
Not in a town either.
Plenty of food here. I suspect genetics, one way or another. I didn't find out what the queen status was of the colony which flew at me.

 

[Swarm]

Milk and honey here. Transferred two 18 frame nuc towers into two new double broods. Transferred another colony out of single into new double broods and added a third super, they are very tall already.
Transferred another two colonies, one into double brood that will need a super, the other in a new brood box and second super added. Queen marked in the next hive and second super added. They were all well behaved and after a lot of upheaval.
Good flow on, the supers were very heavy.

 

[philipm]

I wonder if it could be related to the high level of air pollution in built up areas at the moment. Hopefully things will improve when we have rain this week.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Not all milk and honey here.
Not all of them anyway.
Not in a town either.
Plenty of food here. I suspect genetics, one way or another. I didn't find out what the queen status was of the colony which flew at me.

The natural response must be genetics. But myself and OP have never seen with this behaviour in our colonies in some years. First time for everything of course. But then many others pop up and mention they have issues. Crucially though Beefriendly raises his hand and mentions and the query.

Perhaps it will be interesting to see how the week unfolds...?

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[JonnyPicklechin]

I know it's one of two hives (both late F1 supersedures, so F2's....i.e local bees)...one is getting shut in tonight....and we shall see what the late morning brings.

When you say you are shutting in, does that mean you close the entrance so there is no morning activity from the offending hive and then you gauge apiary ambience? If less nastiness you know which of the two is worse?

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[Antipodes]

I'm interested in the queens of the aggressive colonies. Are they F2 from purebred queens for instance?
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/f2aggression.html