Opinions?

[LJH]

Was in my garden minding my own business and having a coffee, about 10/12 feet or so from the hive. I thought I would have been safe at this distance, but apparently one bee had other ideas. Little darling would NOT leave me alone, buzzing all around my face. Trying not to swat it too violently away from my face and make it even more irate (as I didn't fancy a sting on the conk) I retreat about 10 feet further with said brew in hand. Anyways, resulted in a good old sting in the arm (for me that is, bee was worse off - not my fault �&#56863.
As I said I thought I would have been safe.

Questions:

1) I am wearing a red T-shirt today which I haven't worn for a while and wondering whether colour has anything to do with it?

2) Should I have been okay at this distance and I've just got a nasty swarm, or was I intruding at 10/12 feet away?

Thoughts please??

 

[Finman]

2) Should I have been okay at this distance and I've just got a nasty swarm, or was I intruding at 10/12 feet away?

Thoughts please??

You will get the answer from hives.

.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

2) Should I have been okay at this distance and I've just got a nasty swarm, or was I intruding at 10/12 feet away?
Thoughts please??

There is no definitive answer to this question. How close you can safely stand unprotected from a hive depends on so many things.
Temperament and size of the colony, weather, how long ago and how peacefully the last inspection went, available forage, wasps or other pests......and the list goes on.....

I have a couple of hives that are incredibly gentle and don't care if I am near the hives, others are very defensive at a distance. Something I am currently trying to fix!

 

[LJH]

You will get the answer from hives.

.

Think I had the answer before about my hive, yes! I just mean speaking generally, as in what is deemed to be a safe distance from the hive in general? I just didn't feel like I was intruding, but I obviously was.

 

[LJH]

There is no definitive answer to this question. How close you can safely stand unprotected from a hive depends on so many things.
Temperament and size of the colony, weather, how long ago and how peacefully the last inspection went, available forage, wasps or other pests......and the list goes on.....

I have a couple of hives that are incredibly gentle and don't care if I am near the hives, others are very defensive at a distance. Something I am currently trying to fix!

Thanks for that. So they could be calm one day and irate the next? Hopefully just a bad day at the office for them then.

 

[RogueDrone]

Thanks for that. So they could be calm one day and irate the next? Hopefully just a bad day at the office for them then.

Remember 80% colony population female....

 

[einsteinagogo]

I watch videos on youtube of other peoples bees, and they look like absolute darlings compared to mine, (mongrels!) upon deep inspections, and then sometimes, I perform inspections, and I'm surprised how well behaved they are, and this appears to be weather dependant, and temperature dependant, e.g. no cold wind.

I've been caught a number of times (stung), just observing hives - I now always approach suited with gloves.

I still don't know, if mine are "nasty bees", or it's just weather, forage etc

But when I had them in the garden, I use to watch them from 4 feet everyday, and on occasion, one would chase me off!

Having spoken to a local Buckfast breeder, he has suggested I maybe try a few Buckfasts Queens, as he suggests they are very docile!

but then, what is docile!

 

[LJH]

Remember 80% colony population female....

I'm glad it was you who said that and not me!

I watch videos on youtube of other peoples bees, and they look like absolute darlings compared to mine, (mongrels!) upon deep inspections, and then sometimes, I perform inspections, and I'm surprised how well behaved they are, and this appears to be weather dependant, and temperature dependant, e.g. no cold wind.

I've been caught a number of times (stung), just observing hives - I now always approach suited with gloves.

I still don't know, if mine are "nasty bees", or it's just weather, forage etc

But when I had them in the garden, I use to watch them from 4 feet everyday, and on occasion, one would chase me off!

Having spoken to a local Buckfast breeder, he has suggested I maybe try a few Buckfasts Queens, as he suggests they are very docile!

but then, what is docile!

Thank you, makes me feel a little better.

Anyone feel that colour has an influence or not? With regards to the bees noticing more or being attracted to a certain colour?

 

[einsteinagogo]

I'm glad it was you who said that and not me!



Thank you, makes me feel a little better.

Anyone feel that colour has an influence or not? With regards to the bees noticing more or being attracted to a certain colour?

I was always told my by mentor, long gone I'm afraid...

never to wear blue denim!

I don't have any blue denim, anyway, but I've witnessed first hand, someone being stung, wearing blue jeans, and "chased" away over the orchard!

resemebling something between a "carry on film" and "dad's army" as this guy ran around, swotting his trousers, and being stung!

and my mentor stated, that's what happens if you wear blue denim jeans!

