Bees turned aggressive

[beeno]

Mine are very mild mannered this time of the year. Only pick very warm days though and no late inspections when they are all back in the hive! Would not dream of doing allotment beekeeping not that fond of humans at the best of times.

 

[For want of a better word]

I had fallen into bad habits last year. Too hasty in inspections, wrong use of smoke, with roughshod handling, and the bees reacted. So far this year have gone back to " proper handling" and they have been pussycats. Lesson learned. Too easy to get into bad habits and forget the basics.

On the insistence from a new beekeeper that both of her her colonies were queenless, I allowed myself to attempt an early inspection of her two colonies.
The lady had phoned me to see if I had any spare queens..... as she had been told that I keep nice NZ Italians.

Sunny and temp about 11C....... Smoker billowing the lady pumped a good few lungfulls straight into the entrance of both colonies... as she had been instructed on the course she had just attended... then proceeded to awkwardly lever off the roofs ( Polly Langs) with a hive tool.
Both colonies on single brood with no crownboards that I could see ( ? stuck inside roof?) .....the bees billowed out with teeth bared and stingers primed!
A wish I was not here moment to say the least.

May try again next week if the temperature goes up a bit..... and take a small sprayer filled with warm rosemary water!

Hope they do not remember me?

Myttin da

 

[user 6228]

On the insistence from a new beekeeper that both of her her colonies were queenless, I allowed myself to attempt an early inspection of her two colonies.
The lady had phoned me to see if I had any spare queens..... as she had been told that I keep nice NZ Italians.

Sunny and temp about 11C....... Smoker billowing the lady pumped a good few lungfulls straight into the entrance of both colonies... as she had been instructed on the course she had just attended... then proceeded to awkwardly lever off the roofs ( Polly Langs) with a hive tool.
Both colonies on single brood with no crownboards that I could see ( ? stuck inside roof?) .....the bees billowed out with teeth bared and stingers primed!
A wish I was not here moment to say the least.

May try again next week if the temperature goes up a bit..... and take a small sprayer filled with warm rosemary water!

Hope they do not remember me?

Myttin da

let me guess no count to ten after seal on the roof was broken...

 

[drex]

to inspect without gloves, queen clipped but when replacing the frame they went nuts , 5 or 6 stings to my hands almost simultaneously and many hundreds more trying. I took a few steps back and smoked myself before closing up. No idea what riled them(other than the 6pm inspection) but I've not seen so many go on the attack for no reason, yet be otherwise civilised. Only 9 frames of bees at the . Moment and i wouldn't fancy that response from a big Colony. They best mind their manners the next few inspections or hrh is for the chop.

Fine one minute, nasty the next, I would think it was something that I did, jolting a frame? Rolling or squashing bees etc. Only reasonable explanation.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes... but on two colonies.. mayhem!!

Yeghes da

 

[SDM]

Fine one minute, nasty the next, I would think it was something that I did, jolting a frame? Rolling or squashing bees etc. Only reasonable explanation.

I agree but i don't know what it was. I'd taken the frame with the queen on to one side while clipping and was returning that frame. I wasn't in contact with the hive when they jumped me. I'd suspect something on my now bare hands but it hadn't bothered the ones on the queens frame when i picked her up.

 

[Swarm]

Perhaps they just watched what you did to their mother?

 

[slangers]

I've just put up some screens in front of the hives to try and force them higher and take less interest in what is going on in the garden. Mrs Slangers was stung today and was not pleased.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've just put up some screens in front of the hives to try and force them higher and take less interest in what is going on in the garden. Mrs Slangers was stung today and was not pleased.

That's what happens when the chain to the kitchen sink is too long

 

[philipm]

I've found that if I check the fiesty bees first then it tends to have an effect on the next hive I inspect setting them off.I wonder if they sense the stings on my suit or gloves.

 

[justsmith]

If bees turn aggressive due to rough handling or due to outside factors, if you move them or handle them better will they claim down or will they all ways stop aggressive once they gone down that route?

 

[pargyle]

I've found that if I check the fiesty bees first then it tends to have an effect on the next hive I inspect setting them off.I wonder if they sense the stings on my suit or gloves.

Yes ... Bees recognise the attack pheremones released when they sting - that's why you often find that if you get stung you will get stung again in the same (or near to it) place on your body. If one hive has been stingy the odds are that they will sense that there is a threat from the pheremones left behind - indeed, the odds are that if the hive is close to the original stingy hive it will be the bees from this one as much as the next one.

Best thing to do if you are having a rough time is close it up and walk away - there's always another day. Start with a different hive next time.

 

[pargyle]

If bees turn aggressive due to rough handling or due to outside factors, if you move them or handle them better will they claim down or will they all ways stop aggressive once they gone down that route?

How long is a piece of string ?

The answer is that there are so many variables you can never tell .. if the bees are aggressive because you are clumsy try not be be clumsy next time, if they sense you are not calm they will react - calm down - if the weather is poor, try another day. If they are still aggressive after you have been gentle, calmed down and it's a fine day then you might have a problem ... if they are the same again the next time I would be putting the queen on notice of eviction ... three times and it's time for the gatepost in my opinion.