Is it petrol time...

[Beefriendly]

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?

Wrong way round...queens fly further. Drones need to hang around in DCAs so reduces their potential flight distance.

 

[MartinL]

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 re-queening.

Why??
Or is this just more nanny state-Safety Elf b0!!ock5?

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

1. Where's the risk in moving them?
2. Why do they pose a risk staying right where they are for another couple of weeks?
3. Does anyone have a risk assessment for using something which is explosive when mixed 7% in air???????????????

 

[eltalia]

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.

N0...n0t "opinion" at all.
Most if not 100% of excuses made in these forums are direct outcomes
of the obstinent refusing to recognise their bees as a living organism,
and so in their quest for outcomes of their personal design insist on
bashing that square peg into the round hole. And often a hole 20%
the size of the peg!
You either tune in to your bees 0r go play Leggo, or something passive.
A teaspoon of petrol is only for euthanasing AFB infected colonies, no
other use around bees...and fer Xris sake don't use it to light a smoker.


Bill

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Why??
Or is this just more nanny state-Safety Elf b0!!ock5?

1. Where's the risk in moving them?
2. Why do they pose a risk staying right where they are for another couple of weeks?
3. Does anyone have a risk assessment for using something which is explosive when mixed 7% in air???????????????

If you are an urban bee keeper and you have an insane hive (and there have been stories on here far worse than mine) then you have the (ethical) right to "smash the glass" and kill them. Petrol, soap, whatever is safe and practical. And if that bee keeper made the call based on being a good citizen it is completely ridiculous to say they have taken up the wrong hobby. On the contrary, they have acted correctly to ensure the right balance to their hobby in their surroundings.

However one would have expected that bee keeper to the best of his ability to try flyer bleeds, requeening, separating to NUCS and all the other methods that the wise old sages on here might assist with suggesting . One would think 95% of the time such methods will work and apiscide is not required.

Rural beeks should consider it is a different hobby keeping urban bees with kids and animals and (in my case) large gentlemen with trained fists several meters from your apiary - We have different risk mitigation considerations. But we love it just as much as everyone else and by applying careful modes of operation we have the same rights to responsible bee keeping as everybody else.

 

[xgeordie]

Why??
Or is this just more nanny state-Safety Elf b0!!ock5?

1. Where's the risk in moving them?
2. Why do they pose a risk staying right where they are for another couple of weeks?
3. Does anyone have a risk assessment for using something which is explosive when mixed 7% in air???????????????

1) as per my post - you may not have the option of moving them
2) can you think of a scenario when it might not be safe leaving them "right where they are for another couple of weeks"...
3) as per my earlier post, I do not suggest using petrol

 

[xgeordie]

N0...n0t "opinion" at all.
Most if not 100% of excuses made in these forums are direct outcomes
of the obstinent refusing to recognise their bees as a living organism,
and so in their quest for outcomes of their personal design insist on
bashing that square peg into the round hole. And often a hole 20%
the size of the peg!
You either tune in to your bees 0r go play Leggo, or something passive.
A teaspoon of petrol is only for euthanasing AFB infected colonies, no
other use around bees...and fer Xris sake don't use it to light a smoker.


Bill

Your opinion. This post seems to be at odds with your "advice" on another thread regarding inspections:

"Fit a QR to the entrance and return to your 11-14day routine, they will not
swarm simply because they cannot.
Control the queen and you control the bees, keystone stuff"


Tsk Tsk

 

[Beefriendly]

"Fit a QR to the entrance and return to your 11-14day routine, they will not
swarm simply because they cannot.
Control the queen and you control the bees, keystone stuff"


Tsk Tsk

Not so sure I'd Tsk it.
It's an interesting concept, akin to putting a queen excluder over the floor and under the brood box. Just because it isn't taught as part of UK beekeeping doesn't mean it isn't relevant.
UK is quite backwards when it comes to beekeeping. Just look at all the good continental breeding groups and organisations. You can send your virgin queens off (by post) to isolated mating stations to maintain the good lines.
Here we breed mongrels/black bees .... and our leading organisation is promotes this.


Now where can you buy these QR's from.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Now where can you buy these QR's from.

April and May, be bloody useful in emergencies, travel or lack of gear situations.

 

[eltalia]

Your opinion. This post seems to be at odds with your "advice" on another thread regarding inspections:

"Fit a QR to the entrance and return to your 11-14day rouutine, they will not
swarm simply because they cannot.
Control the queen and you control the bees, keystone stuff"


Tsk Tsk

....errrrm, not following your drift.

This topic/thread is about antsy bees, my comment on your take
being you are making excuse in not dealing with such for your bees.
That QR advice is on another topic alltogether.
Where is the gathered context you utter a "tsk" from?
/eyebrow/

Bill

 

[xgeordie]

....errrrm, not following your drift.

