Space and Aggressive Bees

[4degreesWest]

I’ve got quite an angry colony (my strongest) who were quite placid last year. I did a split in the spring and they also swarmed shortly afterwards but have built their numbers back up. I looked in on them yesterday and the brood box is very full of brood. Could this be making them angry and would going brood and a half or double brood calm them a little bit?

 

[enrico]

I’ve got quite an angry colony (my strongest) who were quite placid last year. I did a split in the spring and they also swarmed shortly afterwards but have built their numbers back up. I looked in on them yesterday and the brood box is very full of brood. Could this be making them angry and would going brood and a half or double brood calm them a little bit?

Probably not, a new queen would sort it. Personally I would kill the queen and combine them.

 

[4degreesWest]

Combine the angry colony with the split that I took from them?

 

[ericbeaumont]

an angry colony

making them angry

calm them a little bit?

Let's get one thing straight: if you attribute human feelings to bees then you'll be messing with yours.

Bees have no emotions, work by instinct only and are either more or less genetically defensive.

Box size has no bearing on the problem. When your placid colony swarmed earlier this year the subsequent virgin mated with any old rag-tag drones within five miles and picked up the defensive genes.

As Enrico suggested, kill the colony queen and unite the split (using newspaper into two brood boxes).

If the split is also defensive then there's nothing to be gained and you'll have to buy in and re-queen the split, before uniting.

Introduction of a travelled queen is easier if you lose the older flying bees (by moving the split in the apiary, so they join the problem colony). Feeding syrup for a few days prior to introduction improves acceptance.

 

[4degreesWest]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve just been out to them in the last quarter of an hour and they were as placid as anything so perhaps it’s something I’m doing wrong/time of day. I thought midday was a good time to look but it struck me this evening that were on a north facing slope that doesn’t get the sun until nearly noon.

 

[Swarm]

Always give them a chance, don't be too quick to judge behaviour.

 

[ericbeaumont]

midday was a good time to look

Really ought to be able to check at any time, though weather - wind especially - will make life difficult. Late in the day can sometimes be lively, when flying bees are home, but I open hives routinely at that time without issue.

Barometer dropping - storm on the way - can make life uncomfortable for the beekeeper, and a lack of forage, especially at this time of year, is likely to make bees more defensive.

Always give them a chance, don't be too quick to judge behaviour.

True.

Strange season: early on one apiary was unpleasant to work, and I spent a long time trying to work out which colonies were responsible. All of them? Surely not.

Recently they're all fine again bar one, so she's for the chop.

 

[rook66]

I’ve got quite an angry colony (my strongest) who were quite placid last year. I did a split in the spring and they also swarmed shortly afterwards but have built their numbers back up. I looked in on them yesterday and the brood box is very full of brood. Could this be making them angry and would going brood and a half or double brood calm them a little bit?

All my colonies have turned into demons, I am putting it down to the abrupt end to the flow due to drought, they are sucking up at least two gallons of water per day. I will just have to wait for the old foragers to die off before removing the crop.

 

[Mamahilz]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve just been out to them in the last quarter of an hour and they were as placid as anything so perhaps it’s something I’m doing wrong/time of day. I thought midday was a good time to look but it struck me this evening that were on a north facing slope that doesn’t get the sun until nearly noon.

I find this time of year if there are a few wasps sniffing around they can gradually get more defensive. I also try to distinguish between irritability due to ‘defensive’ behaviour compared to truly ‘aggressive’ behaviour. If they are pinging at your veil in large numbers and on multiple inspections gradually getting worse over a few inspections that’s the time to requeen. If they are just noisily buzzing around you in numbers, trying to ward you off that’s defensive and may well calm down again.
I have an apiary with high hedges and a clear boundary and so if they defend within the apiary, maybe following a short distance when you’ve visited I’m not concerned as that’s reasonable. However, it’s a different it’s a concern when they are aggressively defending outside that boundary and actually trying to chase you a long way (persistent followers) - again, that’s when I’d consider requeening to keep passer-by’s safe

 

[4degreesWest]

Thanks everyone. They’re defensive around the hive and I have been stung through the suit by them. This doesn’t bother me too much, but for about half an hour after I’ve done an inspection they will be quite active in an area up to about ten metres away. Nobody has any business being in that area but my other half was chased by them last time and that’s what worried me.

 

[BugsInABox]

However, it’s a different it’s a concern when they are aggressively defending outside that boundary and actually trying to chase you a long way (persistent followers) - again, that’s when I’d consider requeening to keep passer-by’s safe

But then how do you decide which coloney it is?

 

[ericbeaumont]

doesn’t bother me too much

Reckon it's time to get bothered, find out which one is responsible and terminate her.

 

[4degreesWest]

Reckon it's time to get bothered, find out which one is responsible and terminate her.

Even if it is only for about half an hour after an inspection?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

half an hour is a long time

 

[4degreesWest]

Ok. Time for some regicide.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Even if it is only for about half an hour after an inspection?

Oh, yes, get shot asap. None of that behaviour is acceptable for you or anyone within a hundred yards.

Your first option is to kill the queen and unite the split to the colony. What size is the split? A nuc does not betray it's true colony temper.

If you order a queen, make up a nuc in advance and allow the flying bees about 24 hours to return home. Feed the nuc weak syrup, check for and remove EQCs and add the cage.

JBM and others introduce successfully by releasing her immediately. If you decide to give them time to get to know her, keep feeding.

Check quietly for BIAS after a week and unite to the main colony.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

JBM and others introduce successfully by releasing her immediately.

not me - I put her in the travelling cage (Butler, JzBz whatever) immediately on dispatching the old queen, then remove the candy cap the day after

 

[Mamahilz]

But then how do you decide which coloney it is?

If you inspect just one colony on one occasion you’ll soon determine which has the issues

 

[4degreesWest]

What size is the split? A nuc does not betray it's true colony temper.

The split is now a colony of its own. Too big to combine unless I go double brood I suppose.

 

[ericbeaumont]

unless I go double brood I suppose

You sound doubtful.
What has been the consistent temper of the split?