Happy Days.....NOT :(

[thebhoy]

Weather not great in London today but needed to check hives as hadn't been in for a week. Ended up a painful day...had worn trainers, tucked bee-suit into socks and started.......well, 3rd colony checked decided it would attack my......ankles...took about a dozen plus hits on each, then the hands got hit, was wearing rubber gloves so not much protection and. just to cap it all off one got me through the veil on the cheek...wife had gone shopping just as I started and, before leaving, locked the doors without thinking, leaving me stuck in garden. Now got feet like clubs and one hand starting to swell.....next week I think I will wear shorts to please the wife

Regarding the hives, found two in swarm mode, decided to check all hives before taking action.

Plan of action was to Demaree one colony as have one spare BB, and split the other hive into a nuc to separate the queen into mixed drawn and foundation frames, knock back any qc's over next week in queen-less colony then look to re-unite a short time later. Unfortunately couldn't locate queen when started on first colony for split and had to abort until tomorrow....weather was getting worse and it was getting darker.

Question to the experienced members.....

Does this sound ok or would you suggest different / better method(s)

And as usual, all advice is welcome and greatly received

 

[Tom Bick]

You have learnt a valuable lesson don’t go near your bees when the weather is that overcast unless of course you simply have no choice. I don’t know how you react to stings’ but I would have difficulty walking if my ankles took that many I can still remember the blisters that came up after a couple

Your Demaree will be fine if used as swarm prevention, but if used as a type of AS then will probably need a division board of sorts. But separating the brood and queen with the extra space may deter and make them re think about swarming.

Your split and removal of queen cells followed by eventually combining back together may perhaps work, but also may just delay the inevitable. Also don’t think the queen and bees in the nuc will stop swarm preparations just because they are now in a nuc.

If space and kit are an issue I think you are on the right tracks with the vertical swarm control or prevention and worth looking into.

 

[thebhoy]

haha yes, ANOTHER lesson learnt, or not as the case may be, these ones strangely attacked my feet last season too, so should have put wellies on.
One sting on ankle and my leg would swell up all the way to my knee...nowadays they swell up mostly at the ankle and foot...tomorrow morning will be interesting when I step out of bed as hobbling about now but don't expect it to be too bad.

Kit ready for demaree on one hive tomorrow.

Will order up spare BB to do the other on Wednesday....all being well, and another to be on the safe side as back-up for my other full hive.

Have no room in garden for any more hives....and shouldn't really have this many...such is the joy of beekeeping.

Cheers

 

[enrico]

Bees do not like wool, they always crawl upwards. Wellies solve both these problems.
Looking in your bees in the evening is also no help as they have worked hard all day and all the flying bees will be home! Try and do it when they are keen to get to work as the weather warms up and have other things to do than look for trouble.
What you do now with your bees is dependant on what kit you have. For what it's worth, if I do an AS using a nuc box I always leave the old queen with the full size bb and put the queen cell in a Nuc (or two.) it gives me time to decide wether to combine it, put it in a bb, or sell it/give it to other beekeepers!
E

 

[richardbees]

they always crawl upwards. Wellies solve both these problems

100% agree - I always put wellies on if it's overcast, drizzling.

.......Inspecting weekly for Q cells has to be done even if the weather is "inclement"

 

[thebhoy]

cheers Enrico,

had started early afternoon but weather was miserable and bees weren't flying...it was a case of needing to check them as hadn't been able to for a week.
Day dragged on due to them all being home.

Have kit to do a Demaree on one, also have one 14 x 12 nuc, one jumbo lang nuc (modified to be a 14 x 12 nuc) and a full jumbo lang hive + supers. (was originally going to go jumbo lang route but changed mind and went for 14 x 12 instead).
Was planning to order up two more poly BB's tomorrow for another Demaree as
had wanted to keep hives strong for a honey crop but options could be nucs to sell on.

The joy of feedback on the forum lol

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

BEAUTIFUL day here today, as you know, so good luck.

 

[thebhoy]

Demaree done on one hive and queen also clipped (hope I took enough off the wing).
Checked on other hive and still couldn't find the queen ...will hopefully be able to do Demaree on this one tomorrow if new equipment arrives. Added another super for the time being.

 

[enrico]

Don't forget to check for emergency cells in old bb!
E

 

[steve56616]

I checked mine after moving them to their new site over the weekend. All was fine. I needed to cut a bit of a pathway as was raining over the weekend and couldn't do that before placing them. Well they weren't happy at all. They have really got aggressive. Maybe the wind/overcast day but I know they were not like this last year.
I will see how these two hives are next week and will re-queen if need be.
Out of interest, what makes a nice calm hive aggressive that then needs to be re-queened?

