Bad tempered bees

[Lindylou]

Has anyone else got problems with bad tempered bees? In one hive our normally lovely gentle bees have gone mad during the past 2 weeks. Starting to dread going near them. Only got as far as frame 4 today and had to close up. Hubby's veil was full of angry buzzing bees and I was getting pinged all the time. Is it the weather?

 

[protheroe]

Has anyone else got problems with bad tempered bees? In one hive our normally lovely gentle bees have gone mad during the past 2 weeks. Starting to dread going near them. Only got as far as frame 4 today and had to close up. Hubby's veil was full of angry buzzing bees and I was getting pinged all the time. Is it the weather?

probably.My calmest colonies can be very aggressive when the weather is not good.Suns out today and i got no stings[for a change]

 

[Outlander]

There have been a lot of people complaining of angry bees of late and the common thoughts seem to blame the weather. You did see signs of the queen didn’t you Lindy.

 

[Lindylou]

Yes we did see the queen. It just wasn't a pleasant experience. Not what you want when you are beginners - as we are. But, we won't let that put us off. Our other hive is as mild as anything - at the moment

 

[Outlander]

I have been very lucky Lindy my first colony came as a six frame nuc middle of June which I have put my first super on today and the second was a prime swarm caught on the heartsease estate in Norwich two weeks ago. Checked both yesterday both doing very well the swarm has a marked queen in yellow and she is laying like crazy and both colonies very clam

 

[itma]

Lots of other possibilities for bad temper - including being robbed!

 

[enrico]

Please don't get depressed with stroppy colonies. You have several choices.
Get dressed in bomb proof gear and go for it. Two layers of everything!
Put up with the stings. Why?
Leave them alone for a few weeks to calm down. Only go in if absolutely necessary, after all if they swarm and you lose half your hive you will be dealing with less bees and hope for a queen with a better temper. It probably won't come to this as bees have bad days the same as us and can change temperament overnight.
You can consider requeening
As the worst scenario you can dispose of the whole hive
I have a hive that can be as nice as pie or sheer hell. I never know until I remove the roof!!
My biggest tip is not to keep opening your bees unless you are doing so for a purpose, only open them until you have achieved that purpose. Wait for the right conditions and when your bees are flying well.
If they are bored or fed up they will take it out on you!!
Most of all keep smiling. It helps to have an experienced keeper with you if you are getting nervous and losing confidence.
Keep smiling
E

 

[Poly Hive]

Veil full of bees? It was secured?

Veil being pinged? Sorry but that is not that unusual.

Sounds as if they are a bit grumpy from the weather but the weather can act as a very good guide to good temper. Most if not all are very good when the sun is out and all is well, the real temperament shows under stress, not unlike us...

PH

 

[johnmcc]

My bees were very friendly until this year. I've now moved them to a friend's field because neighbours were being stung, apparently for no reason.

One thing - because my bees were so calm I'd got used to opening the hives without smoking them. Not any more! I now smoke the entrance a couple of minutes before I open, and I smoke under the crown board before fully lifting it. And I will re-smoke if necessary to drive them down into the brood or the super immediately above it.

 

[Heather]

Are they hungry? Bees can be vile if they are panicking ... no queen... dlq.... low stores.... lousy weather. There is usually a reason. This year has been FOUL with lots of peed off bees.

If stores+, queen laying well, and sunny -that's a different scenario- think of dumping that queen to replace with a ripe queen cell 2 days later from a nice colony- or even buy queen in. Always leave 2 days queenless before you replace.

6 weeks later - much better behaviour.

 

[Tom Bick]

Some bees need more time for the smoke to take effect. Give the hive a good smoke and then give it a good four mins before opening the hive.

 

[Tom Bick]

Please don't get depressed with stroppy colonies. You have several choices.
Get dressed in bomb proof gear and go for it. Two layers of everything!
Put up with the stings. Why?
Leave them alone for a few weeks to calm down. Only go in if absolutely necessary, after all if they swarm and you lose half your hive you will be dealing with less bees and hope for a queen with a better temper. It probably won't come to this as bees have bad days the same as us and can change temperament overnight.
You can consider requeening
As the worst scenario you can dispose of the whole hive
I have a hive that can be as nice as pie or sheer hell. I never know until I remove the roof!!
My biggest tip is not to keep opening your bees unless you are doing so for a purpose, only open them until you have achieved that purpose. Wait for the right conditions and when your bees are flying well.
If they are bored or fed up they will take it out on you!!
Most of all keep smiling. It helps to have an experienced keeper with you if you are getting nervous and losing confidence.
Keep smiling
E

Sorry but that is poor advice.

 

[Beanwood]

Are they hungry? Bees can be vile if they are panicking ... no queen... dlq.... low stores.... lousy weather. There is usually a reason. This year has been FOUL with lots of peed off bees.

If stores+, queen laying well, and sunny -that's a different scenario- think of dumping that queen to replace with a ripe queen cell 2 days later from a nice colony- or even buy queen in. Always leave 2 days queenless before you replace.

6 weeks later - much better behaviour.

I concur completely. Last week 2 of mine were VILE. They were both Q- and hungry unfortunately.

This week, 1 hive has a laying queen again
The other still have no laying queen, but have stocked up in a major way on stores.
NO- this weeks drama is the 14x12 box covered in bees and FULL of brood, that I need to stick a super on, so they have somewhere for their stores.

They were ALL sweethearts when they arrived. They've become spawn of the devil, but now appear to be reurning to normal.

It seems to me - Queen, Brood, Food - remove any one and you can expect trouble.

HTH

 

[the beehive lodge]

smoking the entrance

was reading my bbka mag and in an artical it stated that when smoking the front only sends the bees we are about to check up to the the crown board so when we open it bees are flying up and out whats your thoughts on only smoking from under the crown board which will send them down i think im going to try not to do from now on

 

[itma]

was reading my bbka mag and in an artical it stated that when smoking the front only sends the bees we are about to check up to the the crown board so when we open it bees are flying up and out whats your thoughts on only smoking from under the crown board which will send them down i think im going to try not to do from now on

I'd just suggest that there's a difference between pacifying bees and driving bees.

To pacify them (hopefully) - gently show them some smoke and wait (plural whole actual minutes - remember that beekeeping needs and develops patience), while the bees stuff themselves with some honey and thus become (even more) relaxed.
To drive them, blow smoke at them, and if they don't move away from the smoke pretty quickly, blow some more. Just don't expect such treatment to quieten the bees.
Two different things, all too easily confused.

A puff of smoke under the crownboard on opening, or over the topbars before closing, is a rather different thing to the smoke being applied before the hive is disturbed.

 

[Heather]

Try NO smoke - but cover exposed frames with a dark cloth on opening the hive- wait till they go back to work, then gently work your way across, using a second cloth to cover examined frames. If removing a super cover that with a cloth..

Yep, lots of cloths- and NEVER use hive to hive.... always clean per hive... but it really works, unless you have a problem hive. And as said, use a puff of smoke then to remove them from the frame you want to lift.

Some colonies get worse when guffed with smoke- if you keep it natural they may appreciate it.

Worth a try

 

[enrico]

Sorry but that is poor advice.

Tom, it depends if you are a beginner and close to giving up. I agree it IS poor advice but if all else fails sometimes it is good to take a step back.... I would rather beginners lost a swarm than gave up.... Maybe you were lucky enough never to have a hive like that until you were more experienced. In your first year it can be all you need to pack up! All I was saying was.... If you lose a swarm it ain't the end of the world,