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Craig1961

House Bee
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
100
Reaction score
0
Location
Old Radnor, Powys
Hive Type
WBC
Number of Hives
3
My bees have been horrible over the last few days. I wanted to take a honey sample for the refractometer on wednesday and they went bezerk. Counted 57 stings in the smoker bellows. Did not even start to count the ones on my gloves. Was sorting out the garage on Friday. Some 30 odd feet away and took 5 stings. One in my ear was by a pollen carrying Bee. Cannot understand what has got into them. I donned my suit to mow the bit of ground around them today. I know they don't like that much, but the entrace to the hive looked as though a swarm was happening. But no, they were after me again. I cant go in the garage or the back of he van without being attacked.

Is this something others are experiancing or do I need to think about requeening? I am a liitle worried as my 5 year old daughter will be back from Russia soon (visiting family). She has played outside on her bike and trampoline etc before, but am considering moving the hive because of the temprement.

They used to be quite calm. Any advice would be grateful.

Regards,
A sore beek. :bigear:
 
Are you sure they are queenright? That is usually teh main reason for such a change in behaviour...
 
oops, thought this was a thread about beekeepers partners!!
 
Ha.. Nice. Luckily my other half is in Russia for a couple of months. Living like a slob... MMMM, slob. And eating rubbish.
 
More than likely a nectar flow on, if your poking around while they are trying to store honey they are going to be hacked off. Out of my 6 hives 1 is a big colony filling stores rapidly and they are the pingers, leave em to it:cool:
 
BeeBus said:
More than likely a nectar flow on, if your poking around while they are trying to store honey they are going to be hacked off. Out of my 6 hives 1 is a big colony filling stores rapidly and they are the pingers, leave em to it:cool:
Click to expand...

I doubt that. Colony aggression is by all accounts negatively correlated to nectar flow. See here for example.
 
I would hazard a guess that many colonies are zealously guarding their hard-won stores at the minute. Leave well alone...why would you want a sample of honey at this time of year?
 
Hi Craig,

Did you calm the bees down? If so - how.

Regards
Vincent
 
More than likely a nectar flow on, if your poking around while they are trying to store honey they are going to be hacked off.
Click to expand...

I would have said the opposite, when bees are working a good strong flow they are totally disinterested in me in my experience.

Chris
 
Put an entrance reducer on.
It makes them more secure, less 'defensive'.

Likely they either haven't got a queen, had a good nectar flow end suddenly, or they were being robbed.
 
Is it one hive that's a problem or three?
 
Swarm said:
:iagree:
I'd certainly be concerned about the little one and would advise shifting the bees.
Click to expand...

:iagree:
i posted a comment last week on a thred similar to this. My garden bees are the same, so bad that the garden is a no-go zone. Doesn't matter what the reason is.. and if you fix it this time..the chances are that they may turn nasty again, for several reasons as stated already. the message learned (by me anyway) is that bees are not a garden pet. mine will be shifted as I am fed up with the worry (will they, wont they..). God forbid someone nearby gets 57 stings.. sorry to be the voice of doom.

Gary
 
My bees have been just like yours all season - 3 out of 4 previoulsy docile hives. I have no idea why yet when I got some new queens to requeen last weekend they suddenly had become all calm again. My conclusion is that we really do not know soemtimes why they are the way they are. Bees to me after 3 years remain a mystery!
 
There have been lots of similar threads on here, and the conclusion is always.... bees can do that. I have a hive in the garden, but I also have an out apiary where they can be whisked away to should the need arise, and I think this is what you need.

The likelihood is that they are angry because they are queenless, or being robbed by wasps or other bees, or the weather, or...


.
 
Craig1961 said:
My bees have been horrible over the last few days. I wanted to take a honey sample for the refractometer on wednesday and they went bezerk. Counted 57 stings in the smoker bellows. Did not even start to count the ones on my gloves. Was sorting out the garage on Friday. Some 30 odd feet away and took 5 stings. One in my ear was by a pollen carrying Bee. Cannot understand what has got into them. I donned my suit to mow the bit of ground around them today. I know they don't like that much, but the entrace to the hive looked as though a swarm was happening. But no, they were after me again. I cant go in the garage or the back of he van without being attacked.

Is this something others are experiancing or do I need to think about requeening? I am a liitle worried as my 5 year old daughter will be back from Russia soon (visiting family). She has played outside on her bike and trampoline etc before, but am considering moving the hive because of the temprement.

They used to be quite calm. Any advice would be grateful.

Regards,
A sore beek. :bigear:
Click to expand...

Angry Nasty Tetchy Aggresive Naggy Etc

You've met my wife then:)
 
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