Attacked by my Bees

[beepig]

inspected one of my smaller colonies yesterday as i have not been seeing much entrance action from them. As i removed lid and crown board bees flew out and seriously attacked me. so much so i took several stings to hands and body. I have never been so attacked and had to replace and retreat. Had another beek with me who was similalry attacked. In all removed more than two dozen stings from suit and more from hands and gloves.
What is going on here?
This colony normally so placid.
I need some help here as not expereinced to know.
Two other colonies very active and bringing in much orange pollen.
Help..

 

[enrico]

Bad hair day.... It happens. There may be a reason but give them another go on a warm quiet day and see if there is any difference. They could just have been disturbed by something else, they could be defending against robbers and therefore in defence mode. But usually it is a one off. If things are not right in good conditions for a second time then start looking for reasons!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

When did you last look in?
They could be queen-less or defending against being robbedThere's no short cut. Get kitted up and go back to look in on the next sunny day. There's a chap here who has found that wearing two suits and leather gloves renders him bomb proof.

 

[peteinwilts]

I can't be that far from you.
I harvested and handful yesterday. Many bees were clustered and did not enjoy being disturbed.
Not a day for going through the brood boxes.

 

[beepig]

well i hope they will be okay. Little chance to get back in there now as sipping down. And off to France for a week on THursday. Bugger. I know i shall worry as well

 

[Davelin]

13C at club apiary yesterday morning.

We only opened one brood box that needed sorting and they were not happy!

Combination of marginal weather and guarding stores against robbing I would guess.

 

[ratcatcher]

I wear two suits on a particular "stingy" hive, works great

did you use smoke?

 

[whoosling]

I wear two suits on a particular "stingy" hive, works great

did you use smoke?

and as little smoke as possible.

 

[Arfermo]

DOUBLE layer of everything except boots. I rarely use smoke but use lined rubber washing-up type gloves from Sxxxxbry. Cheap enough, long lasting, easily cleaned with washing soda and stings rarely get through them - and if one does it's effect is far less than otherwise. Used to put sticky tape around gloves to stop bees going down but missus made me 9" long gauntlets - great.

My south Shropshire bees were very reasonable yesterday when I rejigged/removed the supers on most of them. Perhaps the bees of the posters here don't like the aftershave being used?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not the weather for fiddling about with bees today - just moved two hives to the out apiary this morning - when I arrived all was quiet (well, it is cold and wet here) next thing bees came tumbling out of the biggest hive (normally so placid you'd think they were dead!) I only just managed to get the new hives on the stand and opened up before being completely mobbed by bees.

 

[Little John]

A small, unusually 'ratty' colony, with no activity when others are bringing back bucketloads of pollen - could well be queenless, so worth checking for this when next in the box - on a nice warm, windless day, of course ...

What was the situation with that colony last time you inspected ?

With regard to smoke - this is down to knowing your colonies: most of mine respond to the slightest whiff - but there are a couple where I need to pump the stuff in (where even I start coughing) before there's any reaction. It's not simply a case of 'one-size fits all'.

LJ

 

[Swarm]

It's not simply a case of 'one-size fits all'.

LJ

Don't listen to those who tell you things like 'as little as possible' or 'rarely use smoke'.
Do what works with your bees.

 

[mikeyboy]

I've had a similar experience latley, my normally placid bees have been coming at me in numbers and the stings have got through my washing up style gloves. I wanted to see if all was well in the brood box after me being away on holiday. After looking at two frames and seeing bias that was good enough for me. I had to close up quick and leave them to it. They have loads of stores to protect and must know I am planning in robbing some of their stores! One good thing is I now know I am not allergic to bee stings!!!! I am now planning in military style how to extract some honey from them!!!

 

[drex]

As result of selection my bees are quite peaceful now. However they all seem to get a bit rattier at this time of year.

 

[kazmcc]

Don't listen to those who tell you things like 'as little as possible' or 'rarely use smoke'.
Do what works with your bees.

My bees were so laid back they were almost horizontal, but if you tried to smoke them they went nuts! It's just working out what works. I hope your next visit is uneventful and this was just a one off due to threats of robbing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

had a colony like that at the association apiary - owned bythe feral beekeeper. Accompanied the SBI on an inspection once, they were vicious (at least it helped me identify a couple of serious beekeepers amongst the newbies) one of the committe had to help said beek put the first dose of apiguard on, tried loads of smoke (as the FB always did) and they were still bonkers I had to go in there again later to put the second tray in during a lunch period and, as I often do with mine, forgot the smoke.....lambs, no problem whatsoever even when I lifted the roof and a super followed (don't ask, hole in the crown board the least of my worries) then came crashing free onto the BB

 

[pargyle]

I don't use smoke but I have a smoker going in the background -usually on top of the compost bin about 10 feet away from the hives, obviously a little smoke can drift in the direction of the hives but on the one occasion where I really felt that some smoke was necessary (they were all over me and would not let me close the hive) I puffed some smoke in their direction and they went barmy ... instead of going down into the hive more came out !!

I think it depends on a lot of factors .. weather, colony state, timing, whether you are calm and relaxed, outside influence, too many to list. If I think they are at all tetchy then I tend to shut them down and try again another day ... I'm a hobby beekeeper so I see no reason to persist - just upsets me and the bees - we can both do without the aggravation !

 

[Polyanwood]

I hardly open the brood boxes in August, save to put on the varroa thymol treatment and the winter feed. I heft them to check they are not low on stores. They don't like being inspected when there is not much of a flow on. I think August is a good time for beekeepers to go on holiday and give the bees a break.

 

[kazmcc]

I puffed some smoke in their direction and they went barmy ... instead of going down into the hive more came out !!

That is what my bees were like. If I tried to smoke them down from the lugs it had the opposite effect, so I stopped doing it in the end. If i puffed smoke in the entrance the pitch of their buzzing heightened dramatically and they poured out to investigate, so I stopped that too lol. No point upsetting them, I just had to learn to be really, really careful. It was no big deal though, even when they were queenless, they were perfect to work with.

 

[enrico]

Amen polyanwood