Persistant angry guards

[Bakerbee]

Hi all, me again. I was making the most of fine weather yesterday and preparing the soil and seeding in with wild flower meadow mix . This is the new site for my bees next year. Once they cluster we will be moving hive to bthis better position. So, the hive at the moment is about 10 -20 feet away overall. I got bumped n buzzed so many times i ended up having to go put my suit on to do my gardening! At no time was i in front of the hive. I was to the side and slighlty behind it. They have been a bit grumpy when i put the varroa treatment in a few weeks back but i thought that was because i was in the BB. So, thoughts? Re queen in spring? Just a bad day?

 

[Bakerbee]

Forgot to mention shes 2016 marked white queen

 

[Poly Hive]

They are more defensive at this season but given her age and the behaviour, yes re-queen.

I had the CB open on one of mine on Thursday to see if the super was ready yet to come off and they sat and looked at me. There was a cloud of bees at the entrance both returning foragers and "learners" so plenty on the wing to chase me off but no I was ignored and bees like that are a delight. Especially when they are still bringing in nectar in October in Scotland. Bless them all.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

They also have a dislike to most strimmers

 

[Beefriendly]

You occasionally get a colony with a large defensive perimeters. Had a hive a while back where you couldn't,t go outside house without being bothered. After an inspection it was batten down the doors. They were soon moved and requeened away from their local ancestry

 

[Swarm]

What is their flight path?

Don't judge temperament at this time of year, they potentially have more to lose. See what they are like during Spring build up.
Forgetting treatments, what were they like in general this year? I have a queen from 2015 and without fail her colony is always the largest. Far from bumping her off, I'm hoping she is still around this time next year.

 

[user 6228]

What is their flight path?

Don't judge temperament at this time of year, they potentially have more to lose. See what they are like during Spring build up.
Forgetting treatments, what were they like in general this year? I have a queen from 2015 and without fail her colony is always the largest. Far from bumping her off, I'm hoping she is still around this time next year.

yes you need to take a longer term view before taking action. Aprt from which any action now can leave you queen less over winter, so best to delay to spring anyway. In the mean time put a screen in front of the hive

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't judge temperament at this time of year, they potentially have more to lose. See what they are like during Spring build up.

I have a few colonies which, for most of the year are as gentle as lambs, but come this time of year invariably come tumbling out to see what's going on when I walk past. With one or two I think it may be hive position as on one location, due to apiary restocking logistics there are different colonies there now than last year.
Thymol treatment can wind them up as well.
A white queen is a youngster!!

 

[Swarm]

My 2015 lot have been rotated on their floor twice by sheep and have only carried on with business as usual. Today I nadired them and gave them a feeder of thymolated invert and could have done the lot in a T shirt and with no veil, they were amazing and still very busy. I certainly want her to stay around.

I should add that this colony is always quiet but given the time of year I was surprised, the only bees in the air were returning foragers.

 

[Beefriendly]

In the mean time put a screen in front of the hive

Does showing movies calm them down?
Why a screen though?

 

[Millet]

Does showing movies calm them down?
Why a screen though?

.

On a serious note i messed on with mine today and i am invisible or they are on some kind of natures best medication, all colonies flying well and bringing in loads of pollen but the house bees are like 1 wk old kittens, there calmness is unbelievable i even had the chainsaw out for 1hr 15ft away from them with no incidents, talk about going from one extreme to another i certainly have for the better thanks to someone..

 

[Bakerbee]

All good thoughts, thanks. I will give her the bemefit of the doubt till spring. I would not have even attempted to requeen now, doubt any are about for sale now also. Just havent read about their temperament at this time of year but can undérstand their protection of home and stores, as paramount for them pre cluster. Shame they didnt realize i was sowing wonderful nectar and pollen enriched wild flowers totally for them next year hey?!

 

[Teemore]

I took a tour around some of my out apiaries on Saturday and observed an odd wasp still "investigating" around beehives. If wasps are still trying to rob stores, some bees might be a touch defensive as a result.

 

[Bakerbee]

Just thought I would update you all. Today I've been in the veggie plot next to my hive. As docile as can be, coming and going and completely ignoring me. I've had hedge trimmers on, cut down two nuisance sycamores , this time 15ft in front of hive. Go figure? Seriously though glad they've calmed down.

 

[enrico]

Well done. There is nothing worse than getting between a hive and a crop. Flight paths are one of the biggest problems in my experience with stroppy bees when you are working near them.
E