Apparently angry bees

[mark s]

hi mark
i know ive had nothing to compare them with as this is my first colony,but ive a friend here on the island who says his bees are just sheer devils,im going over with him at the weekend to see for myself.
but the bees you supplied me mark are very good indeed thanx

ps keep up the good work m8

 

[GingerNut]

I can also confirm Marks (Admins) bees are pussy cats

I was using a pressure washer yesterday at 2m from the hive and they just ignored me..............I was dressed in shorts and t-shirt

A couple did follow me last week after I moved all the brood frames from one brood box to another and then to a third, so big disruptions for them.................but they gave up the following after 2m Mark

Yours Roy

 

[DrNick]

I know I am a new Beek and stand to be corrected but why recommend spending £20 on a queen from Easybee?
As I understand it the queens from there are Carniolians, a very swarmy strain and prone to be monsters when bred with other strains. Surely his best bet would be to get a local queen or if unavailable one from somewhere like Bickerstaffes?

As Carniolians are a swarmy type of bee you know this and can take measures to combat this, do you know what type of bees this swarm is? As it was/is a swarm I'm guessing not, also Carniolians make up for being swarmy by being very easy to handle and also very hard working, many people on this forum have been complaining about the poor weather and their bees not being able to forage, our bees go out in all but the worst downpours and the supers are filling up very nicely, now that is the difference between a swarm and a swarmy TYPE of bee.

 

[Crg]

My question is how many stings is too many when thinking about re-queening?

For new beekeepers I think some of the problem is that they have nothing to compare with and how gentle strains of bees can be.

I can open my hives on a nice day in shorts/t-shirt and not get stung, this weekend it was such a nice day I wasn't even wearing a t-shirt.
In fact I think should be able to hold a frame of bees up against my face and be confident I won't get stung.

Obviously when dealing with bees of unknown temperament I wear appropriate protection. I'm don't see the point in getting stung anymore than I have to.

 

[oliver90owner]

I can open my hives on a nice day in shorts/t-shirt and not get stung

With or without smoke (or similar)?

I have some like that but I never go unprepared as 'her indoors' will tell me off if I do get stung - 'cos I swell quite a bit, and for quite a way from the sting! Going to work with a fat face or closed eye is not really on.

Regards, RAB

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Like 8LGM, this is my first year with the little buzzy things. Our hive was calmness itself when we started off (with a 3-frame nuc), and has got livelier and livelier as the year has progressed. I must confess that I have just put this down to an increase in numbers meaning an increase in activity. And so far (hostage to fortune coming up!) I can't say I have noticed any aggression.

As to the second part of 8LGM's query, I am also a little confused. I thought it was getting time to bed the little blighters down for the winter - but just five days ago ended up putting a second super on instead! So I am a little lost about what I really should be doing for them now!

Next year, I am going to make sure they read the same books as me.

 

[oliver90owner]

OK, back to the original thread, second part

Secondly. I have read and was taught that the brood should now start to reduce so as to start to reduce the colony size ready for winter and also match the nectar flow. My ladies are still breeding well and in fact seem to be increasing. Is this normal for a London hive a the availability of food source may be better than other areas.

Sorry but it's been said before - the little bees can't read and if they could they would probably want to rewrite it.

Last year colony in the garden: bees taking in pollen on winter solstice and Christmas Eve. The colony was still very full of brood into November. So much that I thought the queen might just lay continuously and it all end in disaster. They were on 12 or 13 frames for winter because they had enough stores and so much brood in October/November when I tucked them up (as I thought) for winter, but were still foraging strongly at every opportunity. They just simply ignored all the normal 'rules' set out for them and did their own thing.
There was no brood at all after the snowy cold patch had disappeared and the bees were out foraging strongly in the middle of February. I had to search again to find the queen a couple of days later (in case they were queenless and needed uniting before they developed laying workers). No eggs but she was there. By the third week of April it was ready to swarm, brood box full and laying in the supers. All in a town garden. I am north of Watford.

So it will depend on weather, forage, type of bee and probably some of a host of other factors. Just let them do their own thing as long as they are going to be well provisioned for the winter.....

Regards, RAB

 

[Stiffy]

As Carniolians are a swarmy type of bee you know this and can take measures to combat this, do you know what type of bees this swarm is? As it was/is a swarm I'm guessing not, also Carniolians make up for being swarmy by being very easy to handle and also very hard working, many people on this forum have been complaining about the poor weather and their bees not being able to forage, our bees go out in all but the worst downpours and the supers are filling up very nicely, now that is the difference between a swarm and a swarmy TYPE of bee.

I perfectly understand this and of course it is possible and deal with a swarmy TYPE as you describe. My reply concentrated on the ethics of recommending re-queening with a new queen that could easily replicate the existing problem.

