Re-queening

[steve56616]

I had a call from a fellow allotment holder saying my bees were a bit stroppy the last few days and persistently buzzing after people.
To be on the safe side I have decided to re-queen hives there and ones at home in the garden sooner rather than later. Queens I have are all home grown and I am worried if they go nasty again this year I will have no where to move them again. I had a terrible hive last year that was so bad. Re-queened and was fine but I then lost her in a swarm. Ive decided against Carnolians as last time I had a bad time with them constantly trying to swarm. Im going for German Buckfast as read they are very calm.
Just wondered what peoples views are with this race?

 

[Finman]

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Tupla

 

[Honeybeeco]

Could it simply be they are a little hungry?

I know that between the flowering periods thought out the year, bees sometimes get a little stroppy.

Also have they still got a queen, as a hive without a queen gets upset as well.

I've may be unlucky but I've not found a breed of bee that's 100% perfect and calm all year round due to some trigger like weather, food or conditions.

Andy

 

[Finman]

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IT takes really much time to change the hives temper. 3 months.
I think that this is not a proper way to solve the problem on public place. You realize, bees are dangerous animals.

 

[steve56616]

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IT takes really much time to change the hives temper. 3 months.

yes I know, that's why I've decided to do it sooner rather than leave it for too long

 

[steve56616]

Could it simply be they are a little hungry?

I know that between the flowering periods thought out the year, bees sometimes get a little stroppy.

Also have they still got a queen, as a hive without a queen gets upset as well.

I've may be unlucky but I've not found a breed of bee that's 100% perfect and calm all year round due to some trigger like weather, food or conditions.

Andy

Queens are all there and I know what hive is a little cranky. She is an unmarked queen and not one I thought was in there.
I know they change a bit now and then but I really want to avoid the bad lot I had last year, they were just evil. I have found bought in queens have always had a better nature than home grown queens. I might be wrong and it might be one of these things but thought maybe best to just be safe as I possibly can be.

 

[enrico]

If you have a good hive with a good queen then get rid of the bad queen and combine them. The temperament will change quicker than just putting a queen in, in my experience anyway, depends if you can afford to make two hives into one.
E

 

[Finman]

yes I know, that's why I've decided to do it sooner rather than leave it for too long

Have you considered to move the hive away to safer place?

 

[Honeybeeco]

Good idea Enrico.

I've tried that a couple of times and your right.

 

[steve56616]

If you have a good hive with a good queen then get rid of the bad queen and combine them. The temperament will change quicker than just putting a queen in, in my experience anyway, depends if you can afford to make two hives into one.
E

The cranky hive is the biggest and came through the winter really well..the floods didn't seem to have affected them at all.The other two hives have been struggling but getting there now. These two I'm hoping to get into the top bar hives at some point. I've started the process but its going to take a while I think so don't want to combine really

 

[Finman]

If you have a good hive with a good queen then get rid of the bad queen and combine them. The temperament will change quicker than just putting a queen in, in my experience anyway, depends if you can afford to make two hives into one.
E

My experience is different. Why in heck they would become nicer?

Never mind. Then you will se.

.

 

[Obee1]

I sympathise with cranky bees in close proximity to the public as I had that problem last year in a garden hive. I will now only keep buckfast at home as mine are completely calm and I can open them up without fear of trouble.

 

[oliver90owner]

I keep mongrels - never yet bought in a queen. Queen selection is important.

 

[kevrhcfag]

Got a public site when starting went through and decided on Buckfast and only had 1 go nasty on me. Find them usually calm on the comb, non following and not that defensive, but no entrances where people walk across (well nearly).

Try Hivemaker on here his queens follow this pattern in my experience, getting them to accept might be a different matter. People need to be aware on "public" sites after a swarm that a hive can change quite a bit and once that way inclined waste of time trying to breed your own queen from it imho and they owe it to their neighbours to try and get a queen from known temperament.

 

[steve56616]

Got a public site when starting went through and decided on Buckfast and only had 1 go nasty on me. Find them usually calm on the comb, non following and not that defensive, but no entrances where people walk across (well nearly).

Try Hivemaker on here his queens follow this pattern in my experience, getting them to accept might be a different matter. People need to be aware on "public" sites after a swarm that a hive can change quite a bit and once that way inclined waste of time trying to breed your own queen from it imho and they owe it to their neighbours to try and get a queen from known temperament.

I have ordered my Buckfast queens from a good source. I agree with you, when they are in a public place ( a lot of us don't have the fortune to have land out of the way) we owe it to people around to do what e can to have calm bees. Mine seem to go nasty over time when the queens are replaced so I think buying in good queens every other year is money well spent. I havent the knowledge to breed my own with the guarantee of good temperament.