Culling hives - options?

[RobB]

Hi,

My co-keeper & I are having a bit of a nightmare. We've got two hives - both have become extremely aggressive. We've moved them out of their urban location as they were attacking passers-by. We've got them out at the local association teaching apiary and were planning to re-queen.

However, their behaviour has deteriorated further and the experienced keepers at the apiary want shot of them before they mate with any of the other virgin queens or further make the apiary unworkable.

We're resigned to killing them. The only issue is there are a number of supers of honey on both hives. Anyone got any suggestions as to how we might clear the supers down on the same evening that we deal with the bees? Worst case scenario is that we sacrifice the crop but if anyone has some good ideas they'd be very welcome!

Cheers

Rob

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Haven't the 'experienced' beekeepers at your association got any ideas or have they offered to help? a bit off if they haven't IMHO

 

[tudor bees]

Hi is it not worth just killing the queen
And spend £35-40 on maybe a Buckfast
Queen, however i was given a hive years
Ago by an old boy, they gave bees a bad
name so they had to go, maybe take the
Supers off and use a blower. they will
Be upset but you get some thing out
of it.
Simon

 

[RobB]

Of course. But there are some time constraints for all the people involved. That's why we're asking around in various different places - including here - to see if anyone has any gems of wisdom that might help.

Cheers

Rob

 

[RobB]

Hi is it not worth just killing the queen
And spend £35-40 on maybe a Buckfast
Queen, however i was given a hive years
Ago by an old boy, they gave bees a bad
name so they had to go, maybe take the
Supers off and use a blower. they will
Be upset but you get some thing out
of it.
Simon

Hi Simon,

That's what we were hoping to do and had the Queens on order! But these bees are something else! Even the keepers at the apiary (old hands all) have been a bit taken aback by them. maybe a blower will be the way forward but I don't relish the idea of dealing with the bees once they've been blown out ...

Cheers

Rob

 

[Hivemaker.]

That's why we're asking around in various different places - including here - to see if anyone has any gems of wisdom that might help.

Bring both hives of bees down here, i will re queen them for you.

 

[enrico]

I hear a co2 fire extinguisher seems to do the trick! Never used it but I can't see why it would ruin the crop. Make a few enquiries before you try it!
E

 

[ratcatcher]

why not, instead of a blower, a hoover, would keep them all contained, then simply pop the bag in a freezer overnight

 

[ijcooper]

Just re-queen them.

If the locals are worried about the drones, remember drones can't fit through a queen excluder either.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Bring both hives of bees down here, i will re queen them for you.

Now THAT is an offer...

<ADD>https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&...822,4.938354&vpsrc=0&mra=prev&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=8 Heck: if you can't be bothered I'll take them off you on those terms!</ADD>

 

[clv101]

That's what we were hoping to do and had the Queens on order!

Had? Are you still thinking to re-queen? That would seem a far better course of action than killing both colonies?

Can you find the far corner of a field somewhere where they can't bother anyone?

 

[Excession]

Bring both hives of bees down here, i will re queen them for you.

This.

Hivemaker +1! What a gent.

 

[Stiffy]

I would move again to somewhere were they won't cause an immediate nuisance and re-queen. I had a swarm move in last week that is pretty bad and going to do exactly this.
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Bosleeu]

Please don't kill them. There is always a way. Where are you based?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[drex]

Re queen. Move BB to bleed off flyers. Lat year I had to do this to a really nasty lot. 3 layers including full suit. Still got many stings, but squished queen as soon as I saw her. You could put supers back on over a rhombus escape, which in my experience clears in few hours. Remove supers and introduce new caged queen. All will take a few hours, but might be better than having to go in twice

Mine were so nasty I had not inspected and they had swarmed into a warre. That lot got petrol!

 

[jd101k2000]

why not, instead of a blower, a hoover, would keep them all contained, then simply pop the bag in a freezer overnight

I found that a normal vacuum cleaner kills them without the freezer treatment. (It was a desperate situation that I would rather not go into.)

 

[alldigging]

I found that a normal vacuum cleaner kills them without the freezer treatment. (It was a desperate situation that I would rather not go into.)

That's calling for an anonymous thread ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

they had swarmed into a warre. That lot got petrol!

Best thing for a Warre hive in my opinion. Should have taken the good Abbe and shot him at the stake as well

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I found that a normal vacuum cleaner kills them without the freezer treatment. (It was a desperate situation that I would rather not go into.)

Bees on the other half's new white carpet?

 

[user 6228]

Weld gas mixtures for Mig or Tig will kill them silently, painlessly and leave no taint on the honey or residue in the hive. The mig or tig flow regulator is ideal for dispensing the gas in a quiet controlled manner.

you will need to seal the floor and entrance.