As a new beekeepers I was encouraged to buy Carniolians as 'easy to keep'. This I believe is mis-representation. I have 4 hives, 2 of which are Carniolians and they are easy to handle and gentle but I would dispute that they are easy to keep.
They need regular attention to ensure they will not swarm, something new beekeepers may have problems with.
If they do swarm leaving a new queen, this queen is going to go out and mate with who knows what.

The result could be a nasty colony that will also be inclined to swarm, which is what the original question was about.....vicious , stinging bees?
Is this really worth seeing your bees leave the hive in the rain and the extra bit of honey?

 

[Crg]

I can open my hives on a nice day in shorts/t-shirt and not get stung

With or without smoke (or similar)?

I usually have a smoker going for if I need to herd them, like for example when putting supers back on and there are bees on the edge that would get squished otherwise.

I have some like that but I never go unprepared as 'her indoors' will tell me off if I do get stung - 'cos I swell quite a bit, and for quite a way from the sting! Going to work with a fat face or closed eye is not really on.

Getting stung in the eyes/nose definitely isn't on.

 

[ribblesbees]

Is this really worth seeing your bees leave the hive in the rain and the extra bit of honey?

I also have Carniolans mainly because of their docility. Regarding the problems with cross breeding, yes that is a risk but with very few, if any, other hives in the area, its a risk I'm prepared to take (at the moment although I'm more than prepared to change my view should circumstances dictate).

As for it being worth seeing them forage and the extra honey, thats down to personal preferences. I certainly was very surprised to see them fly in inclement weather, and it certainly wasn't the reason for choosing them, athough being a hardworking bee was a consideration.

As for their tendance to swarm, this can be controlled with not to much work or time, although this view may depend on how much time you have.

 

[Somerford]

Angry Bees

A few observations :

I was always taught it is best to open the bees midday/early afternoon as most of the older flying bees will be away from the hive = less chance of getting stung. This is true as the older bees defend the hive entrance and are therefore more likely to sting.

That said I opened my hive a week last sunday at 8.30am and had no problem at all, nothing a bit more smoke couldn't fix. I also use a water spray occasionally.

Bees also can get a bit 'funny' in windy, humid and thundery weather. Always beware humid and thundery weather. My expereince has shown they don't like it.

Quiet bees can turn nasty if constantly agrieved (eg, busy road, vibrations, knocks on the hive from woodpeckers etc).

Lastly, if your hive is full of honey and it is the end of the season, then you do tend to find some of the bees turn aggressive - they are only protecting their crop of honey. The best thing to placate them with is put a few extracted supers straight back on to the hive - the honey will calm them but make sure you close the entrance down first as the smell of honey can cause robbing by wasps and other hives too.

regards

 

[Crg]

Bees also can get a bit 'funny' in windy, humid and thundery weather. Always beware humid and thundery weather. My expereince has shown they don't like it.

That's when you really know how docile your bees are.

I've expanded my hives this year and had a few Italian colonies from packages (now requeened), who seemed docile when the weather was good, but if I had to open their hives in less than ideal circumstances they would get noticeably more aggressive.

 

[steveselvage]

I opened my biggest colony today just before it rained, this is the first time ive seen this hive get stroppy.I will take more notice of the weather in future. Also i got hearing aids yesterday and was amazed at the noise, quite intimidating for a while. Up till now i thought i had silent bees.

 

[ribblesbees]

I opened my biggest colony today just before it rained, this is the first time ive seen this hive get stroppy.I will take more notice of the weather in future. Also i got hearing aids yesterday and was amazed at the noise, quite intimidating for a while. Up till now i thought i had silent bees.

It's quite surprising how the tone of the buzz can change, depending on the mood of the bees. Mine really don't like smoke and the change in tone is quite dramatic if I use any, apart from an initial puff or two prior to opening a hive for inspection. I now tend to take note of how they are sounding and react accordingly.

 

[jimred]

i have been reading this thread with interest, i was going to set up a hive in my garden next spring but reading the thread maybe this is not a good idea.

i have grown up kids so thats not a problem, my garden is wide but only 40-50 feet deep and have a boundary to 6 other properties.

the garden has 6 fruit trees and wildlife area plus flowerbeds

do you think this would Be OK?, one of my neighbours has small children but i could site the hive the other side of the garden, the rest of the neighbours have long gardens that the end of the gardens back onto ours(if you know what i mean!)

Many Thanks

jim

 

[GingerNut]

i have been reading this thread with interest, i was going to set up a hive in my garden next spring but reading the thread maybe this is not a good idea.

i have grown up kids so thats not a problem, my garden is wide but only 40-50 feet deep and have a boundary to 6 other properties.

the garden has 6 fruit trees and wildlife area plus flowerbeds

do you think this would Be OK?, one of my neighbours has small children but i could site the hive the other side of the garden, the rest of the neighbours have long gardens that the end of the gardens back onto ours(if you know what i mean!)

