Beginner woes and triumphs

[BeeJuice]

The only time my bees attacked my hands like that was when I wore some gloves with a black rubber palm. They hate the colour black.

 

[For want of a better word]

It sounds like one hive is much grumpier than the other - and that can really dent your confidence. Personally, I found that my bees temperament improved once I ditched the big gloves and moved over to marigolds, as I was less likely to squish bees during an inspection.

Another thing you could try which would help reduce the number of flying bees is a cover cloth, like this :

http://cornishhoney.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=250

You can always use a bedsheet rather than buying that one.

A point so often not thoroughly explained to the beginner is the fact that bees emit substances that contaminate and linger the beekeeper and his equipment and can instigate an apparent anger or defense response from another colony.
Equipment can also transfer disease from colony to colony.
... dirty contaminated beekeeping gloves designed to stop the beekeepers hands from stings are but one example

By far a better device than the Bee Hive Manipulation Cover Cloth is to utilise the dummy board as a half of the frames cover during inspection.
Advantage is that it is already penetrated with that particular hive's aroma, does not squish bees, and is there to hand.

However saying that Grandfather used to have a soft fold-able calico "quilt" on each colony, which is the equivalent of the hard crownboards used today ( Back then they were called clearer boards) the quilt also being specific to each colony was used much in the same way as a Bee Hive Manipulation Cover Cloth.

I suppose one could purchase one for each colony... but I could find better use within the apiary to spend £1650+ on !!

Yeghes da

 

[ShinySideUp]

A point so often not thoroughly explained to the beginner is the fact that bees emit substances that contaminate and linger the beekeeper and his equipment and can instigate an apparent anger or defense response from another colony.
Equipment can also transfer disease from colony to colony.
... dirty contaminated beekeeping gloves designed to stop the beekeepers hands from stings are but one example

By far a better device than the Bee Hive Manipulation Cover Cloth is to utilise the dummy board as a half of the frames cover during inspection.
Advantage is that it is already penetrated with that particular hive's aroma, does not squish bees, and is there to hand.

However saying that Grandfather used to have a soft fold-able calico "quilt" on each colony, which is the equivalent of the hard crownboards used today ( Back then they were called clearer boards) the quilt also being specific to each colony was used much in the same way as a Bee Hive Manipulation Cover Cloth.

I suppose one could purchase one for each colony... but I could find better use within the apiary to spend £1650+ on !!

Yeghes da

For a so-called intelligent man I can be a bit thick sometimes. Why didn't I think of covering the frames with the dummy board.

I have washed everything and have new nitrile gloves, I shall do the grumpy hive first at the weekend and see what happens using everything people have told me here.

I'll report back after the weekend.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

If you were to register on Beebase, you'd get a visit plus inspection by the Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI). These inspectors are very experienced beekeepers and you could regard the inspection as a master-class in handling frames and bees. Just stand back and watch - you'd learn a lot.

At least you might find if it's the bees or your handling that's the source of the problem.

CVB

 

[ShinySideUp]

If you were to register on Beebase, you'd get a visit plus inspection by the Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI). These inspectors are very experienced beekeepers and you could regard the inspection as a master-class in handling frames and bees. Just stand back and watch - you'd learn a lot.

At least you might find if it's the bees or your handling that's the source of the problem.

CVB

I didn't know that. I have registered on Beebase, do they contact you or do you have to contact them?

 

[JWF]

I registered on beebase three years ago and nobody has ever contacted me

 

[Hivemaker.]

These inspectors are very experienced beekeepers and you could regard the inspection as a master-class in handling frames and bees. Just stand back and watch - you'd learn a lot.

At least you might find if it's the bees or your handling that's the source of the problem.

There was a certain bee farmer member on here a while ago that was having an inspection done by two bee inspectors, he stopped one of them from handling his bees... because he was too rough and killing/rolling lots of bees by his rough methods...master class.

 

[bjosephd]

There was a certain bee farmer member on here a while ago that was having an inspection done by two bee inspectors, he stopped one of them from handling his bees... because he was too rough and killing/rolling lots of bees by his rough methods...master class.

Yup, I handle my frames pretty much like dismantling some kind of movie biological bomb.

My handling is slowly getting more swift... but I err on the side of less squishing and banging... especially as I am paranoid that just squishing one bee could be the queen.

