Colony Temperament

[johnmcc]

bursting with bees looking like they might swarm,

So no charged queen cells? Little wonder if you made them Q-!

Yet again I don't understand either the import . . . or the tone.

 

[psafloyd]

put the nippon between 2 slates leaving a match stick gap so the bees can't get at it

Gotcha.

 

[oliver90owner]

Yet again I don't understand either the import . . . or the tone.

THINK about it. You said effectively there were no charged queen cells (quote:looking like they might swarm, (My underlining)

IF they had charged queen cells they WOULD have swarmed, not might have. Then you go along make the hive queenless. As I said, little wonder they are a bit irate! GOT IT? If not, don't ask again.

 

[enrico]

If you haven't got it then ask someone with a little more patience!! No need to shout at him O 90!!
E

 

[FreeFall]

If you haven't got it then ask someone with a little more patience!! No need to shout at him O 90!!
E

 

[user 6228]

Yet again I don't understand either the import . . . or the tone.

I think RAB is stating that there can only one reason for bees being bad tempered the day after an A/S, and that is that the A/S procedure has lost the queen.

In his later post he appears to imply that this is a fact so obvious it shouldnt need further explanation...
I offer this as a helpful interpretation of the views and not as an endorsement of the views or their method of expression


best wishes I hope your bees are Q+ and calm down in a few days

 

[Black Comb]

Back to the ants.
They were all over the hive, inside at edges of brood nest and on top of crown board. They were also all around the reduced entrance so bees were not too keen on coming and going.
They like smoke less than bees so smoked the out of hive.
Sprinkled cinammon on crown board and on hive sides and front. Removed entrance block.
Could not find the nest so took a chance and sprinkled Nippon on ground a few feet from hive.

3 days later not an ant in sight. Colony now back to its normal relaxed self.
Will remember the 2 slates and matchstick tip for the future.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

 

[oliver90owner]

Enrico,

I will PM you. I will not post my thoughts on open forum.

RAB

 

[Martin G]

I think that sometimes what is obvious to one person is not so to others, the idea of forum discussion is in part to help those less knowledgeable and to further explore reasoning on a particular topic. Also what can seem brash and impatient to one person is perfectly reasonable to another.

If only life was a simple as keeping bees, or should I say as simple as the bees allowing us to interfere with their daily lives.

It seems that there are a number of things that can cause a change in colony temperament.

What if a queen from colony A mated with drones from colony B do the offspring only carry the traits of the queen or a mix of both?

Martin

 

[johnmcc]

It was the assumption that I didn't know what I was doing at all which caused me to take offence. I now have two colonies, one with a queen and one with a single (I hope) queen cell. I have made mistakes in the past and I hope I have learned from them. I'm a member of a number of forums (fora?) on different subjects and one thing I've learned about forum etiquette in the past decade or so is that "Mr Angry" is second only to the keyboard warrior as a PITA. So, O90, to use your own word, THINK before you assume that everyone who hasn't got 5,000 posts and 70 hives is a fool.

 

[victor meldrew]

Lot's of MR MEN inhabit forums
I should take it with a pinch of salt
After all why pour petrol on a fire that is already blazing merrily and is ,in this case' the result of spontaneous combustion !!
VM

 

[Black Comb]

Listen to Victor. He's a very experienced beek and a true gent.

 

[victor meldrew]

Hey ho !
I think I'll go and inspect some bees , there appears to be a window of opportunity opening up . Also the forcast for the next few days is abysmal
VM

 

[oliver90owner]

I now have two colonies, one with a queen and one with a single (I hope) queen cell.

Well, so you might, but I will believe what you said initially and presume you have either changed your story or have now removed all but one emergency cell. You are not alone btw, there are quite a few out there - that either cannot write what they mean or cannot read what is written (even at subsequent attempts) - and I now note those that will apologise and those that simply try to stir the excrement and then try to cover up their shortcomings with an attempted smoke screen. It helps to look back at some of the previous postings. It was a revelation.

I didn't assume anything, I read, carefully, what you wrote. Bees swarm when they have queen cells not just because 'there are a lot of bees'. Artificial swarms are carried out when there are charged queen cells in the hive, not just because there are a lot of bees.

Here's another hint: next time you pass off a vicious swarm to a friend, supply a frame of eggs at an appropriate time for re-queening. KISS fix and minimal cost. (from way back)

 

[johnmcc]

Here's another hint: next time you pass off a vicious swarm to a friend, supply a frame of eggs at an appropriate time for re-queening. KISS fix and minimal cost. (from way back)

I didn't "pass off a vicious swarm to a friend". I took a swarm from the hedge of a garden belonging to a friend who rang me and asked me to get rid of them. I then asked another friend who wanted a swarm if she would like it. She said yes and I put them in her hive. None of us had any idea what temperament that swarm had - they don't usually show their true colours when they swarm. They were fine for a year, surviving the winter of 2010-2011. then, last year, they seemed to change quite suddenly. I presume there was an infusion of "new blood" from somewhere.

Quite why you have to twist what I say and imply that I'm "changing my story" is beyond me.

Anyway, this must be very boring for everyone else. Time for me to stop pouring petrol, as Victor advises. The field is yours. Have fun.

 

[Arfermo]

[QUOTE Nippon[/QUOTE]

Ants round me seem to love it. Useless I reckon. Had red and blacks under a step to my french window which came inside and climbed the curtains etc. Dug 'em out and reset the step properly. Why are builders so rubbish?

 

[Arfermo]

I've also found that if I have to inspect when it's strictly speaking too cold to do it (as it is at the moment) then they get mighty angry. Had a terrible time last week with guard bees flying out at me whenever I walked near the hive after inspecting, even after dusk.

Queenless?

 

[Arfermo]

Funny you should mention ants.... I have never had ants in a love hive to my knowledge, but if I leave any food lying around they are carting it away in seconds. Why don't ants go in a hive? You would think it would be easy for them to nick the honey....... Or do they?
E

Yes they do!!!!

 

[Swarm]

Time for me to stop pouring petrol, as Victor advises. The field is yours. Have fun.

Don't bow out due to one member, you can put ppl on ignore.

 

[johnmcc]

No, not bowing out - I've had some real help and reassurance from this forum in last couple of years for which I'm very grateful. Just going to ignore such posts from now on . . . or maybe find an appropriate smiley! Perhaps