SimonB
House Bee
I was out chatting to the ladies who are doing our garden, one of which is now an ex-beekeeper and is donating some kit to me. One of the reasons she is giving up is her reaction to strings, so I mentioned that other than a few attempted stings through the gloves I'd never been really stung. I regularly go and visit the bees suitless and have happily watched from about 10 feet away for 5-10 minutes at a time without a problem, they pretty much ignore me. I've even been up closer and personal to swat a wasp or take a closer look at what is going on at the entrance. Tempting fate perhaps.
So today as I'm in the garden I decide to wander across and take a look at the bees, and of course you all know what happens next. Within a minute, bam, straight to the forehead. Thankfully I think I managed to swipe her off before she really began pumping but it came as a bit of a shock. Not too painful, like a dull headache, no obvious reaction (after 30 minutes), but took an antihistamine in case this might help.
So whilst I guess it had to happen it has knocked my confidence in going near them without a suit on, which is a pity since I enjoyed just watching them get on with things.
Their temperament does appeared to have worsened a little since I got them as nuc at the end of July, so am wondering if the colony was not of the queen's origin initially and she has slightly less genial genes.
My other thought is that I inspected them yesterday and discovered that I may have overfed them. 10 frames, 4 14x12, the rest standard national are all almost rammed full of stores with only patchy brood on 2 frames. The queen is even laying in the wild comb built under some of the standard frames which I have never seen before. Hive without roof weighs about 28kg, which is roughly where I though it needs to be, although they are one frame down on a full set.
Could it be that they are unhappy at this situation and their temper has worsened, or is this a situation they will live with, albeit perhaps not ideal, it was them after all that decided to fill so many stores, or is this instinctive when syrup is readily at hand?
So today as I'm in the garden I decide to wander across and take a look at the bees, and of course you all know what happens next. Within a minute, bam, straight to the forehead. Thankfully I think I managed to swipe her off before she really began pumping but it came as a bit of a shock. Not too painful, like a dull headache, no obvious reaction (after 30 minutes), but took an antihistamine in case this might help.
So whilst I guess it had to happen it has knocked my confidence in going near them without a suit on, which is a pity since I enjoyed just watching them get on with things.
Their temperament does appeared to have worsened a little since I got them as nuc at the end of July, so am wondering if the colony was not of the queen's origin initially and she has slightly less genial genes.
My other thought is that I inspected them yesterday and discovered that I may have overfed them. 10 frames, 4 14x12, the rest standard national are all almost rammed full of stores with only patchy brood on 2 frames. The queen is even laying in the wild comb built under some of the standard frames which I have never seen before. Hive without roof weighs about 28kg, which is roughly where I though it needs to be, although they are one frame down on a full set.
Could it be that they are unhappy at this situation and their temper has worsened, or is this a situation they will live with, albeit perhaps not ideal, it was them after all that decided to fill so many stores, or is this instinctive when syrup is readily at hand?
