grumpy bees

[richardbees]

nicky, that's called "following" and takes all the pleasure away from breekeeping.

If it continues after this recent rain I'd definitely suggest you re-queen.

(I'm Streatham Hill - so don't need any aggro drones hanging about)

Richard

 

[nickyjay]

Hi Richard, it may be better to wait for the current new queen's offspring to emerge to assess their temperament before I put a new one in!

 

[richardbees]

nicky. you didn't make that clear. yes, of course but don't ever get used to putting up with 'following' or other nasty traits......
Richard

 

[RJW]

thanks to all who replied and gave advice, much appreciated. Requeening tomorrow and no more buying imported Buckfasts!

 

[nickyjay]

Noted. Its only one bee that pops out, but hopefully she'll go back to ignoring me again soon. The on off rain we are getting seems to frustrate them. Also I noticed what appeared to be a large hornet hiding in the tree above the hive this evening scoping the joint out.

 

[richardbees]

"Also I noticed what appeared to be a large hornet hiding in the tree above the hive this evening scoping the joint out."

NO!!!

 

[nickyjay]

Lol. I can't say it filled my heart with the joys of nature! Hopefully it was just a dragonfly or damselfly resting on a leaf. It was from the kitchen window so too far to get a positive ID. Fingers crossed. N

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Water spray will not deter really vicious bees. Sorry.

PH

- having recently been chased back to my garage by a couple of overly persistent guards, despite having a continual spray on them. Resported to a wasp zapper in the end which I now take out with me on inspections in case of any repeats

 

[Polyanwood]

RJW if you think they are bad it is worth culling the drones in that colony, by removing the capped drone brood If you do this not only do you get the benefit of some biological varroa control, but you will also be doing yourself and your neighbours a favour by reducing the agressive genes in the locality.

 

[susbees]

RJW if you think they are bad it is worth culling the drones in that colony, by removing the capped drone brood If you do this not only do you get the benefit of some biological varroa control, but you will also be doing yourself and your neighbours a favour by reducing the agressive genes in the locality.

Um, no. Males only carry a single set of genes from the queen and not from the drones she mated with. Drones don't have a father, but they do have a grandfather. So culling this generation of drones is erroneous.

Or I'm in a right muddle...

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Um, no. Males only carry a single set of genes from the queen and not from the drones she mated with. Drones don't have a father, but they do have a grandfather. So culling this generation of drones is erroneous.

Or I'm in a right muddle...

Surely drones from an aggressive colony will be carrying the DNA of the queen of that colony?

 

[Polyanwood]

?????

The workers' bad temperament could come solely from the queen's genetics or the drones she mated with or both. Workers come from fertilised eggs. Whilst I accept that the drones born into a colony are not related to the drones the queen mated with, if the colony is bad tempered and it is the genetics of the queen to blame, then there is a point culling the drones in an over defensive colony surely?

 

[Polyanwood]

Sorry x-post.

 

[susbees]

Drone mothers used in controlled mating programmes do NOT have to be pure mated (as in IId or island mated) to be of use to the programme, they can be open-mated. Their "sons" are acceptable to be used for the next generation of the programme. Their daughters on the other hand would be cross-bred and not useable.

My caveat is that I have meds-induced cognitive issues atm so sometimes I do get it wrong. Even Ruttner's line breeding which I could recite backwards I find myself lost in mid-track. Normal service will hopefully be resumed next season.

Meanwhile if I'm wrong the tail-end queens coming back here for open mating in 8 days (as I have more Amm and less Carni than the rest of the breeding group and am more "remote") will not be useable as back up drone mothers next season so if I've got the stick the wrong way up....let me know quick

 

[susbees]

Surely drones from an aggressive colony will be carrying the DNA of the queen of that colony?

I think the answer is yes, but it won't be expressed til the second generation.

 

[Polyanwood]

So in order to stop those nasty genetics entering the local gene pool and coming back to you when you locally mate queens and also affecting other beekeepers, isn't it better to wipe them out?

 

[djg]

RJW

How did the requeening go ? Would be interested to know if there is any change in the colony's temperament in the days after a successful introduction from "good" Q pheromones, long before the new "good" brood shows up.