nasty nasty nasty

[bluesman]

hi went to the apiary today and the one hive of girls are so nasty! theyve been aggressive since July but they are worse now-even to poke my head over the hive to look at the entrance and all guns blazing -ive come to hate opening up this colony- its a small colony -should i re-queen or should i leave them till spring- if i re-queen now will the new q kill the old? they are doin my head in !!!

 

[susbees]

I hate to say it but the responsible thing to do would have been to requeen in July. Do you know they are Q+? Do you know they have excellent stores to go into winter?

 

[Vergilius]

Wait till next year. There shouldn't bee any real need now to open the colony up. I find that my bees often get a bit tetchy at this time of year due to the weather, wasps etc.


Ben P

 

[Swarm]

Possibly find and execute the queen and combine with your other colony?

 

[rae]

There is another thread about this - the end solution was to stick them in the freezer and attempt to sort the bees from the queen when they were dopey.

So. Do you have another queen to hand? Do you have a weak colony about that could do with a big boost of bees?

If you have another queen available, then find the irritable one, and re-queen.

If you have a weak colony, then get rid of the irritable queen (might need to use the freezer if they are mad), and merge.

If you have neither, then you are a bit stuck. Let them overwinter, but you have the same problem in the spring. If they generate drones, they will be grumpy.

I would let them overwinter, you may need them next year. When they raise drones, cut them out. When swarming season arrives, kill the queen and give them a queen cell from a docile hive.

Bit late to do much else.

 

[Hivemaker.]

i re-queen now will the new q kill the old?

The bees will kill the new queen, if you don't remove the old one,or maybe even two.

 

[richardbees]

blues

I know exactly what you mean! I had the same ten years ago and (because I'm close to lots of adjoining gardens with children) used a sulpher candle.

It's too late to re-queen so just make sure they're full of stores, leave them alone and hope they make a New Year's resolution to be nicer!

richard

 

[Hivemaker.]

It's too late to re-queen

Why is it to late.

 

[richardbees]

hive....I haven't noticed any for sale

 

[VEG]

you cant be asking the right ones then

 

[bluesman]

nasty girls

thanks guys for your advice -ive fed and medicated for the last time so ill take your advice and leave alone till spring and then re-queen -these are a nightmare !
i dont fancy looking for the queen they are so aggressive they would give me a look-in-see what they are like after winter !

 

[bluesman]

they have a good store - but they wont let me even search for the queen -they are vicious!!