Need to kill off one of my hives

[gregior]

Hi

I have 7 hives,6 of which are fine but 1 is super aggressive,my hives are quite close to a footpath and everytime i inspect the nasty hive passers by are getting stung.I'v considered requeening but that means disturbing the aggro hive which i can't afford to do any more times due to the risk of the public getting stung (i also have 3 virgins waiting to get mated in this apiary and don't want them mating with the nasty drones)so i'v decided as a last resort to kill them off.

I want to reuse the equipment so wont be using pesticide sprays etc,but have read that warm soapy water sprayed over the bees will kill them by drowning them due to the surfactant nature of the soap effectively drowinng the bees.

Just wondering Has anyone tried this method? Will the equipment be ok for reuse after spraying? (It wont be being used until next year)

Any advice welcomed

 

[thenovice]

As a complete newbee my take on it might be completely wrong but I would close the hive up in the evening, ride it to an out apiary. then over time requeen there...there must be someone in your local association who could help you with that.

 

[meetballuk]

Q/e on bottom will stop the drones
y not kill queen and wait the unite to make strong colony?
no wasted bees then

 

[thenovice]

I am also quite sure that you could easily flog this colony to an experienced beekeeper that would do above... earn a few bob in the process...

 

[thenovice]

Q/e on bottom will stop the drones
y not kill queen and wait the unite to make strong colony?
no wasted bees then

you can not kill queen without opening the hive.

 

[gregior]

As a complete newbee my take on it might be completely wrong but I would close the hive up in the evening, ride it to an out apiary. then over time requeen there...there must be someone in your local association who could help you with that.

I can't move it because i have no out apiary and no car

I am also quite sure that you could easily flog this colony to an experienced beekeeper that would do above... earn a few bob in the process...

Yeah if anyones interested in a maisys nationaL brood 1/2 +2 super hive in cedar with gabled roof and stand with landing board let me know asap cheers.

 

[meetballuk]

true but thought he may not of conciderd that option

 

[gregior]

Q/e on bottom will stop the drones
y not kill queen and wait the unite to make strong colony?
no wasted bees then

I need these bees gone pronto ,even just putting excluder on bottom would lead to more ppl getting stung unfortunately

 

[thebhoy]

surely someone will be happy to take and work them rather than destroy them.... a lot of nasty hives tend to be good performers re honey crop.

You can of course use petrol if you still want to get rid of them or, one way I did destroy a bad colony (after several attempts to re-queen left lost queens) was to take them out, frame by frame and put them into a black sack...check it hasn't got holes first before taking in car ... and take them home and put in fridge or freezer overnight (or for an hour) ...does the trick quick enough and is quite clean.

 

[meetballuk]

suffocate or over heat them?

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have 7 hives,6 of which are fine but 1 is super aggressive,my hives are quite close to a footpath

Sounds like a ridiculous place to of made into a footpath.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

suffocate or over heat them?

This thread sickens me! another example of disposable beekeeping. Don't like the bees - then just kill them and get a nicer lot. Terrible

 

[meetballuk]

most humane but still i agree few to many how to kill bee threads latly. can i take that post back?

 

[thenovice]

This thread sickens me! another example of disposable beekeeping. Don't like the bees - then just kill them and get a nicer lot. Terrible

agreed! I guess with all the publicity lately and the hobby becoming more and more mainstream, people will start hives in stupid places (or lay public footpaths in the wrong place if you want). Beginners should be warned not to start from unproven stock when in urban areas unless they are backed by an association that can help out with remediation if things go t*ts up.

 

[Tom Bick]

Not that I recommend it but the way colonies are killed with EFB the hive is closed after flying and mesh floor sealed and a cup of petrol pored in through the feed hole. Hive closed and job done.

Personally if someone can take them away and sort them out will be the way to go but for now you have to deal with the situation you find yourself in.

 

[gregior]

agreed! I guess with all the publicity lately and the hobby becoming more and more mainstream, people will start hives in stupid places (or lay public footpaths in the wrong place if you want). Beginners should be warned not to start from unproven stock when in urban areas unless they are backed by an association that can help out with remediation if things go t*ts up.

Some would say removing aggressive strains of bees is the responsible thing to do?I'v been keeping bees for 30+ years and these are the worst i'v ever had,believe me i'm not taking this decision lightly.

 

[idg]

PM Sent

 

[Floyd]

suffocate or over heat them?

DISGUSTING! Imagine if that was a solution that the media picked up on how experienced bee keepers look after their hives.

We would certainly begin to lose face with the general public who are just getting round to be aware of the needs of bees and are doing their bit by planting pollinator friendly gardens.

 

[Ben90]

DISGUSTING! Imagine if that was a solution that the media picked up on how experienced bee keepers look after their hives.

We would certainly begin to lose face with the general public who are just getting round to be aware of the needs of bees and are doing their bit by planting pollinator friendly gardens.

We actually already have PETA and a few other animal rights groups making booklets about how beekeepers exploit bees and are cruel to them. They highlight a lot of practices (and granted, misrepresent them) that are commonly used by beekeepers and spin them to look immoral and abusive, like requeening. Imagine if something like exterminating entire colonies like this because you don't like their temperament got to the ears of a group like that? They'd have a field day.

Exterminating a colony should be an absolute last resort, like with notifiable diseases.

You're dealing with live animals, not a disposable pound shop toy.

 

[REDWOOD]

Excuse me, Is this a bee KEEPING forum or a bee KILLING forum.