Nasty bees

[TOBY-3652]

HI EVERYONE.. I HAVE GOT 2 HIVES THAT HAVE GONE NASTY.. [AND I MEAN NASTY] THEY ARE NOW MOVED OUT OF THE WAY.. MY QUESTION IS THAT I WANT TO REQUEEN THEM. IS IT BEST TO KILL THE OLD QUEEN AND PUT A REPLACEMENT IN STRAIGHT AWAY OR WOULD IT BE BEST TO WAIT TILL LATER ON IN THE YEAR?. THERE IS 3 SUPERS ON EACH HIVE. LOOKING AT ONE YESTERDAY.. SUIT ON.. WELLIES ON,, AND TAPE BETWEEN TOP OF WELLIES AND SUIT,, AND GOT 8 STINGS UNDER TAPE. WHEN I GOT HOME 30 BEES WERE STUCK BETWEEN WELLIES AND TAPE,, THERE BAD GIRLS.. ANY ADVICE IS WELCOME THANKS

 

[denise washington]

hi toby I know how you feel mines gone rogue just tried to get a swarm tonight got well covered up but they found a way in a load of em lost count of stings
so good luck with them

 

[Fraise]

Buy longer wellies and/or use some putties:

http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/s.../putties-brand-new-un-issued-army-313678.html

 

[Leigh]

Are you using leather gloves? They are the root of all evil, and can turn a moderately quiet hive homicidal.

 

[beeno]

hi toby I know how you feel mines gone rogue just tried to get a swarm tonight got well covered up but they found a way in a load of em lost count of stings
so good luck with them

I thought swarms were supposed to lack aggression to tanked up on queen pheromones?

 

[beeno]

Hi Toby,
Smelly socks, feet and boots? Just a thought.

 

[Arfermo]

Squish the duds and put new caged queens in next day. Mated new queens preferable but virgins will do.

 

[Heather]

Requeen.
When you have the new queens available, dump those awful ones and leave queenless for about 6 hours. If mated queens ..introduce in a queen holding cage. Virgins normally can float in with a little puff of smoke, but such sh***y bees I would introduce in cage too.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Smelly socks, feet and boots? Just a thought.

And maybe residual sting pheromone on the suit or gloves, but I'd guess you washed it after the previous inspection.

 

[MartinL]

Are you using leather gloves? They are the root of all evil, and can turn a moderately quiet hive homicidal.

Hogwash!




Perhaps, if the gloves are impregnated with stings?
Otherwise, doubt it.

 

[Stiffy]

Squish old queen and leave 24hrs (may make them even more sxxxy) introduce new queen in cage leaving plug in place. Leave 24hrs and check, if they have settled remove plug and let them release her. If still stroppy leave again for 24hrs and repeat, this time check for queen cells. If present knock out and repeat until they stop trying to raise their own . When I first started I lost many queens in a rush to introduce, not lost one since.
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Heather]

Hogwash!




Perhaps, if the gloves are impregnated with stings?
Otherwise, doubt it.

Don't know about hogwash... leather gloves on beginner don't help dexterity. Bees more liable to damage... more reaction from bees.
Clean gloves each hive?? ...unless thin plastic over top of leather (more bulk) not possible. Exchange of pheromone disruptive to the next colony.
Just a thought.

 

[HM Honey]

Exchange of pheromone disruptive to the next colony.
Just a thought.

I think Heather may have something there... I have noticed that my bees react slightly better when I use a different set of marigolds for each hive. I used to use the same set for all four colonies but have switched to using a separate pair for each hive. I wash them after the inspection and then put them under the roof. Cant say for sure this makes the world of difference but my thinking is that by the time I do the next inspection on that colony, the gloves will be saturated in the colonies pheromones.... might be b#@*ox though....lol

 

[Gribbee]

Lots of thunder storms around last couple of days. The storm doesn't have to be directly overhead to turn the bees into monsters.

 

[Ginger19]

I put a clean pair of disposable latex gloves over my leather ones which helps.

 

[k9rml]

A good pair of waterproof over trousers and put inside wellies no need for tape works for me stops stings in the lower region but you get a bit warm in them

 

[Swarm]

I put a clean pair of disposable latex gloves over my leather ones which helps.

Quite!
It's so simple, just like using a size smaller so they are not 'bulky'. I don't think there is a glove issue here.

 

[northernsoul]

more importantly you've got to go through the hive to find the old queen.
Wait until a really warm day and when the sun is at its highest. That way a lot of the foragers won't be at home.
Better still get a bee keeping friend to help and take phone (not switched on ) just in case things go pearshaped

Good luck

 

[drstitson]

thunderstorms and OSR.

 

[Eyeman]

Introducing a new mated queen is trick especially if its a strong full size hive.
My penny worth of advice would be to use:
1. Prepare a nuc with 3 frames of brood from the hive you want to requeen- make sure queen isn't in nuc. Move to one side of parent hive and forages will fly back to parent hive leaving the more docile younger bees. Introduce new queen in cage into nuc after 24 hrs and check accepted and laying 5 days later and remove any queen cells. At the same time as preparing the nuc remove old queen from nasty hive and check 6 days later and remove all queen cells- now this hive is hopelessly queenless.
After removing the queen cells combine the nuc with new queen with the queen less parent hive making sure the new queen is kept between 2 frames of the nuc.