Bees more agitated in recent weeks

[BernardBlack]

My bees seem very cranky and agitated lately (last 6 weeks or so), but especially the last couple of weeks.

Very agitated last two inspections in particular, and I’ve been chased around the place by the odd bee while doing odd jobs 30/40 yards away. Had to take cover in my shed.

Wasp season, maybe?
Queen genetics?

Is it just me, or others experiencing similar?

 

[E&MBees]

Both my colonies have been very agitated. One so much so, that they were attacking the dog as well as us, even when we walked down the garden. They have been moved from our garden to a temporary out apiary. I think it was a combination of factors that got them riled - OAV, wasps, general disturbance after I discovered that they were under shooting the entrance, a pause in flow before the ivy came in. Hoping that now the ivy is in full flow that status quo will be restored.

 

[Amari]

My bees seem very cranky and agitated lately (last 6 weeks or so), but especially the last couple of weeks.

Very agitated last two inspections in particular, and I’ve been chased around the place by the odd bee while doing odd jobs 30/40 yards away. Had to take cover in my shed.

Wasp season, maybe?
Queen genetics?

Is it just me, or others experiencing similar?

Just to be contrary, my colonies on three sites in the parish have been unusually calm for a couple of months. Earlier in the season I was constantly pinged and had to zip up my veil before leaving my van.
The problem was knowing which colony was mainly responsible for these aggressive guard bees.
Things improved when I moved the suspect colony to an out-apiary and when I purchased 4 queens from Ged Marshall and 4 from Exmoor Bees and Beehives. Extravagant I know but covered a few times over by honey sales.

 

[Swarm]

My bees seem very cranky and agitated lately (last 6 weeks or so), but especially the last couple of weeks.

Very agitated last two inspections in particular, and I’ve been chased around the place by the odd bee while doing odd jobs 30/40 yards away. Had to take cover in my shed.

Wasp season, maybe?
Queen genetics?

Is it just me, or others experiencing similar?

I'm sure it's nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with circumstances, there is usually a reason they become overly defensive. I've never seen such a season, the bees have been on subsistence foraging for practically all of it, apart from the periods of dearth and disgusting weather conditions. Factor all this, probably the highest wasp numbers I've seen and you are still opening up and inspecting, I think their patience has been tested.
During one dearth, my landlord found a big cluster of bees under the OMF (they covered it!) The colony was enormous at the time and didn't appreciate our disturbance as we sorted it out. We were black with bees, they were attacking the sprayer and making a hell of a noise. Had a cloud of followers that hung around while we inspected a line of nucs. Stripping them of three supers and bringing the top brood of the Demarree down for double brood configuration two weeks ago and not a single bee left the combs.

 

[Amari]

I'm sure it's nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with circumstances, there is usually a reason they become overly defensive. I've never seen such a season, the bees have been on subsistence foraging for practically all of it, apart from the periods of dearth and disgusting weather conditions. Factor all this, probably the highest wasp numbers I've seen and you are still opening up and inspecting, I think their patience has been tested.
During one dearth, my landlord found a big cluster of bees under the OMF (they covered it!) The colony was enormous at the time and didn't appreciate our disturbance as we sorted it out. We were black with bees, they were attacking the sprayer and making a hell of a noise. Had a cloud of followers that hung around while we inspected a line of nucs. Stripping them of three supers and bringing the top brood of the Demarree down for double brood configuration two weeks ago and not a single bee left the combs.

What was the purpose of the Demarree this late in the season?

 

[Levitt53]

They are normally a bit agitated this time of year when you go into the hive in my experience. They are getting ready for their winter so best to leave them alone unless you really need to go in. There is no need for weekly inspections now. Mine are now left to their own devices apart from one which was a small late swarm and I need to decide how much more to feed them.

 

[Swarm]

What was the purpose of the Demarree this late in the season?

It was originally full of brood above three supers, now it is full of honey.

 

[BernardBlack]

They are normally a bit agitated this time of year when you go into the hive in my experience. They are getting ready for their winter so best to leave them alone unless you really need to go in. There is no need for weekly inspections now. Mine are now left to their own devices apart from one which was a small late swarm and I need to decide how much more to feed them.

Yes, I mainly checked last time for stores, as they’re not substantial.

Just re-queened today also, so will need to go back in again to make sure that has went ok.

After that, I’m done.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mine are the quietest they've been in weeks. Even the hive from hell were as gentle as lambs yesterday

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine are all good too

 

[user 819]

All mine are fine, #7 was a little huffy but all is fine now that a new queen has mated and is laying.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I have heard it said that a high varroa load can make bees defensive (apart from the usual mentioned already: poor genetics, no flow, and bad weather).

 

[Speybee]

This afternoon hived the Nuc as planned, no problem with them after their return home yesterday evening.

The other 4 hives unusually, were vicious little gits today and I’ve put it down to the weather mainly.
Went into each of the deep brood nests to place the Apivar strips and they were not happy at all, despite the sultry tropical weather this afternoon at 17C but verging on the thundery.

Made up 2:1 syrup and out an Ashforth over Hive1 and they calmed down after about 15 minutes.

As I didn’t have enough time available to me today, I will feed 2 other hives tomorrow on Ashforth feeders and the other one will use a rapid feeder and make the most of the Indian summer for feeding them.

 

[Swn58]

Nearing the end of the season I always feel they are all a bit more cranky. hardly surprising from the queen's point of view maybe....what with the coming winter?

 

[user 819]

Cranky and thundery looking sky's tend to go hand in hand at times.

 

[DRam]

My colonies are generally really calm, but the two occasions that they were really aggressive was when they were constructing emergency queen cells and the cells were not yet capped. Once capped they returned to being pretty calm.

 

[Kaz]

My bees seem very cranky and agitated lately (last 6 weeks or so), but especially the last couple of weeks.

Very agitated last two inspections in particular, and I’ve been chased around the place by the odd bee while doing odd jobs 30/40 yards away. Had to take cover in my shed.

Wasp season, maybe?
Queen genetics?

Is it just me, or others experiencing similar?

Are they getting hangry? Some of my colonies have run out of stores and started to get agitated. Plenty of feed added and harmony restored...?

 

[BernardBlack]

Are they getting hangry? Some of my colonies have run out of stores and started to get agitated. Plenty of feed added and harmony restored...?

Stores aren’t brilliant. I’ve been feeding last few weeks.

Might be a factor.