Bad Temper

[Busy Bee]

I don't know what is happening my bees, they have turned quite angry. I used to be able to have a peek without suit, water or smoke but now I must do everything. Tonite I was moving a fence near the bees and got attacked in the dark. Why?

Maybe they have someting to defend I don't know. I got close to see how alert they where by blowing gently on the entrance, Lord out they came on full battle alert, they were normally very gentle and would'nt bother at all.

Suggestions please.


Busy Bee

 

[Poly Hive]

Working bees without a veil is a bit "brave" and IMHO not wise.

Nectar died up? Weather changing? thunder? Queenless? Just a few possibles.

PH

 

[jon]

Busybee, if you have oil seed rape growing within a few miles your bees will start to behave badly. This happened to mine last year and they started to defend an area around 30 yards from my apiary.

 

[MrTrueman]

Busybee, if you have oil seed rape growing within a few miles your bees will start to behave badly. This happened to mine last year and they started to defend an area around 30 yards from my apiary.

Defend, as in attack people that close?

 

[Busy Bee]

No OSR that I am aware of, maybe the add palnt along the road side but nothing at all really. All livestock country here. Plenty of stores, good brood comb, queen still there.

Not sure


Busy Bee

 

[jon]

Oil seed rape, queenlessness, or too much handling can get your bees very annoyed. I found that using heavy leather gloves upset mine so I switched to nitrile. They offer little or no protection but the bees do not get as riled.

 

[jon]

Defend, as in attack people that close?

I was being politically correct. Beekeepers always talk about defensive bees when they are describing bees which take no prisoners.

 

[Finman]

. Tonite I was moving a fence near the bees and got attacked in the dark. Why?

If you think living in nature, bears move at night.

I have written formerly that bees become angry before sunset and some become totally mad in darkness.

 

[Heather]

No woman likes to be crept up on in the dark!!!
Daylight and treat them gently - usually works

 

[Normandie]

... so I switched to nitrile. They offer little or no protection but the bees do not get as riled.

Presumably a benefit over bare hands is that you can remove them (and the sting) immediately if you do get stung?

 

[victor meldrew]

.
I have written formerly that bees become angry before sunset and some become totally mad in darkness.

I always mow around my hives during the hour before sunset when less bees are flying. I mow directly upto hive entrances, some colonies have bees which scuttle out on to landing boards and then make a hasty retreat , some colonies just ignore me. I think some strains of bee require no excuse to go into attack mode . Guess what? I don't tolerate such strains.

John

 

[Finman]

. I think some strains of bee require no excuse to go into attack mode . Guess what? I don't tolerate such strains.

John

So it is. I have the same principle. But however, when I change my queen, there arises more or less tempered bees. They are not same. If you want to find out, which one, open the cover before sunset.

Often I have cleaned honey from hives in the evening. They may give me tens of sting and I must stop the work. When I continue work in the morning, I get none sting.

 

[planbee]

Temper and OSR

When I kept Bee's for a short time about ten or twelve years ago, I remember several people telling me that OSR puts Bee's in a bad mood.

I never had OSR near my hives then, but I have to say, that whenever I'm near OSR, I get a headache, presumably from the pollen, I wonder if the Bees do?

Planbee [formerly sameagle]

 

[Finman]

When I kept Bee's for a short time about ten or twelve years ago, I remember several people telling me that OSR puts Bee's in a bad mood.
]

That is my experience too along tens of years. Interesting to hear that others say the same.

 

[shonabee]

Does anyone know why OSR makes bees grumpy ? I've heard that they love OSR for forage.

 

[jon]

Presumably a benefit over bare hands is that you can remove them (and the sting) immediately if you do get stung?

I think it is more to do with the smooth texture of the glove. A bee probably sees a heavy leather glove as some kind of animal attacking the hive.
The bees crawl over the nitrile glove but very rarely sting through it. If you don't protect the wrists they will crawl up the glove and sting there. I use old socks with the toe cut out to protect the wrists with the nitrile glove pulled over the sock.
Heavy gloves lead to clumsy manipulations imho.

 

[Norton]

I rarely wear gloves and usually don't bother with a veil.
Best regards
Norton

 

[hedgerow pete]

i always wear a veil its all well and good being brave or just trusting your bees but the one time you will get stung in the face you will have to leave the hive in pieces and go to get nedical help, i have been stung on most parts of the anatomy and the face is one of the most painfull, even when its red hot i always wear a veil and thats when i wear no top and just shorts, as for aggressive bee's dont make fast asumpsions i refere to a hive as aggressive only after three months of continuos bad behavour, after which the new queen is ordered and the old removed, just because they have been grumpy for once is not a hanging offence, and as for the whole passive bee thing my last three hives before they were stollenwould not allow you to get within 20 metres of them with out at least some banging into you, i used to use tobaco leaves for the smoker and would work them with no problems but if any neewbee tried it i am sure you would end up in hospital with anna shock, before you ask the reason why i kept them

year 2004 average yeild 100kg, the other three average 248kg
year 2005 86kg 186kg
year 2007 64kg the so called bad years 216kg that per hive times three

 

[grizzly]

Aint it just so - you want the Honey, you gotta allow some feistyness.

I moaned about mine tother day, but on the flip side, they will bring in the golden stuff for sure. no doubt about it !!!.

 

[FROGDOGDIVER]

Most long standing beekeepers I know tend to prefer the angry bees as they say they produce more honey. Ill stick with a happy medium. Well at least till the kids are older.