What do you mean by 'aggressive bees'?

[oliver90owner]

I dont think anybody has said or intimated that such a situation is not a serious matter,

Dishmop,

It is those who do not realise the potential dangers and would not have a clue as to recification or even early action to rectify the situation, that are the potential menace.

Others, who recognise the risks, but ignore them or couldn't care less, belong to another group who are socially 'anti', who could obviously not care a jot about the possibility of disrupting the peaceful pastime of many sensible beekeeepers, by their actions, or inaction, as appropriate.

We don't need beekeepers with attitudes like that.

RAB

 

[Dishmop]

Others, who recognise the risks, but ignore them or couldn't care less, belong to another group who are socially 'anti', who could obviously not care a jot about the possibility of disrupting the peaceful pastime of many sensible beekeeepers, by their actions, or inaction, as appropriate.

???? People who keep bees in their gardens are terrorists with an attitude against other beeks?????????

 

[SixFooter]

I'm about to requeen a colony I thought was too agressive. All they do is ping a lot, sting a bit and follow to about 50m. How angry they are varies a lot, but they sometimes fly down the smoker spout and jump on my fingers as I pick up a frame. They exhibit more agression as an inspection goes on and the longer it takes, the worse they get. If I really wind them up, they are on the defensive when I drive up in my car the following day! I have other bees on the same site which are much nicer. I raised queens from the nicer bees, but I couldnt bring myself to requeen and created new colonies instead! I bought a queen a while ago, put it in a nuc with a view to requeening, but again, I could do it! This time, I really will requeen as I've run out of kit! The bees are on a farm with a farm shop about 100m away, so I worry about them possibly following innocent shoppers.

 

[Dishmop]

The bees are on a farm with a farm shop about 100m away, so I worry about them possibly following innocent shoppers.

I find that the interesting bit.

100 metres is not a great distance at all, but do you know if your angry bees have shown any angry intention when away from "their" domain while out looking for food... can you see a situation arising where they might suddenly get upset and fly off some distance to attack the first thing that moved.

 

[oliver90owner]

From the 'flavour' of your posts it may appear that you might be that category of persons who needs to think carefully as to whether they want to be helpful to the occupation/pastime/hobby that many responsible beekeepers follow, and also consider , if they really couldn't care less about the beekeepers around them,whether they really have any place in the movement. Nothing to do with 'People who keep bees in their gardens' or 'terrorists', just people not caring and having a bad attitude.

Now, you are either attempting 'to wind me up' or are depicting yourself as an 'urban cowboy'. I am wondering which.

 

[Dishmop]

Nothing to do with 'People who keep bees in their gardens' or 'terrorists', just people not caring and having a bad attitude.

No?

What is it to do with then?

Who are these "others" you refer to? these "anti" people who want to spoil other beeks pastime?

Others, who recognise the risks, but ignore them or couldn't care less, belong to another group who are socially 'anti', who could obviously not care a jot about the possibility of disrupting the peaceful pastime of many sensible beekeeepers, by their actions, or inaction, as appropriate.

 

[kazmcc]

We inspected our bees yesterday. These bees are so polite and helpful, but yesterday the weather was awful. The rain was torrential and I thought there was no way we would do the inspection. As luck would have it, as we gathered looking to the sky, we saw a big chunk of blue cloudless sky heading our way. Our mentor decided we'd have a quick check, but not do the things we'd planned ( fitting the mesh floor, etc ) Up to now, our bees were so chilled out, we didn't need to smoke and they didn't really bother that we'd took apart their home. This time, it was how I'd expected a bee hive to bee. Lots of bees in the air, lots of pinging, noisy. I know it was because of the weather, and really they didn't try and sting anything, just warning us. I am glad I did it as I dealt with it well. Poor bees, we had a quick check and put them to bed. It had been two weeks since last inspection on a new colony so it needed doing I suppose. Hopefully they will never get as bad as some of the stories here. After they were tucked up, and after the efforts of one lady fanning here glands trying to stir trouble ( to no avail, they just don't listen to the stirrers ) they just went back to normal, and quietened down as they usually do. We stand by the enclosure fence and have a chat and a watch after inspection, and they don't even notice us. I am happy with our bees thus far, as they are for a school and need to be well behaved.

I understand that with re-queening, can come a different attitude. I think for the next few years we will rely on our mentor with this as the school is close by and we just cannot have the above behaviour. So, if a queen is raised from a nice, polite colony, do those traits carry through? Or can you get a rogue?

 

[merylvingien]

I dont think anybody has said or intimated that such a situation is not a serious matter,

At the time it was happening i got the feeling that people thought i was exagerating the whole thing. Wish i had a working camcorder as i would have filmed the whole episode to show those that have never come across such attacks, the potential dangers that can happen without notice.

I do believe that however rare this may be, new comers (myself included in that description) really do get the wrong end of the stick and appear to believe that thier bees are incapable of attack and "it will never happen" with thier bees.

Fortunate for me, i am always aware of what can happen, and i am always prepared for when the **** hitteth the fan, cause one day it surely will.

I have been stirring up hornet nests and wasps for longer than i care think about, bees can be 10 times worse than any wasp or hornet nest....

 

[MuswellMetro]

I requeened in first weekend in July and gave the Queen to Bcrazy for his album on queens bee organs

what a difference, could not beleive what pussy cats they were last inspection

lifted the crown board and hardly saw a bee at first, but the frames were boiling with new hatched brood, very quiet

they use to follow 150yds now now even one guard bee came up

they almost got this in May

 

[kazmcc]

This is how ours are Muswell, no guard bees, we don't smoke either. They hardly make a sound as we inspect. Very nice bees for a school. I am hoping these traits pass on to the next queen when it comes to that time. After some new information, their out of the norm ( for them ) behaviour could also be down to being opened too much in the last two weeks ( not my doing ) plus the weather. If this is how they are after being disturbed continuously and with thunder in the air, then I am satisfied they are still good girls and even when pushed that far, would rather warn than attack. Fingers crossed the new queen will keep an equally well behaved colony.

 

[keith pierce]

first hive of bes that i had were that agressive that we had to do 3 or four laps around a 30 acre fields and every so often stop to brush the bees off us.
They were just about capable of bursting the tyres on the car, and i thought that was normal beekeeping.
After several years i requeened with pure apis melliffera meffillera and they i fell in love with beekeeping.

 

[hedgerow pete]

normal for me is one or two trying to sting and when finished maybe one following me to about 25 feet from the hive.

next step is more than 20 trying to sting with others climbing on bee suit with less than 10 follows when fished

aggressive to me would be 30+ on suit and the same on each glove with the same 30 following to around the 100mm mark

worst i have ever delt with was in a orchard walked into it about 200metres away when they started to attack, by the time i was at the hive i was almost blind from the amount of bees on the viel and the hands were completly covered with bees.
they stayed on me for another 40minutes before they flew back to the hive

they were soon treated with a bucket of esso

it also depends what the bees are doing aswell , as some of my older hives were and still can be bloody grumpy when they want and other times they are beautiful to work with

 

[Teemore]

Picking up on Hedgerow Pete's comment, has anyone experienced bee temperament changing for the worse when moved to an Orchard and reverting to placid once removed from the orchard?

 

[Dishmop]

when moved to an Orchard and reverting to placid once removed from the orchard?

Drunk? or too many tree to fly around?

A bee sat on the edge of my empty of cider glass yesterday,,,, and then fell in.

 

[Queens59]

30-40 on one foot...