Is it petrol time...

[JonnyPicklechin]

I had an angry hive last year. My final answer? I did nothing, literally nothing. Don't inspect, don't mess with them and if they are running out of space (which you can see by just removing the crown board and peering in) then stick a super on. I put Apiguard on in August, again, didn't lift any frames.

This year? Quiet as lambs, I believe deliberately or otherwise, that they sorted themselves out.

Worked for me, might not work for you, who knows?

Hurrah!

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Millet]

I had an angry hive last year. My final answer? I did nothing, literally nothing. Don't inspect, don't mess with them and if they are running out of space (which you can see by just removing the crown board and peering in) then stick a super on. I put Apiguard on in August, again, didn't lift any frames.

This year? Quiet as lambs, I believe deliberately or otherwise, that they sorted themselves out.

Worked for me, might not work for you, who knows?

That is a slightly different approach but if it worked for you..THIS time ..next time it may not..or will not..

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

That is a slightly different approach but if it worked for you..THIS time ..next time it may not..or will not..

Yes...and SSU, you must hive your colonies in an environment which is away from neighbours, dog walkers etc otherwise I would challenge your "do nothing" strategy as irresponsible. With my neighbours garden 3 feet from the rear of the nearest hive, I have a strict ethic of good care to them far more than those of bees. That said, my personal constitution also includes in it's list "thou shalt not destroy bees"...So there is a lot of work to do.

I warn any urban thread-readers/beeks to ABSOLUTELY not mimic SSU actions. Bees can (under certain circumstances that I henceforth shall strive to manage) go nasty; The good 'bee keeper' must be a better 'good citizen'.

PS not ragging on you Shiny...if it worked, your environment allows you and you are happy handling b@st@rd bees, here's to you my friend....

 

[eltalia]

(edit)
...I warn any urban thread-readers/beeks to ABSOLUTELY not mimic SSU actions. Bees can (under certain circumstances that I henceforth shall strive to manage) go nasty; The good 'bee keeper' must be a better 'good citizen'.
..

/smiles/
I'm beginning to warm to you...lookout or we could end up m8s..! Heh

Bill

 

[Vortex]

well, I for one have never been stung by a Drone!

Neither have I but that's not the point.. If you have a queen which is disposed to produce highly aggressive/defensive bees then all the Drones carry the same genetics which mean you pass those on to all surrounding bees, and hence perpetuate the issue.

 

[birdsandbees]

Neither have I but that's not the point.. If you have a queen which is disposed to produce highly aggressive/defensive bees then all the Drones carry the same genetics which mean you pass those on to all surrounding bees, and hence perpetuate the issue.

yes, it was an attempt at humor, I knew what you meant, hence the emoti at the end.

 

[GuyNir]

yes, it was an attempt at humor, I knew what you meant, hence the emoti at the end.

And a good one. That’s how most of us got it

 

[viridens]

Neither have I but that's not the point.. If you have a queen which is disposed to produce highly aggressive/defensive bees then all the Drones carry the same genetics which mean you pass those on to all surrounding bees, and hence perpetuate the issue.

Given that a queen mates with many (some say up to 40) drones, only a small proportion of the semen she stores is likely to be from the alleged 'bad' bees, and you are also assuming that this badness will surface and cause problems in later generations of local 'mongrels'. Do you have evidence that this is the case?

 

[Madge]

Given that a queen mates with many (some say up to 40) drones, only a small proportion of the semen she stores would be from the alleged 'bad' bees, and you are also assuming that this badness will surface and cause problems in later generations of local 'mongrels'. Do you have evidence that this is the case?

Drones do not have a father. They inherit all their genes from their mother. Therefore all her drone offspring carry entirely her genes. Who she mated with is irrelevant.

 

[viridens]

Drones do not have a father. They inherit all their genes from their mother. Therefore all her drone offspring carry entirely her genes. Who she mated with is irrelevant.

Agreed.
I am questioning the assertion that "you pass those on to all surrounding bees", for which I believe further matings will required...

 

[Madge]

Agreed.
I am questioning the assertion that "you pass those on to all surrounding bees", for which I believe further matings will required...

Ok! Agreed. Mating is required - but, yes, I think an apiary can easily become affected. I have an apiary I think of as my angry apiary, and I need to get them sorted.

 

[Beefriendly]

A good read of "Mating biology of honey bees (Apis mellifera)" by Keoniger is in order. It will explain all in an easy to understand manner.

 

[viridens]

A good read of "Mating biology of honey bees (Apis mellifera)" by Keoniger is in order. It will explain all in an easy to understand manner.

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I'll see if the library has a copy.
In the meantime, please can you sum up the key points relevant to this thread?

 

[MartinL]

Why all the bickering...Petrol is never a option end of..

a good bee suit and a good plan would end this thread.

There's always a plan "B".

I had an angry hive last year.

This year? Quiet as lambs, I believe deliberately or otherwise, that they sorted themselves out.

I had, (well, have always had) one hive I preferred to call "defensive".

Stinging me through my suit this year so re-queened this June.
Waiting to see how the new Queen improves their mood

 

[Beefriendly]

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I'll see if the library has a copy.
In the meantime, please can you sum up the key points relevant to this thread?

I think you have summer it up nicely..Koeniger just provides the experimental evidence
To back you up.

 

[Millet]

There's always a plan "B".



I had, (well, have always had) one hive I preferred to call "defensive".

Stinging me through my suit this year so re-queened this June.
Waiting to see how the new Queen improves their mood

Exactly but never Petrol..if petrol is ever needed to kill your bees in your hives.. you have sadly picked the wrong hobby..

 

[viridens]

A further thought. I think I remember reading that inbreeding is reduced because queens fly less than a kilometer from the hive on their mating flight, but drones fly two or more miles to a further congregation point when they look for a queen to mate with. Is this correct?

 

[eltalia]

Exactly but never Petrol..if petrol is ever needed to kill your bees in your hives.. you have sadly picked the wrong hobby..

I took the "petrol" quip as a lighter switch for the topic, not a literal
consideration.
You'd know the poster more closely than I.
[no puns]

Bill

 

[xgeordie]

Exactly but never Petrol..if petrol is ever needed to kill your bees in your hives.. you have sadly picked the wrong hobby..

That is your opinion - I don't agree. If the bees are posing an immediate danger then you have to act. You may not have the option of moving them or have the time to try requeening.

 

[Millet]

That is your opinion - I don't agree. If the bees are posing an immediate danger then you have to act. You may not have the option of moving them or have the time to try requeening.

All the if's and but's should have been well thought of before taking up this wonderful hobby..