Rabid Vampire Bees!!!

[lebouche]

Hi,

I have a really strong hive who have been doing really well since last year. They stung my visiting uncle yesterday twice on the face when he was about 20-30 ft from the hive. What kind of distance are bees normally territorial over? They got me twice in the face recently too. People ride past this area on horses and there is a public footpath not too far away so considering taking the queen out but a shame to lose such strong stock.
Any advice most welcome,

Thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally, I would move them, and sharpish. Looks a little bit like a risky apiary with a footpath and bridleway so near.

 

[einsteinagogo]

We you in the way of their flight path ?

If visiting my hives, when bees are flying well, I always wear my jacket with veil.

The problem I've encountered, is bees flying out of the entrance, bump into my head, and they get upset, or get tangled in my curly hair...which resembles a birds nest most days!

20-30 feet, seems a fair distance, but maybe odours, perfume, how are they when you inspect them.

Horses and Public footpath near by - you may want to think about your location, any hive can turn nasty.

 

[Excession]

I walk around mine without a veil, just because I don't need it, definitely not this early in the season... Sounds like yours are getting narky.
Has anything happened recently? Thunderstorm? Heavy machinery? Woodpecker?

 

[Swinton apiaries]

I had a hive years back suddenly went the same way I put it down to my youth and enthousasm opened them up harlf way throw the inspecsion it started to rain so put it down to that requeened them a few months later and sorted the problem

 

[bontbee]

Personally, I would move them, and sharpish. Looks a little bit like a risky apiary with a footpath and bridleway so near.

Best to move them and then you can inspect them without fear of anyone taking the flak following the disturbance and that you may hive time to formulate a plan. When did you last inspect and what did you find?

It's great to have bees in the garden, but this is a reminder for everyone, particularly beginners, that it's important to have an alternative site up your sleeve. I had the same situation a couple of weeks back. I had a garden colony that was getting a bit iffy so I moved it before it had more than one super on it; indications are that it is becoming one of those hives from hell. One more strike and HM is out.

 

[lebouche]

Thanks for all the advice. I don't have an out apiary but my mom has a field at the bottom of the garden that I could corden off.Just wonder what distance from the horses they really need to be if they are a grumpy lot. Perhaps if I put some wind breakers up they will fly upwards and be less trouble to them.

 

[peteinwilts]

yesterday, a couple of hours before the rain, the bees were getting a little troublesome.

An hour or so before the rain, even the gentlest of colony's were attacking me en-mass, and even as I tidied the apiary up, a hundred yards(ish) away I had several hundred followers not only harassing me, but also trying to sting me (even half an hour after I had given up inspecting!)

I drove off down the road wearing my beesuit, periodically letting all the bees out that decided to dive in with me.

Almost all colony's are usually very peaceful, and usually no trouble at all.

One of my beekeeping friends also reported his bees as unusually feisty.

The bees are hitting the OSR (which can make them a little cranky anyway), but primarily, I blame the weather....


With a fair number of beehives at a number of apiary's, I regularly find bees 'out of character'. Bees can be cranky for a number of reasons.

This is why I don't keep bees in the garden, but also wear a full beesuit when inspecting. I also keep thicker gloves and a jumper in the car for those times I need to 'layer up'..

 

[peteinwilts]

Thanks for all the advice. I don't have an out apiary but my mom has a field at the bottom of the garden that I could corden off.Just wonder what distance from the horses they really need to be if they are a grumpy lot. Perhaps if I put some wind breakers up they will fly upwards and be less trouble to them.

If bees are in a confined area, two fences are recommended between horses and bees.
There were a couple of incidents where horses became trapped in apiarys with very bad results. (for the bees and the horses)

Bees got really bad press in the horsey magazines and many horsey people now do not like bees. In reality, common sense rules.

We keep horses and bees and have never had a problem. However, most of my bees are not in confined areas, and those that are, are not near horses.

 

[Finman]

.
Change the queen. The hive is dangerous if it attacks that way without reason.

And when it gets a good reason, what it might do then?

I had once that kind of hive whose attacking distance was 20-30 metres. It hit directly without warning like an arrow. I did not even know, from which direction the arrow allways hit. Just through the clothes.

.

 

[Hivemaker.]

An hour or so before the rain, even the gentlest of colony's were attacking me en-mass, and even as I tidied the apiary up, a hundred yards(ish) away I had several hundred followers not only harassing me, but also trying to sting me (even half an hour after I had given up inspecting!)

How very different they can be in different areas, they have been as placid here today as they always are, working on bees today day in light rain and in between the heavy showers, transferring nucs, setting up more cell builders, drone providers, swarm checks, etc, not even needed to use a beesuit or veil all day.

 

[madasafish]

My bees are normally very placid.. I can mow under them in T shirt and shorts in good weather. But last week they were all horrible.. windy.

This week, no problems.

I have been followed by nasty bees for 1/2 mile. Not fun.

If persistently horrible, requeen them.

 

[peteinwilts]

How very different they can be in different areas, they have been as placid here today as they always are, working on bees today day in light rain and in between the heavy showers, transferring nucs, setting up more cell builders, drone providers, swarm checks, etc, not even needed to use a beesuit or veil all day.

... sometimes I hate my day job...

 

[For want of a better word]

Usually nice bees turned a little tense when the mowers were out on the greens on the adjacent goff course..... up for sale for 80 Million... with planing permission for 200... 50 week a year holiday homes.
This area of Cornwall needs affordable housing not palaces for the parasites!

I have NO intention of moving these bees!


Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Usually nice bees turned a little tense when the mowers were out on the greens on the adjacent goff course..... up for sale for 80 Million... with planing permission for 200... 50 week a year holiday homes.
This area of Cornwall needs affordable housing not palaces for the parasites!

Yeghes da

Golf - a waste of good pasture - but at least it keeps the witless yahoos with no dress sense off the streets

 

[tudorcd]

What strain of bees do people have ?
British bee, mongrels, Italian, buck fast, don't know ?
Here in NZ we don't tolerate nasty bees in suburbs or risky areas.

 

[lebouche]

If bees are in a confined area, two fences are recommended between horses and bees.
There were a couple of incidents where horses became trapped in apiarys with very bad results. (for the bees and the horses)

Bees got really bad press in the horsey magazines and many horsey people now do not like bees. In reality, common sense rules.

We keep horses and bees and have never had a problem. However, most of my bees are not in confined areas, and those that are, are not near horses.

Thanks, the horses usually have 2-3 acres to run away in. Field is 5 acres.
Should be OK?

 

[lebouche]

.
Change the queen. The hive is dangerous if it attacks that way without reason.

And when it gets a good reason, what it might do then?

I had once that kind of hive whose attacking distance was 20-30 metres. It hit directly without warning like an arrow. I did not even know, from which direction the arrow allways hit. Just through the clothes.

.

Thanks Finman. Think I will do. Think this is my fourth year beekeeping as an adult and first time they are trouble.

 

[lebouche]

Could being in their flight path be the problem? Really hate the idea of squishing a queen!

 

[Elaine]

Could it be something in the environment that has changed? I had a colony that were usually very calm, but started to be bad tempered - nothing like the extreme behaviour of yours, but definitely out of character. We noticed that pigeons were landing on the roof of the hive, so put up 'pigeon arials' ie spikey wire contraptions, to keep them off - next inspection, bees back to their calm selves, and no trouble since.