Identifying hives that are followers

[Jimmy]

Inspected most hives yesterday. The good flow that was making every frame drip with nectar last week has come to a halt in SE Worcestershire. One apiary plagued by aggressive folllowers which I need to sort. First issue to resolve will be to work out which hive(s) - I'm fairly sure the majority of the hives are not followers but there are a couple of wrong 'uns. None of them boil over when opened but by the end of inspecting the apiary I'm followed by a dozen or so persistent bees. It's an apiary on an orchard and the farm workers have also noticed but are accepting for the moment but I don't want to push my luck. The OSR has come to an end which doesn't help but the following behaviour was the same when there was a good flow last week.

Any ideas for how to identify the culprit hive?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Inspect one a day?

 

[Jimmy]

Inspect one a day?

That would work but I'm fearful that could be a lengthy process. I'm moving some hives to a new apiary so hopefully a combination of single hive inspections and relocation will identify the miscreants. Less competition for forage will presumably also help.

 

[user 819]

Dust the BB one hive at a time with icing sugar, hopefully any followers will be white. Dust one walk away, do the next and walk away and so on.

 

[pargyle]

I've noticed that, at this point in the season, some colonies do become a bit defensive ... I had a couple of bees follow me yesterday after my whistle stop inspection ...it took a few minutes under the trees to see them gone. I went back to the apiary and a couple came out to greet me again ... they settled down after an hour or so.

My bees are normally pussycats (they have to be as I've seven colonies in my garden) but I've a theory that when they reach a good size and the flows vary (one comes to an end and another is sometimes a day or two later) that the guard bees are just more proactive. I don't have much OSR around me but I know a number of beekeepers who tell me that their colonies that have been on the **** are incredibly tetchy when it comes to an end.

So ... what I'm saying is - were these colonies always a bit aggressive or is it just recently ? You might find that they settle down ...

 

[The Poot]

During the recent flow I was troubled by a few followers that became persistent and bothered a delivery person. So I donned the suit walked around the hives and attracted four bees buzzing at my veil. I walked away from the hives and three kept with me to the house. I then dispatched them with well aimed backhands of the insectocutor badminton racquet. I have had no more issues since.
I am convinced that often the problem is not the colony, but just a small number of “rogue” bees.

Sounds a little harsh I suppose, but garden bees need to be non aggressive. This is not the only time this has been effective for me.

 

[pargyle]

Yes ... either the badminton racket or a can of insect spray ... they get one chance - if they persist then the odd one or two have to go. I've experienced a colony where 100's were trying to kill us and there's a world of difference between a couple of rogue guard bees and a truly agressive colony ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My grandfather had a 'handy' way of deling with bothersome followers (same for wasps) he'd stand there until the culprit was hovering in front of him then 'clap!' (it used to make me jump) even if the bothersome insect wasn't caught between the two hands during the clap, the concussion would stun them then he'd either pinch them as they lay on the picnic table or just despatch underfoot

 

[Antipodes]

During the recent flow I was troubled by a few followers that became persistent and bothered a delivery person. So I donned the suit walked around the hives and attracted four bees buzzing at my veil. I walked away from the hives and three kept with me to the house. I then dispatched them with well aimed backhands of the insectocutor badminton racquet. I have had no more issues since.
I am convinced that often the problem is not the colony, but just a small number of “rogue” bees.

Sounds a little harsh I suppose, but garden bees need to be non aggressive. This is not the only time this has been effective for me.

I've had exactly the same experience a couple of years ago Poot...quickly dispatched with the gloved hand against the veil and suit and no more problems for the rest of the season. Before this I became suspicious it may have just been a small number of rogues as I had seen one take off directly from the landing board from a way back and go straight at me.

 

[madasafish]

Shut all your hives with mesh apart from the first. Inspect. Check for followers.
Repeat.

 

[Swarm]

How many colonies at this site, Jimmy? Surely you have your suspicion of the probable culprits, to help narrow it down a bit?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

My grandfather had a 'handy' way of deling with bothersome followers (same for wasps) he'd stand there until the culprit was hovering in front of him then 'clap!' (it used to make me jump) even if the bothersome insect wasn't caught between the two hands during the clap, the concussion would stun them then he'd either pinch them as they lay on the picnic table or just despatch underfoot

I once unthinkingly grabbed a nuisance bee out of the air in front of my face a la the gunslinger in the Magnificent Seven. Immediately regretted it as the hot needle penetrated my palm. The clap method is much less painful.

 

[Wilco]

During the recent flow I was troubled by a few followers that became persistent and bothered a delivery person. So I donned the suit walked around the hives and attracted four bees buzzing at my veil. I walked away from the hives and three kept with me to the house. I then dispatched them with well aimed backhands of the insectocutor badminton racquet. I have had no more issues since.
I am convinced that often the problem is not the colony, but just a small number of “rogue” bees.

Sounds a little harsh I suppose, but garden bees need to be non aggressive. This is not the only time this has been effective for me.

Unless it's a grumpy colony, I find it's often just a few aggressive guards and if you don't 'put them straight' quickly, they sometimes end up teaching others to copy them. Gut feeling, not proven though.

 

[Jimmy]

How many colonies at this site, Jimmy? Surely you have your suspicion of the probable culprits, to help narrow it down a bit?

I have started to cull the queens from suspect colonies and combine with friendlier neighbours but the problem persists.

 

[enrico]

My grandfather had a 'handy' way of deling with bothersome followers (same for wasps) he'd stand there until the culprit was hovering in front of him then 'clap!' (it used to make me jump) even if the bothersome insect wasn't caught between the two hands during the clap, the concussion would stun them then he'd either pinch them as they lay on the picnic table or just despatch underfoot

My wife knows when I have finished in the hives. I stand at the end of the garden clapping! It sometimes takes several goes to get a persistant one!!!!

 

[BugsInABox]

My wife knows when I have finished in the hives. I stand at the end of the garden clapping! It sometimes takes several goes to get a persistant one!!!!

Lol - have you checked with her, she might think you’re applauding the bees.

 

[Newbeeneil]

My grandfather had a 'handy' way of deling with bothersome followers (same for wasps) he'd stand there until the culprit was hovering in front of him then 'clap!' (it used to make me jump) even if the bothersome insect wasn't caught between the two hands during the clap, the concussion would stun them then he'd either pinch them as they lay on the picnic table or just despatch underfoot

That's what I do!

 

[oliver90owner]

Earlier this year one colony was just a bit over-eager with the defensive buzz. I have put it down to the hive entrance being to one side where they would not expect to see movement. These guard bees were coming to the other side of a glasshouse to ‘see me off’.

Since moving it such that there is often movement visible in front of the hive, there have been no such events.

Some, in the past, have suggested putting flags or dangly things a few metres in the line of view from the entrance. Doesn’t stop followers after an inspection, of course. They were re-queened or moved out - now just re-queened.

 

[Jimmy]

Thanks for the ideas, various things to try. One of the suspect colonies is next to the gap in the hedge where I go to and from my car to inspect the hives so RAB's comment above is interesting.