Why so Aggressive suddenly?

[Eric knockalt]

My hives have become really aggressive over the last week ,they have been easy so far to look after ,a gentle smoke and no real problem to examine at all ,they are bringing in a good amount of heather juice at the moment as i can smell in the evening time at the hives ,would the change to the heather be anything to do with this ,thought i,d ask.
Heather flowering really well on the mountains at the moment a gorgeous purple hue .

Eric

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Could it be that they have more to protect now? My hives have been sweetness and light all through this woeful summer. But I have had the impression during the last inspection or two that what little stores they have managed to gather they are determined to hold on to!

 

[enrico]

This question does tend to pop up at this time of the year, they are getting edgy. They need to get stores in, get rid of drones, look after their queen as she has to get them through winter, you may have taken their honey, wasps are robbing them, days are shorter, nights are colder, you are treating them with foul smelling stuff, and they have worked hard all summer...... Wouldn't you be a little ratty!
E

 

[Eric knockalt]

Could be protecting there stores ,makes sense,just read in clive de bruyn book that whilst on or near the heather got a bit tetchy,taking of my supers on a good day soon as were not all capped off just yet ,thanks for the replys

Eric

 

[Outlander]

I have been told they become very bad tempered at the height of the OSR flow. This is because they are working so hard in and out collecting most of the time. Like us when we work long hours and are tired we get irritable. May be the same if a good flow is on with the heather.

 

[theboynelson]

I may just be stating the obvious, but is the queen still around? They do get quite tetchy if they become Q-.

 

[Outlander]

I may just be stating the obvious, but is the queen still around? They do get quite tetchy if they become Q-.

No good point.

 

[Andy Duff]

Wasps?

 

[REDWOOD]

Robbing

 

[richardbees]

Is your bee suit in need of a wash......has there been a build-up of venom pheromone that's setting them off?

 

[Andy Duff]

Normal for this time of the year?

 

[drex]

all of the above

 

[Poly Hive]

More likely to be the heather is the culprit.

As mentioned bees are famous for getting tinky on the OSR, and what is the that but a mono crop, and Heather is? Yup just the same a mono crop plus the time of year et all....

My best tempered hives could be and often were little demons on the heather.

PH