Bees are rebelling

[SixFooter]

This year, all my colonies on all 4 sites are difficult to live with. They all hate inspections and sting a lot. I have a problem with bees on an allotment site stinging me as I am weeding an I don't mean just after an inspection. My bees at home go ballistic when I inspect and I do not have a single colony at the moment with nice calm non stinging bees.

I was seriously thinking of giving up as it got to be a nightmare.

However, I got some thick gloves, a rugby shirt, some wrist protectors and a baseball cap. These make me almost sting proof, so the more exciting inspections are quite enjoyable now. I keep checking with neighbours that the bees are not a problem to them an so far so good on that score.

It must be the weather because my bees are from a variety of sources and I haven't had problems like this in previous years.

Are other people having a similar experience this year?

 

[bpmurray]

From the discussions here, it seems to be a common problem this year. Of 4 aggressive hives & a nuc, one has settled down completely, two are OK, the nuc is still a little excitable and the bees from the last Q- hive follow as far as the road. So I'm getting there, but a way to go yet. I think you're right about the weather - when summer arrives, hopefully they'll all calm down.

 

[meetballuk]

same for me all grumpy but starting to settle, i think its the wind as the sheltered one have been calmest. all finished swarming as well to
i felt the same and have just left them to sort them selfs out

 

[Teemore]

If temperatures drop and there is little or no nectar flow, the bees will get defensive and will be defending their homes and stores of honey. As often noted here, if they are being subjected to robbing attempts they will also be defensive. If they are protecting new queens/queen cells, some colonies will be similarly defensive.
If they are not out foraging, lots more bees will be in the hive and will react to your inspections. (Think small children cooped up in a small touring caravan on a wet weekend...) There is a big difference in inspecting hives when all the bees are at home and when a goodly proportion are out foraging. Think about how your bees react when you inspect at noon on a calm, warm day and how they react at 8pm on a cool, damp evening....
Even when you get a lot of bees flying during an inspection, reactions are not always aggressive. Opening up a big strong hive will generally result in a lot of bees in the air. Normally mine will mill about a bit and there is no aggressive buzzing whilst going through the hives. Occasionally you will get aggressive bees: they sound angry and either head butt your veil or do their damnedest to try to burrow through your veil. As others have commented, they often settle down again.

 

[Tom Bick]

This year, all my colonies on all 4 sites are difficult to live with. They all hate inspections and sting a lot. I have a problem with bees on an allotment site stinging me as I am weeding an I don't mean just after an inspection. My bees at home go ballistic when I inspect and I do not have a single colony at the moment with nice calm non stinging bees.

I was seriously thinking of giving up as it got to be a nightmare.

However, I got some thick gloves, a rugby shirt, some wrist protectors and a baseball cap. These make me almost sting proof, so the more exciting inspections are quite enjoyable now. I keep checking with neighbours that the bees are not a problem to them an so far so good on that score.

It must be the weather because my bees are from a variety of sources and I haven't had problems like this in previous years.

Are other people having a similar experience this year?

When the weather improves things will improve but the bad times will probably return towards the end of the season especially when you remove the honey. If it was me I would be making plans to change the queens sap.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Breed from the best - in 5 years they'll be ok!

 

[BrianO]

Yes, opened a hive on brood and 1/2 , worked through, no problems odd stinging bee,

Wandered over to a polynuc with a sealed QC from a week ago, opened lid and lifted perspex.

Holy God, talk about going ballistic ! A new experience, have plenty of times seen bees GET angrier as inspection progresses, but to see such aggression from the start ! .

Artribute maybe to being possibly queenless ( need to check ) .

 

[psafloyd]

This year, all my colonies on all 4 sites are difficult to live with. They all hate inspections and sting a lot. I have a problem with bees on an allotment site stinging me as I am weeding an I don't mean just after an inspection. My bees at home go ballistic when I inspect and I do not have a single colony at the moment with nice calm non stinging bees.

I was seriously thinking of giving up as it got to be a nightmare.

However, I got some thick gloves, a rugby shirt, some wrist protectors and a baseball cap. These make me almost sting proof, so the more exciting inspections are quite enjoyable now. I keep checking with neighbours that the bees are not a problem to them an so far so good on that score.

It must be the weather because my bees are from a variety of sources and I haven't had problems like this in previous years.

Are other people having a similar experience this year?

Change your aftershave?

 

[Excession]

Stop throwing the boxes around and start being nice to them?!?

 

[SixFooter]

Breed from the best - in 5 years they'll be ok!

I haven't got any that I think are good enough. I have ordered some queens though.

 

[Swarm]

It's nothing to do with aftershave or throwing boxes around, plenty here saying the same thing.

 

[Obee1]

My two hives turned evil. Meanwhile I bought myself a nuc of buckfasts from hivemaker which has restored my faith in bees. Now in process of requeening the two evil hives. One with a buckfast queen one with a carniolan. If I had to deal with horrible bees like this all the time I would give up being a beek. It's no fun.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's nothing to do with aftershave or throwing boxes around, plenty here saying the same thing.

Even the most laid back of my colonies are not nice at the moment.