Thoughts on Aggression

[JohnRoss]

I have been having trouble on and off with aggression over the last few years and was just going to share one thought on it and if anyone has any thoughts I would like to hear them. Agression is nearly always blamed on the queen, but I have a few hives that were fine last year but are extremely agressive this year. Following for over half an hour, not sitting on the comb at all but going into full on attack straight away and stinging people over 100m from the apiary. If these were fine last year, why with the same queen are they so Bad? once such colony was on double brood, I recently took the queen out ant put her in a nuc with three frames. All of a sudden in the weakened state they are like kittens agan. No issues with aggression. Has anyone else found a link between colony size and aggression?

I regularly change gloves, use the smoker, the hive stands are solid, the weather is usually good. The colonies are queenright,

 

[JWF]

Are they aggressive before you open them up? Do you still get the following behaviour and stinging when they've been left to their own devices?

When you say that you use the smoker, do you use a lot of smoke during inspections?

Sorry for so many questions!

 

[enrico]

Stinging at 100m , whatever works to stop that happening, I certainly wouldn't be using this queens genes and would be buying in laying queens to get the gene pool sorted!

 

[madasafish]

. Has anyone else found a link between colony size and aggression?

I regularly change gloves, use the smoker, the hive stands are solid, the weather is usually good. The colonies are queenright,

Bigger colonies tend to be more aggressive.. based on experience...And the queen is growing older .. so bees further away from queen plus fewer pheromones from queen = more aggression..

 

[dn170221]

It may not be relevant to you but I have had aggression linked to robbing going on at the time.

 

[Hachi]

I've had colonies "turn" for no apparent reason before now. Worst case they kept my landlady under house arrest for two days she was not impressed. Moved them away and they calmed down. I have a colony that may have become agressive but the weather each time I inspect hasn't been ideal therefore they're on notice. If it doesn't improve them Queenie will get the fence post treatment. Assuming of course she's there.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have been having trouble on and off with aggression over the last few years and was just going to share one thought on it and if anyone has any thoughts I would like to hear them. Aggression is nearly always blamed on the queen, but I have a few hives that were fine last year but are extremely aggressive this year. Following for over half an hour, not sitting on the comb at all but going into full on attack straight away and stinging people over 100m from the apiary. If these were fine last year, why with the same queen are they so Bad? once such colony was on double brood, I recently took the queen out ant put her in a nuc with three frames. All of a sudden in the weakened state they are like kittens again. No issues with aggression. Has anyone else found a link between colony size and aggression?

I regularly change gloves, use the smoker, the hive stands are solid, the weather is usually good. The colonies are queenright,

Yes but not to your extent. Bees do tend to get get cocky in numbers

 

[Poly Hive]

Are they the same queens? If they are not marked then have the superceeded on you?

Just a thought as my experience is nasty last year and nice this is a sup, and nice last year and nice this is the same queen. And yes I firmly believe it is directly queen related.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

on a yearly basis

 

[Beefriendly]

I recently took the queen out ant put her in a nuc with three frames. All of a sudden in the weakened state they are like kittens agan. No issues with aggression. Has anyone else found a link between colony size and aggression?

Yes, small colonies are usually docile. Unless you have docile queens when you get to double brood you are in for trouble. There seem to be two major influences on aggression in a hive, the queen (presumably her pheromones) has some influence but the genetic make up of the worker bees also has some influence, asort of ying/yang effect. You only need the queen to have mated with one "bad" drone and you have approx 10% of your workforce aggressive....although it always seems like the whole hive...

 

[Jthebeek]

Aggression can develop through over manipulation in my experience. I find that although bees only have a very short memory they have a much longer muscle memory. Try not inspecting thoroughly for a month or so. Failing that overpopulation in the area could set off aggression or even difficult flight paths back to the hives. I've had sites before that turned nasty for no apparent reason. Moved the bees and all back to normal. Try a few things to fix what could conceivably irritate the flying bees before you nip the Queen. One last one is to try syrup spray instead of smoke.

 

[Beefriendly]

Aggression can develop through over manipulation in my experience. .

Bad handling can cause quiet colonies to become defensive. Once you have the handling bit sorted out, then aggression is down to the colony....and time of the month, the weather etc.
Gloves are another source of aggression....if you use the rawhide (can't get a sting through me) type you can be unaware of the number of stings present in the gloves that are giving off the "come hither and attack" signals. Gentle colonies can give very misleading impressions of behaving like Cassius Clay when presented with that amount of aggressive pheromone being wafted over them.

 

[JohnRoss]

Are they aggressive before you open them up? Do you still get the following behaviour and stinging when they've been left to their own devices?

When you say that you use the smoker, do you use a lot of smoke during inspections?

Sorry for so many questions!

Yes, they are, there is a greenhouse nearby that cannot be watered without a bee suit. To approach within 50m of the apiary without a bee suit is a definite sting. but they bring in absolutely loads of honey!

 

[Beelzebub]

One of my hives is really vicious. Wearing of a beesuit is mandatory once within 20 yards of the hive.

On Saturday so many bees came after me that I could no longer see through my veil-it was completely covered in bees. I removed over 20 stings from the hood after that episode and the bees followed me over 100 yards back to the car.

 

[B+.]

One of my hives is really vicious. Wearing of a beesuit is mandatory once within 20 yards of the hive.

What do you wash your suit in?

 

[Beelzebub]

Ariel Original. Suit is washed after each visit. These bees have been absolute bitches since I got them a year ago.

 

[Hachi]

Ariel Original. Suit is washed after each visit. These bees have been absolute bitches since I got them a year ago.

Whilst I will put up with some aggression, this, what you describe, is beyond reasonable, you should be thinking of ways to sort them.

 

[madasafish]

When I read about such aggressive bees, I suggest some beekeepers are closet masochists. Such behaviour is intolerable and should not be tolerated more than two weeks in a row.. At this time of year your drones will be contaminating the gene pool for others.... let alone providing a danger to any passers by.

Queens are relatively cheap .. and lots of advice is free on how to find the queen (Move brood box etc)... Far better than a visit to A&E for yourself or someone else.. (Think pitbulls on wings)

 

[B+.]

what you describe, is beyond reasonable, you should be thinking of ways to sort them.

Queens are available now.

 

[beeno]

Ariel Original. Suit is washed after each visit. These bees have been absolute bitches since I got them a year ago.

That's interesting. I can smell Ariel and Bold washing powder from 15 yards and it gives me burning tongue syndrome. The bees have my sympathies. It takes about 10 washes before it washes out of the garment too.