Many Thanks

jim

Hi Jim,

I have a hive in the far corner of my garden which is 25m long by 10m wide. My garden is also surrounded by other gardens.

I have 2m wooden fencing on all three sides (house on the other).

I have had no problems yet, the fence pushes the bees up above head height, I have watched them.

I have very passive bees..........product of Mark (admin).....I think everyone who has had bees from him will say the same.

Even if I stand in their flight path (not directly in front of the hive entrance) they just bump into me and then fly around.

I hope this helps

Yours Roy

 

[jezd]

I would have a plan B that you can move to another site if things go bad, if that is the case then give your idea a try.

Imagine the worst case that after a few days of having the hive one of the neighbours kids gets stung on the lip from one of your bees (lets not get into the silly ‘was it one of mine’ rubbish) – you can expect fireworks and its hard to argue against how the family would feel. I say on the lip for a reason, its bad, very bad. I got stung on my top lip last night through a vial blown in by the wind, frankly the worst sting I have took and needed a quick check at the local A&E hospital just in case.

My point is, go ahead and monitor, but always have a plan B if you feel the risks become too high.

i have been reading this thread with interest, i was going to set up a hive in my garden next spring but reading the thread maybe this is not a good idea.

i have grown up kids so thats not a problem, my garden is wide but only 40-50 feet deep and have a boundary to 6 other properties.

the garden has 6 fruit trees and wildlife area plus flowerbeds

do you think this would Be OK?, one of my neighbours has small children but i could site the hive the other side of the garden, the rest of the neighbours have long gardens that the end of the gardens back onto ours(if you know what i mean!)

Many Thanks

jim

 

[Somerford]

beekeeping and neighbours

i have been reading this thread with interest, i was going to set up a hive in my garden next spring but reading the thread maybe this is not a good idea.

i have grown up kids so thats not a problem, my garden is wide but only 40-50 feet deep and have a boundary to 6 other properties.

the garden has 6 fruit trees and wildlife area plus flowerbeds

do you think this would Be OK?, one of my neighbours has small children but i could site the hive the other side of the garden, the rest of the neighbours have long gardens that the end of the gardens back onto ours(if you know what i mean!)

Many Thanks

jim

There is a good book called 'Beekeeping and the Law' written by Frimston that can help on this.

My experience is that everything is all right until anyone (especially kids) get stung in the locality and then it is always your bees that are to blame, and don't they (the public) make you feel like a phariah for it too. Previously friendly neighbours can suddenly turn on you and a pot or 2 of honey can't seem to smooth it over.

I was boarded by 2 neighbours when I started out in the early '90s and all was ok until one neighbour stuck his head over the fence about 2 years after we started, asked what the hives were there fore and suddenly it was like he was getting swarmed all day long, and poo on his washing line. They never used their garden anyway, but it suddenly caused a rift which meant I had to find an out apiary for the bees.

(Mind you it was exceedingly funny to see his arms flailing like a windmill from our side window one day when he was mowing his lawn, then to receive a nasty knock on the door and accusations galore, for me, then a spotty teenager, to walk him up the garden a point out the spaces where the hives had been a month before. I cried with laughter.)

Seriously through, I'd be really careful. Although 99/100 your bees will be just fine, all it takes is 1/100 and that day you may regret it.

The only solution ? Encourage all 6 neighbours to start beekeeping too !!

 

[BKF Admin]

Or do what I did,move your kids in next door

 

[8LGM]

i have been reading this thread with interest, i was going to set up a hive in my garden next spring but reading the thread maybe this is not a good idea.

i have grown up kids so thats not a problem, my garden is wide but only 40-50 feet deep and have a boundary to 6 other properties.

the garden has 6 fruit trees and wildlife area plus flowerbeds

do you think this would Be OK?, one of my neighbours has small children but i could site the hive the other side of the garden, the rest of the neighbours have long gardens that the end of the gardens back onto ours(if you know what i mean!)

Many Thanks

jim

I’ve been watching my bees since and I think I must have been over reacting as they seem their old docile selves again. To show how good the girls have been, my daughter has been part of a gardening program for the BBC (she lives next door) and she mentioned that I had bees so they wanted to film them. I warned them that there was a chance of being stung and checked that no one was sensitive to bee stings but they were all quite exited about it so for the next hour the hive had a camera man, sound man, admin lady and the show’s star around the hive. For about 30 min I had the roof off (have a glass observation crown board) and we were talking about bees across the top of the hive. The ladies just completely ignored everyone.

About Kids, my daughter, husband and two grandsons as I say live next door. The six year old often helps me open the hive and holds frames of bees etc. He loves it. The two year old loves getting as close as he is allowed and just watches them come and go.

Neighbours the other side, I have got them all to come with me (suited up) and open up the hive. They all love it. Also help having reasonably high fence that force the bees up.