Nasty bees

[Queen B]

Just a thought re stings. I think it's the case that once one bee has stung, say, your glove, the others can smell it and they tend to come and join in the attack. The thumb of my RH glove has picked up a few stings and my usual trick is to get the sting out with the hive tool then smoke that part of my glove thoroughly. Seems to work.

I've one colony that sometimes gets written into my bee book as 'boisterous'. Most of the time, however, they're delightful to work with.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Are they Carniolans ? I have been through a hive that one of our members has and they did the same thing to me,it was like running a magnet over Iron fillings.


Been there done it last summer,before I purchased my new suit I got a few bees under my veil,I never new I could still move away from a hive so fast.

Ok, well that's at least re-assuring to know that other beeks have at some stage or other had the same frightening experience!

They're a mongrel swarm. Some look dark black British bees, others are more gold and black hooped.

 

[grizzly]

Bees running up the frames onto your hands while you are trying to manipulate is not a trait i would encourage.

As Admin said i had some like that, they are now gone.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

I had a look through the colony today with a local bee farmer.

It was reassuring to see that the queen is laying and there is some sealed brood in there.

Only thing is that some of the cells had 2 eggs in, some 3 eggs!!
I'm hoping it's just because she is a newbie that's why she's being erratic. It's certainly not a laying worker as I marked the queen today also.

Thanks everyone for your help.
I used my new suit and wore my new marigolds.
They were certainly temperamental, but no stings. I didn't particularly enjoy being harassed, but nonetheless, I regained some confidence.

 

[BKF Admin]

Its very common for a queen who has just started laying to get 2-3 eggs in each cell.

By the time she hits the hundred+ cell she has the hang of it.

I have seen it alot in my hives ths year.

 

[gtb]

Its very common for a queen who has just started laying to get 2-3 eggs in each cell.

By the time she hits the hundred+ cell she has the hang of it.

I have seen it alot in my hives ths year.

Same here, though a new queen will typically be laying on the base of the cell. Numerous eggs per cell that are attached to the side wall would be more of a cause for concern.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Indeed, they were on the base of the cell. So that's good news.
Also, the majority of cells were single egged.
What happens to the eggs in the multi-egged cells?
Do the bees remove them and pop them into another cell?