 

[beenovice]

I checked mine after moving them to their new site over the weekend. All was fine. I needed to cut a bit of a pathway as was raining over the weekend and couldn't do that before placing them. Well they weren't happy at all. They have really got aggressive. Maybe the wind/overcast day but I know they were not like this last year.
I will see how these two hives are next week and will re-queen if need be.
Out of interest, what makes a nice calm hive aggressive that then needs to be re-queened?

Just as a matter of interest, how did you cut a pathway? Strimmer? Mower?
Bees do not like strimming or mowing close to them as I found out last year. I ran like a girl!! Got lots of stings. Apparently it is the noise, vibration and fumes they don't like. They calmed right down the next day, and since then I have always kept about 12 feet from the hive with the mower.

 

[steve56616]

Just as a matter of interest, how did you cut a pathway? Strimmer? Mower?
Bees do not like strimming or mowing close to them as I found out last year. I ran like a girl!! Got lots of stings. Apparently it is the noise, vibration and fumes they don't like. They calmed right down the next day, and since then I have always kept about 12 feet from the hive with the mower.

I used to mow right up to the hives last year with no problem. This year is defiantly different with their attitude and now really pleased they are out of the garden. I don't think I will be doing inspections without suit etc this year.
I know moving hives doesn't help but I did that last year too with no aggression. They watch as I open the crown board and dive at any movement i.e my hands! One of my nuc's is q- and that is fine and quite happy after inspecting today.
Not meaning to hijack this post but there does seem a few post about bees being nasty this year I have noticed

 

[thebhoy]

Couple of hours later and Bees from hive still to be demeree'd are now being nasty little b's....flying round the garden, in your face, trying to sting and really having a go.
Hopefully they settle down soon.

Need to find somewhere to keep them other than the garden...might not be such a pleasant year with them this year given how big the colonies are already and how aggressive this one is just now.

 

[yeogi75]

my wife cuts the grass with electric mower, six foot in front of hive up and down she goes , straight across there flight path never been stung yet, she always walks past the hive and tells them she's going to cut the grass, bless could it be pheromones as they completely ignore her

 

[thebhoy]

After yesterdays work on the hives and one hive being aggressive and following, stinging for hours afterwards.......went out in the garden today and they are just as bad.
Had several angry ones in my face and bouncing off my body then one stung me on back of neck...and it's only 10 in the morning.

Not looking too good....will have to find somewhere else to keep them or sell them as other half not a happy bunny.

 

[BeeNice]

Remember, bees main enemy was the bear, bees will attack the neck, wrists and ankles, this is where the fur on a bear is thinnest. We ain't bears, but try explaining that to your bees.

 

[Tom Bick]

After yesterdays work on the hives and one hive being aggressive and following, stinging for hours afterwards.......went out in the garden today and they are just as bad.
Had several angry ones in my face and bouncing off my body then one stung me on back of neck...and it's only 10 in the morning.

Not looking too good....will have to find somewhere else to keep them or sell them as other half not a happy bunny.

At a guess something may have happened to the queen in your now even more aggressive hive.

 

[thebhoy]

Hi Tom,

I was suspecting that might be the case, they are still attacking this evening...two or three right in your face all the time.

Was planning to Demaree tomorrow when new equipment arrives but may just go in and knock any QC's down as I have an opportunity to get them on an out apiary on Sunday...so long as they pass their disease inspection, and can then do what is required.

If no eggs on Sunday I have a spare queen I could use if need be.

Have to survive 3 more days before locking them down for the move

 

[Tom Bick]

A spare queen is a good thing and moving them also as you will know that you want to remain on good terms with your neighbours. If you go in to remove any emergency queen cells then that may just make things worse and also that inspection could be an interesting one.

 

[thebhoy]

so true Tom........

My choices being to hold off till I can move them on Sunday which will be 5 or 6 days after I knocked down two qc's (knocked down on Tuesday)...with the risk that they may swarm within the next couple of days.

Go into them and knock down cells with the possible outcome...even more aggression from them but perhaps another few days grace without them swarming.

Go in and split them down across two or three nuc boxes for a few days and either make them up as genuine nucs to sell on (re-queened) or try and re-unite on Sunday.

Go ahead with a Demeree to split brood + nurse bees from flyers

Take up a religion and start praying for divine intervention......

Watch this space.......