What to do with my naughty colony.

[BugsInABox]

The simple "Why" threw me off as if it were a pronoun without antecedent: I was not sure as to which part you were referring to. So I tried to answer both parts. Sorry for the confusion.

Err have a look. The why was below a quote in which your declared an intent. Wierdly you still havent addressed it. By which I mean the reason you needed to point out your floor preferences in the context of this conversation. It rather implies there is a relevance to the topic. There may be but could you explain and you'll have taught me something.

 

[Earthboy]

>>Check the thread on Moving Hives on this forum: if you either move them three miles OR seal them up for three consecutive days, they will forget their GPS on their original colony. Similarly, when being robbed, do the same. The robbers will stay with the victim colony after three days and join them. Bees, smart as they are, seem to lose their orientation after three days. Next time, please try and let me hear your result, ok?

>>I need to point out that my bees are on a screened bottom board during the heat of summer and chill of the winter, which I block in the spring to help raise brood till late May.

 

[BugsInABox]

All right, the point was about sealing up the hive which you might think suffocate the bees in the heat. Hence my explanation that they won;t, for they are on screened bottom. Sorry for the confusion.

Crossed posts
So....
Ah ok.
Sorry, I'm not meaning to be rude, but I struggle to follow, not what you say, but rather what your point is. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Earthboy]

Thank YOU for your patience.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Wouldn't a lot have to come right for this to really happen. The unpleasant nature not been a result of queen influences and happening to use up the aggressive sperm first for starters?

Isn't it much more likely that a change in nature, is as change does happen, is due to an environmental or seasonal change?

Could be a fair point I would give them another few more weeks and cross of a bit of a check list.
Aggressive sperm our British drones are reserved.
I would then unite either with air freshener or news paper, by then there should be lots more brood to play with even using some of the brood frames to boost other colonys.
We inspected today and found single brood with 4/5 frames of solid brood.
Looking at our dates 2020 was the 27th of March for our first inspection.. These are colonys down at the bottom of the hill.
Hat on!! Apologies a bit of topic.

 

[Tarahill]

If I could bump this thread, I've a similar problem with a large colony. They were so bad yesterday that they followed me for a good half hour after the inspection. I dispatched the queen a week ago and went in yesterday to knock down queen cells. I had planned to take advantage of their queenlessness and strength to rear queens from my other hives, I'm now thinking that they're too aggressive to do much with....5 stings yesterday after wrapping myself up very well, about 20 on another occasion. Theyve also delivered stings 50 yards from the hive on a couple of occasions. None of my other colonies give any bother.
I'm planning on splitting them later....flying bees can return to where they were. Young bees will be split into 2 nucs with grafted cells in each and the donor frame can go to the flying bees to raise a queen.
I watched kevin inglin's video on euthanasing a hive...tbh mine look worse than his. I'm not relishing the thought of going back near them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

no wonder they are p!ssed off if they've been queenless for a week

 

[Tarahill]

no wonder they are p!ssed off if they've been queenless for a week

They were pissed off before they were queenless, they had queen cells until yesterday.... that's not to dismiss your observation

 

[Boston Bees]

If I could bump this thread, I've a similar problem with a large colony. They were so bad yesterday that they followed me for a good half hour after the inspection. I dispatched the queen a week ago and went in yesterday to knock down queen cells. I had planned to take advantage of their queenlessness and strength to rear queens from my other hives, I'm now thinking that they're too aggressive to do much with....5 stings yesterday after wrapping myself up very well, about 20 on another occasion. Theyve also delivered stings 50 yards from the hive on a couple of occasions. None of my other colonies give any bother.
I'm planning on splitting them later....flying bees can return to where they were. Young bees will be split into 2 nucs with grafted cells in each and the donor frame can go to the flying bees to raise a queen.
I watched kevin inglin's video on euthanasing a hive...tbh mine look worse than his. I'm not relishing the thought of going back near them.

If you have multiple hives in this location you could just let the flying bees disperse to them, though this isn't always a smooth process admittedly.

 

[Tarahill]

If you have multiple hives in this location you could just let the flying bees disperse to them, though this isn't always a smooth process admittedly.

I didn't realise that this was an option. Would they still be problematic in another hive or would they be likely to settle down?

 

[Finman]

Buy a new queen

 

[Swarm]

I didn't realise that this was an option. Would they still be problematic in another hive or would they be likely to settle down?

They will beg their way into other colonies, quite possibly settle down as well especially as diluted.

 

[bingevader]

I watched kevin inglin's video on euthanasing a hive...tbh mine look worse than his. I'm not relishing the thought of going back near them.

Have you considered enquiring as to whether someone else is prepared to take them off your hands? Euthanasia should be the absolute last resort.

I'm not sure I am with the 'environmental or seasonal change' bit.
Surely this would affect all colonies and only be temporary?

We've had a colony kicked over, it was very nasty, it got better, but took weeks.
We've had bees that have been nasty in bad weather, but it passed.

If they are bad by nature, you, or someone else needs to change the genes.
As people have already said, re-queening will be the way to go.
And I'm not sure about splitting from these either, in case the daughters inherit the nasty genes.

 

[Boston Bees]

I didn't realise that this was an option. Would they still be problematic in another hive or would they be likely to settle down?

If you do this, take their existing stand away completely, if possible. Certainly every hive component, floor and all.

It can get a bit messy. When I did it recently most of the flyers went and sat under the open mesh floor of the neighbouring hive (the entrance of that hive faced the opposite way to their original hive). I haven't had a chance to look under there to see how many simply died under there. They may have subsequently dispersed though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you do this, take their existing stand away completely, if possible. Certainly every hive component, floor and all.

It can get a bit messy. When I did it recently most of the flyers went and sat under the open mesh floor of the neighbouring hive (the entrance of that hive faced the opposite way to their original hive). I haven't had a chance to look under there to see how many simply died under there. They may have subsequently dispersed though.

If I’m shaking out I make sure all the inspection trays are in

 

[Boston Bees]

If I’m shaking out I make sure all the inspection trays are in

This was also my conclusion. They were all in anyway, as it happened, except one...... The one right next door .... Doh

 

[Erichalfbee]

This was also my conclusion. They were all in anyway, as it happened, except one...... The one right next door .... Doh

Oooops!

 

[Tarahill]

I

If they are bad by nature, you, or someone else needs to change the genes

Think this is the way I'll go, I'm reluctant to accept defeat/give them away.
Might this be a reasonable plan? There are 2 fairly full supers on but I might try closing them in tonight and strapping up the hive before moving it. I'll leave a new brood box on the original stand and let the flying bees head there tomorrow. I'll break down the young bees into 2 nucs and let them bring on queens from another colony. Unless I can find one or two decent mated queens...the ideal option I suppose.
Would the flying bees be able to raise a queen with larvae from another colony?

 

[gmonag]

If I’m shaking out I make sure all the inspection trays are in

... and do it after you have finished inspecting all the other hives.

 

[Boston Bees]

Would the flying bees be able to raise a queen with larvae from another colony?

They'll do their best. But remember they are already the older bees. By the time the queen has emerged, got mated, and started laying, you will be asking bees that are already near the end of their life to be nurse bees again.