Bees are very grumpy

[user 3509]

We are finding that all our colonies are becoming very grumpy, they are eating all their stores, and although the queens are laying the brood nests are not expanding, and they are all producing queen cells so AS are having to be carried out. Anyone else experiencing a similar situation?

 

[JohnRB]

I have a couple of colonies like this and have had reports of similar from friends

 

[BigAshW]

Yeah. Mine were all pretty annoyed with me as well.

 

[greenmeaney]

I'm not sure but it may be to do with the weather.I went through my hives a week ago Nice and sunny to start with temperature 15c ok to start with but then clouds came over and temp dropped then they got realy narky. Today nice and sunny no cloud temp 21c all nice and calm no smoke used no stings. Not a lot of stores suspect late frost ruined blossoms.

 

[GuyNir]

Welcome to my life

I’m sure the weather plays a big part.

 

[greenmeaney]

I just had another thought mine seem to be very scent sensitive if I use police after shave no problems but if i use barbour they wont even let me walk past hives same with different anti persperants. Has any one else have the same experiance?

 

[Stiffy]

I’ve had to feed a few colonies, which is very unusual. Others though at different apiaries are on 2-3 supers, it’s a very strange year!

 

[madasafish]

I just had another thought mine seem to be very scent sensitive if I use police after shave no problems but if i use barbour they wont even let me walk past hives same with different anti persperants. Has any one else have the same experiance?

I never use any highly perfumed scent/or cream. (Hair spray is no good for baldies)
Bees tend not to like them.

We also advise beginners to avoid them...

(Despite that, sometimes grumpy bees sting. I requeen perpetually horrible bees)

 

[user 3509]

I’ve had to feed a few colonies, which is very unusual. Others though at different apiaries are on 2-3 supers, it’s a very strange year!

The colonies in two of our apiary sites have 3-4 supers on. The third site we have fed today as they have eaten everything, including any fresh nectar brought in earlier this year when all the colonies were expanding at a terrific rate and we were having to double brood and supers full of stores left over from the winter.

 

[The Poot]

The colonies in two of our apiary sites have 3-4 supers on. The third site we have fed today as they have eaten everything, including any fresh nectar brought in earlier this year when all the colonies were expanding at a terrific rate and we were having to double brood and supers full of stores left over from the winter.

Very much the same for me - all onto double brood and added supers as the queens were on steroids, then the grotty weather caused reduced laying and reduced nectar availability when there are more mouths to feed. All bar one are using what they forage, only one is storing in two supers. It really is odd at the moment.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hair spray is no good for baldies

What about Pledge?

 

[greenmeaney]

I never use any highly perfumed scent/or cream. (Hair spray is no good for baldies)
Bees tend not to like them.

We also advise beginners to avoid them...

(Despite that, sometimes grumpy bees sting. I requeen perpetually horrible bees)

I don't when working on hives but do when going out and swmbo insists I put on smelly stuff, it's just I've noticed when passing hives wearing different pongs.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What about Pledge?

Don’t be silly. Beeswax is the preferred polish

 

[gwt_uk]

Yes, I have one colony that has been very ill tempered over the last two weeks. They were aggressive during last inspection! I put it down to the cold weather.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have had several really nasty hives in the last few weeks and I put it down to the weather and lack of forage. This evening I had to find a queen in a hive that were starting to put up Q cells so I started the inspection and they well ballistic!! Constantly pinging off my veil and nitrile gloves.
I took one sting on my wrist which smarted but then a bee managed to find a gap in the neck zip and got into my veil. Before I had a chance to squish it had stung me on the nose and GOD DID THAT SMART!!!!!!!!
I was determined to find the queen or it would have meant another trip tomorrow and on the 10th frame on my second pass I saw her, a little slip of a queen, who I think would have got through a QX if they had one, so I grab her and squished her. I'll go back next week and make them hopelessly queenless before giving them a cell from a calm hive.

 

[boywonder]

[...] they have eaten everything, including any fresh nectar brought in earlier this year when all the colonies were expanding at a terrific rate [...]

... This... although very colony (not location) specific. I have seen rapid colony regression and some near starvation situations arising in colonies which were booming only a couple of weeks ago. For me, it seems to have primarily affected colonies of Buckfast-esqe lineage. The local mongrels are still pretty much rocking - although even there, there is currently little or no storing going on; all income is being used. Hopefully the corner is going to be turned here in the next few days, with the slight uptick in temperatures and with everything having had a good soaking.

 

[Murox]

I do not have any known buckfast-esqe lineage, but i do have a mixed bag of those with good stores and those with little who are being fed.

 

[ericbeaumont]

the weather and lack of forage

That's it.

 

[steve1958]

I just had another thought mine seem to be very scent sensitive if I use police after shave no problems but if i use barbour they wont even let me walk past hives same with different anti persperants. Has any one else have the same experiance?

Head and Shoulders shampoo. My bees hate it with a vengeance

 

[enrico]

Head and Shoulders shampoo. My bees hate it with a vengeance

Will add cordisyl toothpaste to that list!