bees stinging family

[beekim]

The family is 3 adults and a puppy the first sting was to the dog and 2 adults were stung whilst sat outside the hive is facing away from the garden and there is a 4.5 ft hedge between the hives and the garden .This is the start of my 3rd year and my bees have always been calm before. when i checked on saturday all seemed well in the hive some honey, stores and a lot of brood, but the bees were all over my suit and veil they followed me a long way up the path and i stood for a long while till my husband brushed the last few off.two weeks before all was calm when i did my inspection.I sited my hives there because of access the ground is very boggy and uneven and i did not want to have to carry supers etc to far.has any one any suggestions on what to move them on now?

 

[MartinL]

Could be that they're stronger now but more likely they've superceded?
Was you queen marked or clipped?

 

[beekim]

the queen was marked but i have not seen her.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Personally i am always amazed that there are not more problems between neighbours and bee keepers. I would never keep bees in my very large garden, a sting bloody well hurts, by definition many bee keepers will be stirring their bees up on warm days at weekends.

Well not all gardens are the same, yours may be unsuitable even if it is large.
My bees are in the garden. The garden has hedges and fencing, high enough to make the bees take a steep flight in and out. They are above the heads of anyone in neighbouring gardens and the street by the time they leave my garden. the only person to have been stung by them is me.
A barrier of some sort is necessary to get bees above head height when close to neighbours or a footpath.
Chickens are a target for bees it has been known for a long time that bees do not like them, probably because chickens are unable to see what they are pecking at and will eat bees that are on the ground taking water and peck around hives for insects alarming the occupants.

 

[MartinL]

the queen was marked but i have not seen her.

That could be it.

Have a good inspection when you can, (make sure you look for an unmarked one) if she cant be found after a couple of good looks, (or you see the new queen) then you have your answer.

Maybe you could place a nuke containing some frames with eggs where your hive was.
Then replace her, use her squashed remains as a swarm lure?

 

[beekim]

Thanks Martinl a empty hive is where the hive was in case they dont go in to the hive in the new position,and i will re queen as soon as i can.

 

[Little John]

I sited my hives there because of access the ground is very boggy and uneven and i did not want to have to carry supers etc to far.has any one any suggestions on what to move them on now?

Something akin to a wheelbarrow base - one large fairly soft tyre etc - might be the way to go ? But "boggy and uneven" doesn't sound too great ...

Another approach might be to make up 2 x NUC boxes with carrying handles (in the style of cool boxes ?) and transfer the combs directly into those. Then carry 'em one in each hand, squelching across the meadow as you go ...

Good luck with that - sounds like a challenge.

 

[Little John]

Yes!
Accurate ones too! (mostly)

Must take a peek at the "Fountain of knowledge" in someone's 868?

Cabbages you say??

An identical style of pi$$-taking - what a surprise.

 

[drstitson]

"the hive is facing away from the garden and there is a 4.5 ft hedge between the hives and the garden'

not exactly enough to force the bees up and well over the heads of occupants of garden if bees choose to head that way - 4.5ft is lower than a well supered hive on a stand.

Perhaps if there'd been a proper 6ft+ fence or high hedge then the site might have been considered but accident waiting to happen IMHO.

 

[Gimlet]

I'm only in my third year but when I captured my first swarm at the back of my house I soon decided that they needed to be moved to the front about 50yrds away, using a few twigs of cotoneaster horizontalis there were no problems and that's where they now reside 20yrds from the front door and facing it but on a raised piece of ground so that their entrances are about 10ft high and well above head height.

Maybe I'm lucky? My bees seem to be quite placid, the first year I inspected in shorts, sandals and a tee shirt but then I got my first sting and got myself a hat with a veil and started wearing my wife's marigolds but last week I got back to leaving the gloves off and pulling up my sleeves to stop them from getting trapped up my cuffs.