Grouchy guards

[beeker]

Just a small concern. How followy is too followy?
In an out apiary, where I have moved splits to that are part way through Queen producing etc. Ones has a virgin Queens, another is Queenless, and 2 have sealed cells. I get pinged as I approach the hives, and followed away a couple hundred yards, not loads but enough to hang around me, for 10-15 minutes, stopping me taking suit off. While I'm doing anything at the hives, none of the hives stick out as aggressive, one is really calm, but all the others have a lot of flying bees, around face, and hands despite really careful movement. Don't seem to be taking stings either, just really followy.
Is there any way of working out where the grouches are coming from other than moving hives away in turn? As they are pinging before I get anywhere near. Just thinking I shouldn't be using that Queen to expand from.
Still playing catch up to sort the mess out I made by knocking all the swarm cells down, and having to move them all the other week. Live and learn .

 

[Bazzer]

Just a small concern. How followy is too followy?
In an out apiary, where I have moved splits to that are part way through Queen producing etc. Ones has a virgin Queens, another is Queenless, and 2 have sealed cells. I get pinged as I approach the hives, and followed away a couple hundred yards, not loads but enough to hang around me, for 10-15 minutes, stopping me taking suit off. While I'm doing anything at the hives, none of the hives stick out as aggressive, one is really calm, but all the others have a lot of flying bees, around face, and hands despite really careful movement. Don't seem to be taking stings either, just really followy.
Is there any way of working out where the grouches are coming from other than moving hives away in turn? As they are pinging before I get anywhere near. Just thinking I shouldn't be using that Queen to expand from.
Still playing catch up to sort the mess out I made by knocking all the swarm cells down, and having to move them all the other week. Live and learn .

Queenless hives are always more grouchy some extremely so. Once the virgins are mated they will likely calm down. You shouldn't really be going into them for the next 3 weeks so you can afford to wait and see

 

[drex]

I can accept defensive, even feisty bees but will not tolerate followers. If more than 10_20 yards, she gets the chop

 

[Bazzer]

I can accept defensive, even feisty bees but will not tolerate followers. If more than 10_20 yards, she gets the chop

Fair enough but judging them when they are queenless is a different matter. I have had colonies that were lambs that become raging wolves after they have been split and then back to lambs again when queenright

 

[enrico]

Take a fishing net with you, catch a follower, roll her in flour, and see which hive she returns to!

 

[Swarm]

I spent the afternoon in a cloud of angry bees, quite a few queens split away and frame shaking. Swarm prevention time is often one of 'those' times.
I've spoken to a few beekeepers who are finding their bees grouchy this year.

 

[frankenstine]

at the moment it seems our bees have declared war on pretty much everything. at the moment go anywhere remotely near them you are going to get rattled even get in there way going to and from the pond, normally there very passive but i have kidnapped all there queens so ...

 

[JamezF]

I closed up a hive last week and walked away with a single guard that took ages to give up. All the others had (presumably) returned to the hive, but this one really wasn't having any of it. I had to get about fifty yards away before she lost interest.

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

beekeepers who are finding their bees grouchy this year.

Similar here.

Put it down to weather (though it's not been bad) but perhaps there's something in the nectar. Dandelion has been magnificent and whatever else is producing (hawthorn, at last?) may be making colonies defensive.

OSR is renowned for turning bees nasty - especially when it finishes flowering - as it has an addictive chemical in it.

 

[Boston Bees]

I am having my first ever neighbour issues due to an angry hive after I nuc'd the queen

 

[The Poot]

I closed up a hive last week and walked away with a single guard that took ages to give up. All the others had (presumably) returned to the hive, but this one really wasn't having any of it. I had to get about fifty yards away before she lost interest.

James

I have a similar experience- two or three that don’t give up after each inspection. They continue “hunting” around the house well away from the hive after inspection, so to safeguard my wife, the electric tennis racquet gets employed. A couple of solid back handed cross court strokes and peace is restored.
It does seem to me that the odd bee just gets maddened by intervention in the hive and become just plain aggressive. The rest just carry on as normal.

 

[magor]

Queenless hives are always more grouchy some extremely so. Once the virgins are mated they will likely calm down. You shouldn't really be going into them for the next 3 weeks so you can afford to wait and see

well dunno but what ve seen so far is that them more defensive when Q just mated or just started layin (maybe until establish her reign?) than when them ve virgin or Qcells

 

[Swarm]

Similar here.

Put it down to weather (though it's not been bad) but perhaps there's something in the nectar. Dandelion has been magnificent and whatever else is producing (hawthorn, at last?) may be making colonies defensive.

OSR is renowned for turning bees nasty - especially when it finishes flowering - as it has an addictive chemical in it.

I've been thinking similar, there's usually a reason but I'm struggling to find what it is. Forage has been good, plenty of flying days, perhaps the cold wind that's been pretty persistent but other than that you would think everything is fine. It's a spectacular year for tree blossom here and a tremendous show from Bluebells and Gorse. Sycamore is out, the queens are laying strongly with nice patterns, brood nests are well stocked with pollen and I have supers full of Dandelion honey. What more could they want? (lol)
Definitely more agitated than usual, landlord had some pestering him in the garden after we had been through a hive breaking them down to one cell.

 

[Martimart]

I am having my first ever neighbour issues due to an angry hive after I nuc'd the queen

I was inspecting my colonies with my daughter on Sunday. A neighbour hung over the wall right next to the hives and started waving his arms about asking if they were dangerous. I said for me in my suit no, for you waving your arms around maybe.

 

[Midget Gem]

Hives bonkers this year. First inspections 1 of the 4 went mad ASA I opened the hive and continued to buzz me after I had inspected the other 3 who were really calm. 2nd inspections 1st colony started off calm and then suddenly got really mad even though it was a really calm gentle inspection. The 2nd was cross from the outset. Gave up and didn't get onto the 3rd or 4th (the cross one from the previous visit) Not looking forward to the next visit!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine have been fine. Not a single problem.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Not a single problem.

Drove up the A3 today and saw plenty of OSR.

Boxed up 20 nucs near there and all were defensive. Not stinging, but in my face. Just got to put up with it for a while.

Unless you can send up a drone you may not be aware that OSR is near your apiary.

Knew a beekeeper who killed a colony after they came off OSR. Extreme decision, but they were causing havoc for everybody.