What turns bees nasty

[Rock_Chick]

I received a swarm last year of a friend, I knew which colony they had come from ( a nice gentle one ) so end of last year they where lovely,easy to work with. But something happened, now every time I open the hive they just bounce of me, cover my hands and they are everywhere. Not really trying to sting just bouncing. Now back in May that wanted to swarm,I'd seen them leave the hive and my heart sank,they landed in a nearby tree stayed there for about an hour and then went back, I left them till evening to settle down and I went to have a look inside find out what's happened. Found the queen laying well no sign of slowing down but I did find 2 sealed queen cells they where not very good cells otherwise I'd have made up a nuc. This happen about 3times them leaving and coming back. Each time the queens laying well no sigh of slowing down also my timing have been going in every 7 days so the fact that's there are sealed queen cells tells me they making them on 3 day old eggs.
Have the bees turned like this because they wanted to go but the queen doesn't?
Now a twist in the tale 2 weeks ago after coming back from holiday after 2weeks away checked the hive no eggs no queen but a very full hive,they had not swarmed but a virgin queen, I left them for 2 weeks until today been in no queen but attempted queen cells.intskevitbthevqueen must have got lost on a mating flight ?
I know it's long tale I'm just trying to get my head around what's happened to a very nice colony?

 

[sugarbush]

Queenlessness will make them grumpy. Think of it from their perspective, they are trying to survive, make a new queen, and some intruder comes in jeopardizing those efforts.

 

[Finman]

.
IT is in genes. That is why the bee has the sting, that it uses it. In nature bees must protect their nest.

 

[Karol]

When was the last time you washed your bee suit?

 

[YorkshireBees]

When was the last time you washed your bee suit?

Also only use washing soda and no scented washing powder!!

Forgot myself last time and received several stings from one colony!

Washed suit again and returned next day and had no problems with same colony!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I received a swarm last year of a friend, I knew which colony they had come from ( a nice gentle one ) so end of last year they where lovely,easy to work with. But something happened, now every time I open the hive they just bounce of me, cover my hands and they are everywhere. Not really trying to sting just bouncing. Now back in May that wanted to swarm,I'd seen them leave the hive and my heart sank,they landed in a nearby tree stayed there for about an hour and then went back, I left them till evening to settle down and I went to have a look inside find out what's happened. Found the queen laying well no sign of slowing down but I did find 2 sealed queen cells they where not very good cells otherwise I'd have made up a nuc. This happen about 3times them leaving and coming back. Each time the queens laying well no sigh of slowing down also my timing have been going in every 7 days so the fact that's there are sealed queen cells tells me they making them on 3 day old eggs.
Have the bees turned like this because they wanted to go but the queen doesn't?
Now a twist in the tale 2 weeks ago after coming back from holiday after 2weeks away checked the hive no eggs no queen but a very full hive,they had not swarmed but a virgin queen, I left them for 2 weeks until today been in no queen but attempted queen cells.intskevitbthevqueen must have got lost on a mating flight ?
I know it's long tale I'm just trying to get my head around what's happened to a very nice colony?

When you say you "found the queen laying well" do you mean you actually saw your original queen or you inferred her presence due to eggs? Was the queen marked so you could be certain it was your original?

 

[philipm]

Loads of things that can make them angry rough handling ,the weather,various smells even bad breath I could go on. One of my hives last year were really bad to start with then got better but ended the year bad again, this year they were beyond bad so I finally bit the bullet and requeened.Checked them yesterday and already they are improving as the old bees die off. I suppose it all depends on how much you can put up with the bees being bad also whether others are getting stung.

 

[Rock_Chick]

When was the last time you washed your bee suit?

Every week, with soda and non scented washing liquid.

When you say you "found the queen laying well" do you mean you actually saw your original queen or you inferred her presence due to eggs? Was the queen marked so you could be certain it was your original?

Yes laying, found queen each time even watched her lay one time.
It goes against everything I've know. The bees were running all over the place the queen just a nice gentle pace on the comb.

 

[Truble]

I received a swarm last year of a friend, I knew which colony they had come from ( a nice gentle one ) so end of last year they where lovely,easy to work with. But something happened, now every time I open the hive they just bounce of me, cover my hands and they are everywhere.

In my limited experience a swarm/queen taken from a gentle colony is no guarantee of this continuing in the original queens offspring. I've had some small colonies or swarms can were surprisingly gentle at first and amazingly aggressive as they expanded in numbers. Factor in the effect of weather/end of flows and many other bits that can affect temper and it becomes difficult to put a finger on the exact cause. If they are constantly aggressive at every inspection you can usually ignore these extra factors.

 

[user 6228]

pigeons crashing on to the hive roof makes them angry

 

[Binge]

Youffs kicking the hive over can also do it too!

 

[Poly Hive]

Primarily weather. If it is thundery watch out!

Q- is probably next in line.

Mono crop like Heather or OSR also has a serious effect on temper.

PH

 

[Robbo8916]

I was wondering the same today as my larger colony were horrible earlier. Took a sting right on the knee through my trackies, bloody hurt that did!

The nuc were a bit grumpy too but I put it down to the fact that they are busy trying to make honey and don't appreciate being disturbed.

 

[Karol]

If you had a clean pheromone free bee suit then and only then look for other reasons.

 

[Karsal]

Angry Bees

If you had a clean pheromone free bee suit then and only then look for other reasons.

I looked at my colonies on Thursday. One colony fine and not angry. The rest absolutely terrible!
Weather hot and humid but tons of nectar going in. Normally quiet colonies became very aggressive.
Clean suit but hands and arms were main target. Then thought would I be happy if someone broke into my houses and raided my food store and tipped up all my belongings. NO!

 

[Poly Hive]

A nice clean beesuit is probably a nice to have but I have worked many colonies with my suit reeking of stings from the day before and the bees on a bonny day are not bothered.

Another myth?

PHH

 

[kevrhcfag]

I looked at my colonies on Thursday. One colony fine and not angry. The rest absolutely terrible!
Weather hot and humid but tons of nectar going in. Normally quiet colonies became very aggressive.
Clean suit but hands and arms were main target. Then thought would I be happy if someone broke into my houses and raided my food store and tipped up all my belongings. NO!

When it is very hot like the last few days, they struggle to cool hive, last thing they want is the lid off and in bits. Early or late much better.

 

[user 6228]

harrassment from a wasp or two

 

[REDWOOD]

Seems to me that some are defensive when they have stores, a natural reaction I presume.

 

[nantmoel]

Had a visit from the SBI on Tuesday, the hives he inspected were as gentle as you can ever imagine. On Wednesday I opened up two of the hives to make a 3 frame Nuc, they were evil, they were even more evil when I returned about half hour latter to measure something, I had a suit on but choose not to wear gloves, they stung me 5 times on the right hand!