I'm often surprised how clunky some 'experienced' beekeepers inspect.

Practice makes permanent as they say.

(back to the OP - I would suggest going to your grumpy hive last, lest you be covered in nasty anger making sting pheromones after getting stapled head to toe by the nasty hive - could effect your nice hives mood with the following inspections)

 

[JWF]

(back to the OP - I would suggest going to your grumpy hive last, lest you be covered in nasty anger making sting pheromones after getting stapled head to toe by the nasty hive - could effect your nice hives mood with the following inspections)

But if that hive is grumpy due to the presence of alarm pheromone from the other hives this won't achieve anything.

At least by doing it first temperament can be assessed fairly.

As described above, using disposable gloves and/or washing in a bucket of washing soda will also help prevent any cross contamination from hive to hive.

 

[colinc]

But if that hive is grumpy due to the presence of alarm pheromone from the other hives this won't achieve anything.



At least by doing it first temperament can be assessed fairly.



As described above, using disposable gloves and/or washing in a bucket of washing soda will also help prevent any cross contamination from hive to hive.

If you want to know if that hive is grumpy for that reason then you would need to go into that hive and that hive only with clean kit. Because if you then go into the next hive with stings everywhere then you could, as stated above, make the calmer hives grumpier.

Joy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I didn't know that. I have registered on Beebase, do they contact you or do you have to contact them?

The SBI should contact you but if there is a disease outbreak locally, he or she will be busy and your apiary might get missed. Ask somebody at your association who your SBI is and make contact. My apiary has been inspected by 3 SBIs and each one was brilliant at handling bees but as others have pointed out, there may be exceptions to the quality of personnel that I experienced.

CVB

 

[ShinySideUp]

Well, after the weekend and another foray into the world of bees I can report on some of the suggestions and my own ideas that have worked to make this a much more enjoyable hobby.

Went into Schrodinger first (the quieter hive) but this time using all my weapons of defence, but more of this in a moment. Plenty of food, brood and no disease that I can see. Five weeks of beekeeping and I have still yet to see an egg despite wearing reading glasses, they just mustn't register but I'll get there. Took down what might have bee a supcedure cell (not sure I should have done that) that did have a larvae in but it was the only cell in the whole hive so not sure why it was there. I'll have a better look next weekend now I feel more confident...

...and so to the nasty hive.

I went in wearing a pair of Tesco Tough latex gloves over which I put a pair of thin nitriles so as to make them disposable wihout costing a lot of money on extra Tesco gloves. At one point the bees were all over my hands, bee gloves if you will, but I was unconcerned this time as not only did they not (or could not) sting but I was also wearing a pair of industrial ear defenders on my head which served to dramatically reduce the angry buzzing of the bees therefore lessening my anxiety to the point where is just about disappeared. I also used a frame grip rather than my hands to lift the frames out leaving the bees nowhere to aim at. Once lifted out I put the frame on a device I made that holds the frame without hands and allows the frame to be rotated to see both sides.

All in all, a very satisfactory expedition with much reduced stress, something that may also have made the bees less aggressive.

 

[Swarm]

There was a certain bee farmer member on here a while ago that was having an inspection done by two bee inspectors, he stopped one of them from handling his bees... because he was too rough and killing/rolling lots of bees by his rough methods...master class.

Had it myself, crushed bees everywhere and when the colony starts to really object, leave you to close them all up.
Forget an inspector and get someone experienced to help you sort them, they were not good as a nuc and they will only get worse.
These just sound like horrible bees, yes they do exist.

 

[Millet]

Well, after the weekend and another foray into the world of bees I can report on some of the suggestions and my own ideas that have worked to make this a much more enjoyable hobby.

Went into Schrodinger first (the quieter hive) but this time using all my weapons of defence, but more of this in a moment. Plenty of food, brood and no disease that I can see. Five weeks of beekeeping and I have still yet to see an egg despite wearing reading glasses, they just mustn't register but I'll get there. Took down what might have bee a supcedure cell (not sure I should have done that) that did have a larvae in but it was the only cell in the whole hive so not sure why it was there. I'll have a better look next weekend now I feel more confident...

...and so to the nasty hive.

