angry ish colony

[Cuckmere couple]

how long do you give them

opened one up today and i would say feisty....had to light smoker, they did behave after a puff of smoke....weather was great and a Q mated 2-3 weeks ago

just wondering how many attempts would people observe feisty ish behaviour before requeening....i have a nice q in a nuc a few feet behind....

 

[Boston Bees]

how long do you give them

opened one up today and i would say feisty....had to light smoker, they did behave after a puff of smoke....weather was great and a Q mated 2-3 weeks ago

just wondering how many attempts would people observe feisty ish behaviour before requeening....i have a nice q in a nuc a few feet behind....

How many stings did your gloves etc take?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

How many stings did your gloves etc take?

2....but they were trying to sting my pockets and the Velcro tab to suit etc....calmed down fast and may have had their own reasons...ive see it before where feisty one day and then not again...just wondered how many chances....bit fast on frames so am suspicious but not certain

 

[Boston Bees]

2....but they were trying to sting my pockets and the Velcro tab to suit etc....calmed down fast and may have had their own reasons...ive see it before where feisty one day and then not again...just wondered how many chances....bit fast on frames so am suspicious but not certain

Trying to sting your pockets? Did they or didn't they?

Doesn't sound particularly aggressive, to be honest.

Sounds like a one-off defensive reaction. Maybe they could sense a change in the weather coming. Who knows.

 

[pargyle]

Trying to sting your pockets? Did they or didn't they?

Doesn't sound particularly aggressive, to be honest.

Sounds like a one-off defensive reaction. Maybe they could sense a change in the weather coming. Who knows.

Yes ... I'd agree with that ... Unless they are really coming at you every time you inspect or worse still following you for any significant distance then I'd not really class them as anything other than excitable. I've found mine to be occasionally a bit stroppy and when it happens I tend to just close them up and try again another day when, inevitably, they are back on an even keel. Who knows what causes them to have an off day - a bit like humans really !

I've had to deal with a really aggressive colony (not mine I would add) and they were trying to kill us - to the point where my arms were covered in bees trying to sting me and enough bees on my veil that I could barely see out .. they followed us for 50 yards and were still hanging around for nearly half an hour. I knew these were a problem colony as the beekeeper had sent out a cry for help ...but it's an experience I don't ever want to repeat if I can help it - they got requeened but it was a struggle.

 

[Susan1]

Oh dear, until today I didn't know what a feisty hive was but I do now. As I said in my post "angry bees" they were BAD. They just kept on attacking and stinging and followed me for quite a while. I was really worried and just wanted to run but had to get the hive back together. Another new beekeeping experience I can now relate to. I am not looking forward to having to check them tomorrow. I don't know if it was a one of or not yet.

 

[pargyle]

Oh dear, until today I didn't know what a feisty hive was but I do now. As I said in my post "angry bees" they were BAD. They just kept on attacking and stinging and followed me for quite a while. I was really worried and just wanted to run but had to get the hive back together. Another new beekeeping experience I can now relate to. I am not looking forward to having to check them tomorrow. I don't know if it was a one of or not yet.

Make sure you are well suited up - no gaps in the velcro, double gloved, tape around your cuffs, smoker and water spray at the ready - an old tea towel or similar piece of cloth to cover the frames you are not working on ...

Big breaths, relax, go slowly, try not to squish any bees, think calm thoughts - go gently with the smoke - just a whiff as you crack the lower super and enough to keep them off the top bars of the brood box - leave the crown board on the top on you don't need to remove it for what you are doing tomorrow.

If the two supers are not that heavy and you are strong enough take them both off at the same time .. just tip them back to start with and a few puffs of smoke to warn them. If they react to the smoke use the water mister.

Good luck, let us know how you get on .... Don't kill the queen until you have a replacement ... if they need it - you will probably find they have reverted to your usual pussy cats ! All dressed up and nowhere to go ... I've been there and felt ridiculous when mine returned to normality ...

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Trying to sting your pockets? Did they or didn't they?

Doesn't sound particularly aggressive, to be honest.

Sounds like a one-off defensive reaction. Maybe they could sense a change in the weather coming. Who knows.

yup...ive had a couple of colonies in past who literally plastered front of suit every time with multiple stings every inch of suit....these are not in that category...

 

[enrico]

As said before. There is defensive and aggressive. Once you have had an aggressive hive you will never want another. You can put up with defensive ..... But why should you?

 

[Somerford]

possibly due to June gap = far less pollen and no nectar causes flying bees to be prickly

 

[pete darbyshire]

possibly due to June gap = far less pollen and no nectar causes flying bees to be prickly

Totally agree, mine are the same, especially the swarms and splits. They are all getting syrup till the BlackBerry flowers. Could have inspected in a tshirt last week....not this though

 

[pete darbyshire]

They are bringing in pollen, but no nectar.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

yup...ive had a couple of colonies in past who literally plastered front of suit every time with multiple stings every inch of suit....these are not in that category...

ps

and interestingly these have been from same strain q as other calm colonies, so it caan be the individual q rather than the strain

 

[Swarm]

Bramble beginning to flower here.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

we have bramble flowering too, only just starting, but is flowering

just got spring harvest off and supers ready

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If the queen was mated 2 - 3 weeks ago, then you have a while before her progeny take over.
If they behaved with smoke, then they are not too bad. The ones that roar when a puff of smoke is given are the ones to be concerned about. Water spray helps keep them down if they tend to fly up at you.

 

[Poly Hive]

I normally see a complete change in behaviour within a couple of days as the new queens' pheromones circulate. Yes, the "Stroppy" bees are still there but I think it's not the bees themselves but the pheromones they are ingesting. Nothing else I can think of explains the turn about in temperament.


PH

 

[Ely]

I have a colony that stings if you stand too close. Closed up, not inspecting. Nice weather etc. I'm considering whether to requeen or wait to see what they are like come Spring. Also a little risky requeening just before Autumn because if a new queen isn't accepted, I have no backup as it's my only hive at the moment.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Split it into two nucs and requeen both?

 

[enrico]

I have a colony that stings if you stand too close. Closed up, not inspecting. Nice weather etc. I'm considering whether to requeen or wait to see what they are like come Spring. Also a little risky requeening just before Autumn because if a new queen isn't accepted, I have no backup as it's my only hive at the moment.

Would be worth starting a new thread if you are after advice