Fence building and grumpy bees

[Mabee]

I have bees in an out apiary which are a bit grumpy and the guards are quite defensive. They face a fence which has nothing on the other side, just trees and a small valley. I intend to split this hive and requeen when I get two new queens from a supplier on here, which i’ve heard great things about while reading on the forum, but they are not due till June. I also plan to breed my own but wouldn’t be ready till then either.
The landowner is replacing the boundary fence in the field and also creating a new gate and permanent fence for me so i’m delighted but this will be done before i’ve introduced the nicer genetics. I believe it will be a local farmer doing the work. I have offered a bee jacket for when he is working at the fence near the hives but can anyone suggest a better option for avoiding him being stung. I don’t want to be too alarmist or dictate when they should do it. Can they be closed in for a day?

 

[Boston Bees]

How near is the fence?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I had a similar thing happen at one of my apiaries. The new fence was 6' from the hives.
I put up a debris netting mesh fence about 4' from the hives to get them to fly above the guys which was moderately successful but in the end it was better for the guys to do the bit directly in front of the hives early or late in the day when few bees were flying.

 

[Mabee]

How near is the fence?

about a metre

 

[Boston Bees]

about a metre

Gosh.

Hammering fenceposts into the ground a metre from a somewhat testy hive .....

Well, I wouldn't get a fencing contractor to do work that close to a hive (unless it was closed up) outside the coldest winter months.

So, I'd either close up completely, or ask the farmer to reschedule for a cold day in December.

(Unless the guy is happy to work in a beesuit, but I suspect he won't be)

 

[Mabee]

it was better for the guys to do the bit directly in front of the hives early or late in the day when few bees were flying.

I don’t really want to dictate to him when he should do it, even though I know you’re right, early morning or later evening would be best! As far as I know he’ll let me know when he’s coming to do the work, after lambing is all I know for now.

 

[Mabee]

Gosh.

Hammering fenceposts into the ground a metre from a somewhat testy hive .....

Well, I wouldn't get a fencing contractor to do work that close to a hive (unless it was closed up) outside the coldest winter months.

So, I'd either close up completely, or ask the farmer to reschedule for a cold day in December.

(Unless the guy is happy to work in a beesuit, but I suspect he won't be)

Well a beesuit is an option. ideally I want to split this hive and introduce a queen to each split, at which time I can move them a bit, I just think it’s going to be earlier than I am ready to. The are in a good location normally, tucked away!

 

[Mabee]

If I close up should I drape a damp sheet or anything over the hive?

 

[user 20297]

Fencing contractors turned up unannounced last March, and proceeded to hammer in a strainer-post within one metre of my then, largest hive. I wasn't around at the time, but apparently they did the work uncomplainingly and without any special precautions...we're hardy up north.

 

[E&MBees]

Could you encourage the farmer to pick a rainy day? Temperatures may be lower and the rain may deter the bees from flying.

 

[enrico]

Definitely close up the day before. Spray water through the omf several times during the day if at all warm, put shade over the hives if sunny. Hopefully he will use a tractor to put the posts in so shouldn't take long!

 

[Mabee]

Definitely close up the day before. Spray water through the omf several times during the day if at all warm, put shade over the hives if sunny. Hopefully he will use a tractor to put the posts in so shouldn't take long!

he won’t get a tractor in that space but useful info regarding the closing in

 

[Antipodes]

If I close up should I drape a damp sheet or anything over the hive?

You could also fit a travel screen on the top to give extra relief as well as what Enrico and others have suggested. A small colony closed up with a bit of extra space around them in the hive don't get so excited as a strong colony does. Is it strong?

 

[Mabee]

You could also fit a travel screen on the top to give extra relief as well as what Enrico and others have suggested. A small colony closed up with a bit of extra space around them in the hive don't get so excited as a strong colony does. Is it strong?

 

[Mabee]

Not terribly strong but also not weak, in a commercial brood box with 3 frames of brood and 2 more laid up.

 

[Mabee]

Just as a side note to this, probably should put in another thread… this colony I am talking about, I removed recently from my garden as they had started trying to string my pets and daughter, I have another colony in the garden which has always been amazing, really calm, productive and healthy and I planned to breed from her this year. I think many of the foragers from the mean hive I moved joined this one. This hive is now horrible, I did an inspection yesterday and they piled out and we’re trying to sting, I had to close up and leave. I needed to fix something today as I just put the lid on, so smoked them, lifted the crown board and again were piling out and trying to sting. Queen laying fine and saw her in there, could this just be the mean foragers from the other hive, i thought they’d have mellowed in this hive!

 

[enrico]

Just as a side note to this, probably should put in another thread… this colony I am talking about, I removed recently from my garden as they had started trying to string my pets and daughter, I have another colony in the garden which has always been amazing, really calm, productive and healthy and I planned to breed from her this year. I think many of the foragers from the mean hive I moved joined this one. This hive is now horrible, I did an inspection yesterday and they piled out and we’re trying to sting, I had to close up and leave. I needed to fix something today as I just put the lid on, so smoked them, lifted the crown board and again were piling out and trying to sting. Queen laying fine and saw her in there, could this just be the mean foragers from the other hive, i thought they’d have mellowed in this hive!

They usually calm down quite quickly and in the summer no longer than three weeks because the old ones die off. I think you may have had a supercedure or swarm last year and some of the bad genes have transferred to the new queen. If it was the same marked queen then she may be getting old. I would seriously consider requeening both hives. Stroppy hives in your garden will reduce you and your family to tears! Trust me!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Gosh.

Hammering fenceposts into the ground a metre from a somewhat testy hive .....

Well, I wouldn't get a fencing contractor to do work that close to a hive (unless it was closed up) outside the coldest winter months.

So, I'd either close up completely, or ask the farmer to reschedule for a cold day in December.

(Unless the guy is happy to work in a beesuit, but I suspect he won't be)

The simple way most farmers or fencing professionals would adopt it to use a tractor or other machine with a loading bucket filled with something heavy and lower it onto an upright post. The weight presses the post into the ground quietly and simply. No split posts and no hassle.

 

[Mabee]

They usually calm down quite quickly and in the summer no longer than three weeks because the old ones die off. I think you may have had a supercedure or swarm last year and some of the bad genes have transferred to the new queen. If it was the same marked queen then she may be getting old.

She is last years queen, i’ve already given them more room and although I didn’t inspect at the time, I went in in the nice weather we had a couple of weeks ago to give a super, they were building comb in every space they had and piling pollen in daily. They were really calm and gentle then, as they’ve always been. The only change is i’ve moved their neighbouring hive away so some of the (meaner) foragers will have joined their hive.

 

[Mabee]

The simple way most farmers or fencing professionals would adopt it to use a tractor or other machine with a loading bucket filled with something heavy and lower it onto an upright post. The weight presses the post into the ground quietly and simply. No split posts and no hassle.

There is no room for a tractor in that area. i’ll just have to hope they let me know when they’re going to do it so I can have a chat about it first.