Grumpy bees .. this time of the year

[citrus]

So from what I read and observe

this time of the year the bees aren't keen on inspections as they are fighting wasps off, flow is reduced, its hot etc etc

what are the best ways to mitigate their angst ?

wear a decent suit (will wear jeans and shirt having been stung thru my suit the other week)

using smoke more that you would do earlier in the year ?

someone suggested spraying water ?

someone suggested covering supers/boxes that you take off during inspections

is it better to inspect midday when the bees are out ?

avoid thunderstorms

any other advice folks ?

 

[Wingy]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=15869&stc=1&d=1533223093

Get calmer bees

 

[PaulCarroll]

Being retired I have the luxury of being able to inspect around 10.30 before the full sun floods my apiary, which is shaded by trees. I always wear a full suit ( though over only T - Shirt and shorts this weather). I always wear double gloves and use my smoker only when required. I am pleased to say I have only had one sting this season and that was not when inspecting, but the day after when entertaining in the garden. My theory is that my bees recognised my voice and thought REVENGE!! Seriously I find this time of year bees are generally grumpier so I try to work quickly and then close up with minimum disruption.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Be quick and efficient in your inspections IF YOU NEED TO DO THEM) to reduce robbing. Lots of bees and not much for them to do at this time of year...

 

[Swarm]

Be quick and efficient in your inspections IF YOU NEED TO DO THEM) to reduce robbing. Lots of bees and not much for them to do at this time of year...

Do you need to be in their brood box this time of year?

 

[itsbruce]

Don't overthink it. Also, very importantly, don't change everything at once; if you do and you get a different reaction, you don't know what caused it.

There is no silver bullet, since not all bees are the same. Once they have a new queen, even your own bees won't be the same as they were. Patience and calm are important; rush to judgement is counter-productive.

The longer your inspections last, the more aggravated the bees are likely to get, certainly. But rushing also has a good chance to aggravate, not least because it raises the chance of mistakes (like accidentally crushing bees). Better to be calm and unhurried and prepared to close up early if aggravation levels rise beyond your comfort zone. My limited experience (half a dozen different colonies) is that this reduces the chance (and level of) of aggravation.

Removing the cover on a hive does put them on a higher alert and replacing it calms them, so a cover cloth or spare crown board could be useful at some stages in some circumstances if you know what you are doing. But if you keep having to add and then remove the cover, you're more likely to make things worse (and to confuse yourself).

I always have a lit smoker on hand during inspections, but only reach for it if I can't persuade the bees out of the way. Use of the smoker doesn't always improve things.

Do you actually have a problem with grumpier bees at the moment, or is it just something you think you should worry about?

Don't be afraid of your bees.

 

[Millet]

Do you need to be in their brood box this time of year?

I do... not that i want too.. i need to check to see if the new introduced Queens are laying or brown bread...after that i will leave them to make what ever structures they want to..

 

[ShinySideUp]

Moved to new thread

 

[beeno]

Hi Citrus, You have got most points covered there. I have taken to inspect 1030 hrs so as not to open the hive in the heat. At least it is more comfortable for me which may have a bearing on the bees. Tried to inspect without jeans under bee suit, but one got me on the kneecap, so back on.
Us southerners need to look out for QCs in August. Particularly, this year as there seems to be a lot of honey in brood boxes.

 

[Bakerbee]

The only tbjng to add imo is gentle handling. They are so much more tolerant when causing as little vibration and knocks as possible.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The only tbjng to add imo is gentle handling. They are so much more tolerant when causing as little vibration and knocks as possible.

I tell our beginners they should aspire to be so smooth in their manipulations that apart from the light going on and off again the bees don't even notice they've been inspected.
Having their house bounced around accompanied by crashing and banging upsets even well behaved residents.

 

[Eyeman]

Can't understand why some folks are reluctant to use the smoker. A quick puff over the top of the frames and they are no trouble at all. Yes I can get away most of the time with not using the smoker but why make life and the inspection more difficult.
If you're going to use the smoker then you need to smoke them before they get difficult.

 

[citrus]

Do you need to be in their brood box this time of year?

good stuff .. yes I have really limited my inspections to the minimum and letting them get on with it ...crushing bees is also something i fear happens when i move a frame stuck with propolis and then the elastic snaps and the frame moves too fast with my fat fingers !

glad to hear its common at this time of year and not scared just want to make the whole job pleasant for me and them !

 

[itsbruce]

Can't understand why some folks are reluctant to use the smoker.

Beekeper (noun): somebody who can't understand why other people think about bees differently than they do.


There's a difference between not using it much if you have no concrete reason to be using it much and being reluctant.

With a new colony (or one that's recently changed queen), waiting before you reach for the smoker (which I always have on hand, lit and waiting) is a way of learning the colony's character that you don't have if you use it from the get go. I see it as a way to learn about them at the cost of a marginally higher risk of being taken by surprise and stung. If I had a lot of hives to care for, I might not have the time but I don't and I do. If circumstances force me to do an inspection without proper protection, the smoker is a lot closer to my hand.

I'm not a "natural beekeeper" and I'm very aware that any one person's experience is just anecdata.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can't understand why some folks are reluctant to use the smoker.

Can't understand why some are obsessed with dousing the hive with smoke without thought or reason.
Nine times out of ten I have found that gouts of smoke winds bees up not calm them.
Another mantra chanted by the beekeeping by numbers brigade.

 

[john t]

Do you need to be in their brood box this time of year?

yes i think so,

the other day i found 2 sealed queen cells in one of my 5 framed nucs,i was quite surprised , as not really sure why they would be thinking of swarming, didnt find the queen as at the time i was looking to mark her, will look later today ,

 

[Swarm]

yes i think so,

the other day i found 2 sealed queen cells in one of my 5 framed nucs,i was quite surprised , as not really sure why they would be thinking of swarming, didnt find the queen as at the time i was looking to mark her, will look later today ,

A nucleus?
It's not even a full brood box, never mind a double brood with supers on top.

 

[wessexmario]

I tell our beginners they should aspire to be so smooth in their manipulations that apart from the light going on and off again the bees don't even notice they've been inspected.

and using a transparent cover board reduces the impact of the light change.
When you lift the roof off, light enters the hive through the transparent cover but nothing else changes, no boundary change, no loss of heat, draught, smells, so the bees stay calm.
When you do then lift the cover board off, they have gotten used to the light and there is no change in light level and they remain calm. With some colonies it can make a marked difference for the better.

 

[Ian123]

and using a transparent cover board reduces the impact of the light change...........................,. How come if the cover is transparent the same light enters the hive when you lift roof off as when you would lift board off and why would a clear cover make any difference to hive heat/smells as soon as you open the hive

 

[JWF]

and using a transparent cover board reduces the impact of the light change...........................,. How come if the cover is transparent the same light enters the hive when you lift roof off as when you would lift board off and why would a clear cover make any difference to hive heat/smells as soon as you open the hive

Because it happens in two stages so it doesn't have such a significant impact.