This topic/thread is about antsy bees, my comment on your take
being you are making excuse in not dealing with such for your bees.
That QR advice is on another topic alltogether.
Where is the gathered context you utter a "tsk" from?
/eyebrow/

Bill

Your post above refers to obstinately "refusing to recognise their bees as a living organism, and so in their quest for outcomes of their personal design insist on bashing that square peg into the round hole. And often a hole 20%
the size of the peg!
You either tune in to your bees 0r go play Leggo, or something passive."

Then you tell us to try and control the bees using a QR with all the problems that can bring.

 

[eltalia]

Your post above refers to obstinately "refusing to recognise their bees as a living organism, and so in their quest for outcomes of their personal design insist on bashing that square peg into the round hole. And often a hole 20%
the size of the peg!
You either tune in to your bees 0r go play Leggo, or something passive."

Then you tell us to try and control the bees using a QR with all the problems that can bring.

Still not following you....however as to QR use that "tune in to your bees" sure applies.

Bill

 

[MartinL]

...

it can't go on, for the sake of others as well as me.

Is it petrol time? Or is there some other way or calming them?

We've not heard anything back since this was posted a week ago and we are all making up our own thoughts based on what??? ??? ???

Who or what are the "others" affected,
Where are the hives, (presumably in a small urban garden)?
Was the proposed use of petrol a guilt based retort due to failure to plan when positioning the hives in the first place?

 

[enrico]

I am I inclined to agree that it is good to hear the outcome whatever it may be. So often those of us who try and give fair advice wonder if it worked or not!
E

 

[xgeordie]

I am I inclined to agree that it is good to hear the outcome whatever it may be. So often those of us who try and give fair advice wonder if it worked or not!
E

I'm sure the friendly worded enquiry in post #72 will result in a speedy response.

 

[manek]

We've not heard anything back since this was posted a week ago and we are all making up our own thoughts based on what??? ??? ???

Who or what are the "others" affected,
Where are the hives, (presumably in a small urban garden)?
Was the proposed use of petrol a guilt based retort due to failure to plan when positioning the hives in the first place?

Thanks again for the advice.

The reason I've been quiet is that I haven't been able to do anything yet. The apiary is temporarily close to a building site where people are working during the day. I can't disturb the bees then because people have been stung as a consequence when I do. So the only time I can do anything as drastic as dismantling the hive is at the weekend. I plan to do it this weekend.

As for the petrol in the thread title, I wasn't aware that I had options other than put up with the behaviour of these bees or do away with them. Thanks to the excellent feedback I've had, I now know I have much more attractive options. More later...

 

[manek]

I promised feedback and here it is:

I've just got back from a fruitless but you might say entertaining afternoon with the nasty hive. I removed the three supers, moved the BB about 5 metres away and put it on top of an eke with cover boards above and below the BB. The supers went back on the OMF and I went away for an hour and a half.

When I came back, they were still pretty agitated but I went through the BB, very slowly and as gently as I could. No queen; I'm sure I would have seen her had she been there as there were so few bees on the frames. There were however young larvae but no eggs - and about three or four QCs in the middle of a couple of frames. I'm thinking the Q has been done for (or swarmed and no-one noticed, which is not likely as there are plenty of people around) and they'll supersede.

Putting the hive back together was fun. Apart from the lowest super having already glued itself to the OMF, causing a commotion when it dropped off as I lifted it, replacing the BB on the OMF while vision was somewhat obstructed by about 100 bees on my veil was - shall we say difficult? It took a few attempts to get it on straight. Cue more clouds of pissed-off bees.

I won't mention the cavalier way I assumed my ankles would be safe enough if I tucked the bee suit into my socks. Nope, not at all. They noticed and the air turned blue for a bit. Short intermission while I went to get boots.

On my return, I shooed away a small herd of cows which was starting to get interested in the gate I'd left open on my hasty retreat. I got away with that boo-boo.

Reassembling the pile of boxes full of very angry insects was an exercise in attempting to keep calm, a test I failed. Clouds surrounded me. And as I drove away, the bees followed, most of them leaving the car after a little while.

Still, the weather was nice.

On my to-do list: leave them alone for about 3 weeks to settle in with a new queen. And never forget to wear boots.

I'm thinking though that they've used up all their chances. Next time it's curtains.

 

[enrico]

Well done. You tried hard in the interest of the bees.i hope there is a good outcome
E

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Nice one ref the lack of boots! Only made that mistake once myself.
It'll be interesting to see how they get on from here. Well done for sticking with it.

 

[beeno]

Many thanks for your entertainingly written prose. I do feel for you, but I cried with laughter and yes got caught out once myself for not wearing boots! Hope it ends well.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

No mention of squishing the queen cells...