Killing bees

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SixFooter

Drone Bee
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
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Location
Merseyside
Hive Type
National
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12
Was stung 45 times by one colony and probably about the same by her daughter's colony next door yesterday. I walked away and put thick gloves on when they started stinging, so not many got through. I counted the stings on the gloves after inspecting the first colony and there were about 45! The time has come to get rid of both colonies I think. I know you use petrol, but whats the procedure? Is the gear still useable afterwards - frames and boxes etc. Presumably, you do not do it with supers on.
 
Seems a shame to do this.
Can't you get hold of 2 new queens and give the colony a second chance?
 
I would only use petrol if there was a pressing safety need to get rid of the colony. If there is no urgency, put on your thickest suit (with jeans underneath!), kill the existing queen and re-queen.

We nearly got to this point with one of ours (near footpath, becoming a real problem), but then they swarmed and we let them go....
 
I know how you feel. I thought about killing off an aggressive swarm after a bad day and well over 100 stings in my suit and suffering a bad reaction, but they have calmed down since. There must be a reason why both have changed temperament recently hopefully its only temporary.

Before you kill them both off at least think about dequeening them (dress in platemail first) and give them a chance to requeen themselves allbeit late in the season.
Buy two new queens.
Or
Dequeen them and combine them with other colonies.

:eek:

If you are determined to kill them, put some petrol in a tray, jar lid or some thing you can slid in the entrance and then seal up the entrance. 20 minutes should be long enough...
 
if you want to re-queen, it's easier with the flyers out of the way. You can put a super at the site of the colony and move the brood chamber 3 - 6 feet away. The flyers will go to the super after a couple of hours if the weather is good. Then you can look at the source of the problem. A good flying day definitely helps ease tensions. if the colony is still horrible, can you split it in two and then re-queen half. Then a week later squash the grot queen and unite. I recall Michael Bush has some sage advice. (Bushfarms web site).
 
If you do resort to petrol, put the hive onto a solid floor,seal entrance. Pour 1/4 pt onto crown board. Leave for 24 hrs. Cry gently to self.
Cazza
 
I have a similar issue and think I need to re queen a feisty colony. I Have looked at the sums, squishing new queen, removing the resultant new cells that will be formed and then introducing a frame of eggs from known calm colony. Am I right that it is too late in year as when new queen emerges, the drones will be gone in a months time.
I know I could buy a queen but reluctant this late in season, so may move them to out site until spring.
 
I had a similar problem - absolutely manic - it looked as if I had a swarm on both arms by the end of the inspection!!
1. Found and squished the queen.
2. 1 week later checked every frame for queen cells, non found, bees manic again. Gave a frame of eggs from a nice docile colony.
3. 1 week later checked the test frame - no queencells !! checked further and found eggs. They must have been in the process of superceding the old queen when I squished her as they didn't have time to raise a new queen between regicide and eggs found. their temper has improved steadily as brood has increased and I think that they were ultra defensive while in the process of deposing the old queen.

I was tempted to go the petrol route but as they were in a very secure apiary with no chance of contact with the public I gave them the chance.

I have only had to destroy 1 colony in 30+ years (afb compulsory destruction) and the roar as the petrol was poured in through the crown board still makes my stomach churn. It has to be the very last resort. Give them a chance.
 
OK OK I'll requeen.
I've put up with this strain for a couple of seasons as at times they are OK. However, their mood varies from week to week. As well as stinging days, they have days when they follow for 10m, 20m or 50m. Most days ( but not all) they ping like mad and follow me around the apiary. 100m away is a busy farm shop, so it's quite worrying.

I wonder if the queen gets PMT ;)


It just so happens, I collected 2 swarms (casts) recently and I saw them both bringing in lots of pollen today, so they should now have laying queens.
I'll combine with these next weekend.

If I was to use petrol, can the brood frames be reused after airing?
 
If I was to use petrol, can the brood frames be reused after airing?

Never had to do it, but for hygiene reasons I would replace the combs if they were 2 years old or at the very least remove any capped brood or you could have possible disease problems with the next colony to use the frame.
 
"I walked away and put thick gloves on"

likely to have accumulated pheromone and hence multiple stings.



how often do you wash your bee suit?
 
I wash my bee suit every day and I washed my gloves after this event
 
SixFooter, If you do decide to go down the dark route, I would be willing to take them off your hands. Just sems such a shame to kill them. just pm if the time comes and I will collect asap
 
"I wouldn't want to be in a car with those beasties."

as per previous posts on other threads - ikea/fleabay mozzie nets - under a tenner and will each wrap two hives (or more). No bugger can get you whilst travelling.
 
i had to petrol one hive this spring, 200m followers and that i have a children's farm one side and a racing stable on the other side

brood boxes aired for 7 days, scraped and then torched and reused without problems

However i do not reuse the wax and frames
 
Glad I read this thread. Thought you poured petrol in and set it on fire. But obviously its the fumes that kill them.
 
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