 

[LJH]

I was always told my by mentor, long gone I'm afraid...

never to wear blue denim!

I don't have any blue denim, anyway, but I've witnessed first hand, someone being stung, wearing blue jeans, and "chased" away over the orchard!

resemebling something between a "carry on film" and "dad's army" as this guy ran around, swotting his trousers, and being stung!

and my mentor stated, that's what happens if you wear blue denim jeans!

I also have blue denim shorts on as well as the red T-shirt... Might be something in that quote then!

 

[domino]

Do you have a screen up between you and your hives?

 

[Beanwood]

I was always told my by mentor, long gone I'm afraid...

never to wear blue denim!

I don't have any blue denim, anyway, but I've witnessed first hand, someone being stung, wearing blue jeans, and "chased" away over the orchard!

resemebling something between a "carry on film" and "dad's army" as this guy ran around, swotting his trousers, and being stung!

and my mentor stated, that's what happens if you wear blue denim jeans!

I received this same advice recently - after being stung when wearing jeans with my jacket !(Normally wear a suit).

I've also heard that bees don't like 'dark colours' - hence no dark navy bee suits perhaps? I am about to change away from my black nitrile gloves for inspections, and try a lighter colour instead (I get stung less when wearing marigolds).

 

[theeggman]

On advice from a respected member and officer of this forum we turned our black marigolds inside out and the stings to our hands stopped. Also OH was stung on the hand the other day whilst there was a black cased marking pen in her hand, chance or what?

 

[enrico]

If you are in a flight path to nectar or water, and within metres of your hive, they will bounce off you once, come back for a second look and if you show any aggression they will win! That is my experience, move your chair out of the flight path and bob's your uncle! A screen to get them over head height works well if the problem persists. I use trellis, the bees don't fly through the holes and I can make it look pretty with plants.

 

[LJH]

That sounds like a plan. Trellis sounds good. Will it work? Are we talking 5 ft trellis or will lower gain the same effect? Anyone got a picture of their hives with trellis around it please?

 

[Thymallus]

Think I had the answer before about my hive, yes! I just mean speaking generally, as in what is deemed to be a safe distance from the hive in general? I just didn't feel like I was intruding, but I obviously was.

It really depends on the strain or type of bee you keep. The current ones I have I can a run the lawnmower right past their hives, inspect at close range etc with no protection or anything.
In the past I've had bees with defensive perimeters so large you couldn't walk out of the back door, full bee suit for mowing lawn chain mail for inspections.
Plus just about everything else in between.

 

[Tremyfro]

My bees generally are very quiet on the comb. We stay out of the Bee Yard the day after an inspection....not because there is a problem....but more out of respect for the bees....
Any other time we come and go without bee suits. We go to great pains to handle frames very gently...no shaking or vibrating or banging. We find inspecting the bottom brood box first...then the second brood box...is less disturbing to the bees. We rarely use smoke...the bees don't like it....neither do we. Although we always have one to hand. It is used for the bigger colonies just when closing up. Perhaps we have been lucky so far...the one time we were stupid.....we paid in spades....both of us had multiple stings......never again...total respect now!

 

[LJH]

My bees generally are very quiet on the comb. We stay out of the Bee Yard the day after an inspection....not because there is a problem....but more out of respect for the bees....
Any other time we come and go without bee suits. We go to great pains to handle frames very gently...no shaking or vibrating or banging. We find inspecting the bottom brood box first...then the second brood box...is less disturbing to the bees. We rarely use smoke...the bees don't like it....neither do we. Although we always have one to hand. It is used for the bigger colonies just when closing up. Perhaps we have been lucky so far...the one time we were stupid.....we paid in spades....both of us had multiple stings......never again...total respect now!

Thanks for that, useful points

 

[Erichalfbee]

We stay out of the Bee Yard the day after an inspection....

Yes....one or two of the colonies can be a little defensive up to a day after.
I looked in yesterday and today husband mowed the apiary field today on his sit on mower. Good job he had his suit on.
I was reminded of this chap

 

[GlenJ]

Generally, (a common bee keeping term) my little darlings are so laid back I wonder what the neighbours are growing! They don't like the first inspections when the weather can be dubious, but right now they don't give a monkey's how close I am or what I wear or I'm doing around the hives, as long as I'm actually avoidable. This all changes when they get the swarm impulse. It tells me that life is about to get more interesting!