Oouwch! Bees going for me while sitting down!

[Snootycat]

Normally my bees are placid, but today I got stung twice just while sitting down!
Earlier on I added some supers and put some Varroa Gard in.
I was enjoying myself making up some frames in the sunshine when I got stung, which is very unusual.
I changed my top from a red top to a mauve long sleeved one and sat down again but another bee came at me and I had to hightail it indoors. I wasnt in their flight path and normally I can sit there with no problem. I banged away at some frames yesterday with no problem, any suggestions as to why they have suddenly got it in for me?

 

[psafloyd]

It's a comment on your sartorial choices, I'd say...

 

[Snootycat]

I have worn those colours outside before.............................

 

[BeeNice]

Moved my hives from home awhile ago, depends on your bees, nice and peaceful one month, next you can't be in the same county. It would be the guard bees not the collecting bees that would go for you, can they see you from the hive entrance if so, block there sight lines with some panels or something.
Steven

 

[itma]

Normally my bees are placid, but today I got stung twice just while sitting down!
Earlier on I added some supers and put some Varroa Gard in.
I was enjoying myself making up some frames in the sunshine when I got stung, which is very unusual.
... any suggestions as to why they have suddenly got it in for me?

My bees are VERY placid, largely ignoring me.

But pushing a tray of VarroaGard in at the entrance did seem to make them angry. The sentries came out, and were far from placid.
They were calm by the next day.
I rationalised it as the invasion of the entrance that they were upset by, rather than the VarroaGard itself getting them wound up.
That said, when the entrance reducer came off recently, they had a serious attempt at chucking out the by-then empty tray!

I expect your bees will be back to normal tomorrow.

 

[Dishmop]

Earlier on I added some supers and put some Varroa Gard in.

I'd be a bit p***** off it somebody poked a pile of that stuff thro my letter box.

 

[madasafish]

It's not your satorial elegance or inelegance the bees objected to.

It's your body odour...

 

[Snootycat]

Hi, they were better this afternoon although I didnt sit there for long. I put the varroa gard on the top of the frames. I reckon it must have been that which wound them up. I am going to have to move the hive over then next few weeks in the usual easy stages, so wasnt looking forward to having bad tempered bees slowly moving their way down the garden

 

[oliver90owner]

I had one colony which 'saw me off' on two occasions yesterday, while I was riddling soil close by.

Same happened the day before, so I moved the closest colony to a field of OSR (so I now suspect that hive was not the culprit).

This hive (yesterday) now has no queen (squished yesterday afternoon and will find itself over one of the OSR colonies later today. End of problem with that colony.

RAB

 

[enrico]

The daft thing is they will leave everyone else alone but as soon as you poke your nose out of the door they are on you. I think they just like to get their own back occasionally . I can't blame them!

 

[Hebeegeebee]

You should consider requeening maybe. Followers after an inspection means that the queen in the colony in question is in my sights.

 

[itma]

You should consider requeening maybe. Followers after an inspection means that the queen in the colony in question is in my sights.

For a first offence?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If the other colonies are Ok and one is definitely worse, I'd know which one I wouldn't breed from!

 

[CB008]

I had that same situation last year. I was sitting down some way from the hive and I was randomly attacked. It had never happened before and has never happened since. What it did make me realise after a year sitting 2 ft away in a pair of shorts and nothing else that their mood can change for no apparent reason

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

What it did make me realise after a year sitting 2 ft away in a pair of shorts and nothing else that their mood can change for no apparent reason

Perhaps your legs weren't crossed?

 

[madasafish]

Bees definitely dislike my sweat when in shorts returning from a run...

 

[chrismcd]

Lost bees panicking?

My wife and I seem to get this problem in the early spring.

I do wonder whether it is caused by some of the workers in the first large generation being "pushed out" as foragers before they are really up to it and getting 'lost' on their orientation flights.

I have noticed some rather frantic looking bees (zipping randomly around the garden) who are only too keen to chase me rather than getting on with foraging.

Once we are into summer the incidence of random attacks seems to fade away - thank heavens.

 

[Snootycat]

Both colonies in my garden are really a bit stroppy at the moment. The first hive I was talking about was quiet the next day but today I was chopping some branches a few feet away and one stung me. All year I have been doing that with no problem at all. This pm I was stung three times just doing my first inspection of the other hive and they followed me indoors. I didnt put any varroa gard in the second one, they were mad enough with me as it was. The queen in hive two needs replacing as she was from the previous year, but I guess its too early to divide them up yet?
Pam

 

[REDWOOD]

It could have been the vibrations from your hammer

 

[fox403]

u lot seem very quick in thinking kill the queen,,should be last thing to think...if everyday u are out and getting chased fine,,but a couple of stings ? get rid of your bees and keep butterflys