I went in wearing a pair of Tesco Tough latex gloves over which I put a pair of thin nitriles so as to make them disposable wihout costing a lot of money on extra Tesco gloves. At one point the bees were all over my hands, bee gloves if you will, but I was unconcerned this time as not only did they not (or could not) sting but I was also wearing a pair of industrial ear defenders on my head which served to dramatically reduce the angry buzzing of the bees therefore lessening my anxiety to the point where is just about disappeared. I also used a frame grip rather than my hands to lift the frames out leaving the bees nowhere to aim at. Once lifted out I put the frame on a device I made that holds the frame without hands and allows the frame to be rotated to see both sides.

All in all, a very satisfactory expedition with much reduced stress, something that may also have made the bees less aggressive.

Use a little LED torch the eggs will stand out like a sore thumb if there is any there, don't use a black torch though they go mental believe me, on the Queen cell i would not have removed it personally till i had found eggs.

 

[bjosephd]

Use a little LED torch the eggs will stand out like a sore thumb if there is any there, don't use a black torch though they go mental believe me, on the Queen cell i would not have removed it personally till i had found eggs.

Currently experimenting with black plastic foundation.

I don't have trouble seeing eggs normally... but blimey they are soooo much easier to spot with black foundation!

 

[pargyle]

Took down what might have bee a supcedure cell (not sure I should have done that) that did have a larvae in but it was the only cell in the whole hive so not sure why it was there. I'll have a better look next weekend now I feel more confident...

Not a good idea ... one queen cell usually means supercedure ... was it in the middle of a frame ? That either means you have a failing queen or possibly no queen ...

Never a good idea to tear down queen cells without thinking about what is going one...

Have you not yet read Wally Shaw's pamphlet 'I have queen cells in my hive'.

Free on the net if you google search.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Not a good idea ... one queen cell usually means supercedure ... was it in the middle of a frame ? That either means you have a failing queen or possibly no queen ...

Never a good idea to tear down queen cells without thinking about what is going one...

Have you not yet read Wally Shaw's pamphlet 'I have queen cells in my hive'.

Free on the net if you google search.

No, it was on the edge of the frame and just the one. AS soon I took it out I thought "that was a mistake", I do have a queen though, I saw her last week, just six days ago and there is a lot of brood and larvae in there so I can't see the queen is missing since then, nor failing.

 

[pargyle]

No, it was on the edge of the frame and just the one. AS soon I took it out I thought "that was a mistake", I do have a queen though, I saw her last week, just six days ago and there is a lot of brood and larvae in there so I can't see the queen is missing since then, nor failing.

Hmmm ... there's usually a reason for queen cells ... Supercedure or Swarming ... they do occasionally make them and tear them down - but not often where there is a larvae in there ... You'll just have to watch and see what happens ...they may well try again.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Hmmm ... there's usually a reason for queen cells ... Supercedure or Swarming ... they do occasionally make them and tear them down - but not often where there is a larvae in there ... You'll just have to watch and see what happens ...they may well try again.

I have arranged for an experienced beekeeper to go through my hives with me next weekend as I have seen so many things I don't really understand despite doing a 20-hour course, being on this forum, doing two apiary days and reading at least three books. I suppose it doesn't help, in some ways, that one of my colonies is really, really big with at least six frames covered in bees and once opened, more bees spill out on to the tops and down the sides of the frames. Fortunately this particular hive is relatively docile but with so many bees it is difficult to see anything properly and really could do with a trained eye. The other hive is much less populated (in fact I've had to feed them today as they are short on stores) but they are too feisty to mess about with much.

Anyway, we'll see what my beeman says when he comes round. Will keep you informed.

 

[For want of a better word]

I have arranged for an experienced beekeeper to go through my hives with me next weekend as I have seen so many things I don't really understand despite doing a 20-hour course, being on this forum, doing two apiary days and reading at least three books. I suppose it doesn't help, in some ways, that one of my colonies is really, really big with at least six frames covered in bees and once opened, more bees spill out on to the tops and down the sides of the frames. Fortunately this particular hive is relatively docile but with so many bees it is difficult to see anything properly and really could do with a trained eye. The other hive is much less populated (in fact I've had to feed them today as they are short on stores) but they are too feisty to mess about with much.

Anyway, we'll see what my beeman says when he comes round. Will keep you informed.

I may have some locally bred queens if you get really stuck!

Yeghes da