Productivity vs aggression

[PeaBee]

"And those people in this thread who state aggression is not linked to joney production, did it put you off opening the hives?"
Nope it motivated me to open the hives and squash the queen!

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

We have thirty of the most egressive, vicious and bloody evil colonies I've ever had the misfortune to own.
They are currently out on the moors where, hopefully they will meet their maker over the winter.
They were purchased from a Scottish beefarmer, supposedly all Murray's queens.
We were talked out of collecting them & they were delivered onto site. All are as black as coal, not one marked Q, and certainly nothing related to Murray's stocks.
Have average of 28lb @ colony all season, utter rubbish and also impossible to re-queen, hence the reason for leaving them to die out.
I certainly couldn't live with myself if a member of the public was attacked as they have been hitting us from half mile away, I took over fifty stings from one colony through a swienty suit on one occasion.

 

[Ian123]

We have thirty of the most egressive, vicious and bloody evil colonies I've ever had the misfortune to own.
They are currently out on the moors where, hopefully they will meet their maker over the winter.
They were purchased from a Scottish beefarmer, supposedly all Murray's queens.
We were talked out of collecting them & they were delivered onto site. All are as black as coal, not one marked Q, and certainly nothing related to Murray's stocks.
Have average of 28lb @ colony all season, utter rubbish and also impossible to re-queen, hence the reason for leaving them to die out.
I certainly couldn't live with myself if a member of the public was attacked as they have been hitting us from half mile away, I took over fifty stings from one colony through a swienty suit on one occasion.

Fool….. advertising them to BIBA members at a premium is a far better idea, alternatively turn them loose at Blenheim

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have thirty of the most egressive, vicious and bloody evil colonies I've ever had the misfortune to own.
They are currently out on the moors where, hopefully they will meet their maker over the winter.
They were purchased from a Scottish beefarmer, supposedly all Murray's queens.
We were talked out of collecting them & they were delivered onto site. All are as black as coal, not one marked Q, and certainly nothing related to Murray's stocks.
Have average of 28lb @ colony all season, utter rubbish and also impossible to re-queen, hence the reason for leaving them to die out.
I certainly couldn't live with myself if a member of the public was attacked as they have been hitting us from half mile away, I took over fifty stings from one colony through a swienty suit on one occasion.

Shake them out

 

[Antipodes]

Shake them out

They'll love that

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Shake them out

Come and help me do it, you would be running soon after opening the first one, I was a few weeks ago, scared the bloody life out of me. Petrol is too good for them, napalm would be better.
Anyone that doubts how crap dark bees are is welcome to view, at their own risk.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Come and help me do it,

Of course not. It was a joke.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Anyone that doubts how crap dark bees are is welcome to view, at their own risk.

I’m with you there

 

[Swarm]

There are so many dark bees these days, some very dark Buckfast bees so I hear.
Bad bees are bad bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

There are so many dark bees these days, some very dark Buckfast bees so I hear.
Bad bees are bad bees.

Yep. Colour is immaterial.

 

[Sutty]

How about leaving them where they are over winter, any that survive add a protected QC & hope for a supersedure with decent genes.
Does mean rearing some QCs and daring the aggressive hives..

 

[JamezF]

I was wondering about shifting the hives a short distance at night and bleeding the flying bees off to make life easier, but with thirty colonies I reckon that's probably impractical. I imagine HH has thought of most of the "easy" solutions that don't involve "nuking them from orbit just to be sure" already.

James

 

[Beagle23]

I've seen a couple of experienced beekeepers state they reckoned that the mechanism is simply that most beekeepers open (disrupt) defensive hives less. The question then becomes: did the OP open the defensive hive less than the placid one? And those people in this thread who state aggression is not linked to joney production, did it put you off opening the hives?

I'd say it was the same for both colonies, generally if I'm having a 'bee day' I'll do whatever needs doing with both hives.

 

[Beagle23]

There are so many dark bees these days, some very dark Buckfast bees so I hear.
Bad bees are bad bees.

Coincidentally my aggressive colony is very dark (about 90% black), compared with my hippies which are a standard Buckfast colouring.
A friend from the local BKA stopped by the other day and proclaimed the aggressive colony as 'not that bad' so I find that somewhat comforting. They're the worst I've seen in 6 years of beekeeping but clearly I'm not as well travelled as some

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they are bad for you that’s all that matters.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A friend from the local BKA stopped by the other day and proclaimed the aggressive colony as 'not that bad' so I find that somewhat comforting

either that or your friend keeps vile bees

 

[jeff33]

We have thirty of the most egressive, vicious and bloody evil colonies I've ever had the misfortune to own.
They are currently out on the moors where, hopefully they will meet their maker over the winter.
They were purchased from a Scottish beefarmer, supposedly all Murray's queens.
We were talked out of collecting them & they were delivered onto site. All are as black as coal, not one marked Q, and certainly nothing related to Murray's stocks.
Have average of 28lb @ colony all season, utter rubbish and also impossible to re-queen, hence the reason for leaving them to die out.
I certainly couldn't live with myself if a member of the public was attacked as they have been hitting us from half mile away, I took over fifty stings from one colony through a swienty suit on one occasion.

Out of curiosity, did you ever get back to the person you bought them off? If you have their details, why not drive the 30 hives back to his back garden, Knock on the door and get a couple of hives opened ready for when he answers....
The stress of dealing with these+ cost of 30 hives must be challenging to deal with!

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

There is one thing for sure,
Hand on heart,
I will never ever buy bees again, and with my experience and the amount of foul brood about I would recommend no one else does. I made a stupid school boy error, I was talked out of collecting them, which in the past I always have
Fortunately we are now in a position to raise plenty of nucs to overwinter, and now have a local supplier of top quality Danish buckie's, which is what I've missed since Ged took a step back.
The aggressive hives were to go on a pollination job we were offered at the last minute, which obviously they didn't.
I'll be totally honest also, I have offered a return of 2023 nucs with a marked quality queen of known origin as payment, as we are so out of pocket.

 

[B_north]

I'll be totally honest also, I have offered a return of 2023 nucs with a marked quality queen of known origin as payment, as we are so out of pocket.

I would have offered to return the original hives, pick up only.

 

[jeff33]

There is one thing for sure,
Hand on heart,
I will never ever buy bees again, and with my experience and the amount of foul brood about I would recommend no one else does. I made a stupid school boy error, I was talked out of collecting them, which in the past I always have
Fortunately we are now in a position to raise plenty of nucs to overwinter, and now have a local supplier of top quality Danish buckie's, which is what I've missed since Ged took a step back.
The aggressive hives were to go on a pollination job we were offered at the last minute, which obviously they didn't.
I'll be totally honest also, I have offered a return of 2023 nucs with a marked quality queen of known origin as payment, as we are so out of pocket.

Let's hope it works out for you, best wishes.