Would you tolerate naughty bees?

[Brigsy]

Hi,

My second colony is a very different experience to my first which I assume have been cross bred with Neil from the Young Ones. Peace man....

These new bees, are very quick to spring from the sides of the hive when taking frames out and especially putting them back on. They cover my hands and get everywhere I want to put my hands or hive tool.

They don't sting a lot but a a flippin menace. I've tried different gloves, fresh clothing and white nitriles to brighten the profile.

I am gentle as possible. No banging or shadows etc As little smoke as I can get away with.

However, this new queen has almost laid out a commercial give from 5 frames very quickly.

So, put up with the menace as they aren't actually scary and stinging yet? Or change sooner than later.

I conscious that I am on an allotment so my tolerance for naughty bees is not very high.

Thoughts?










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[pargyle]

. They cover my hands and get everywhere I want to put my hands or hive tool.

They don't sting a lot but a a flippin menace. I've tried different gloves, fresh clothing and white nitriles to brighten the profile.


Thoughts?

Go and buy some Olbas oil .. a couple of drops on your gloves and rub your hands together - should solve your problem. Works for me ... bee free hands.

 

[Finman]

.
Me, tolerate.... Noooo. But I change nice queens too every year.

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks guys. I shall try plan A first then maybe.....B

 

[pargyle]

Thanks guys. I shall try plan A first then maybe.....B

The other thing that might help is a water spray ... I rarely have to use smoke on my bees but I have one colony that really do like to be up on top of the frames when I open them up - I have clear crownboards and run top bee space so I don't get too much of an issue squashing bees when I put them back together but this one colony is a real beggar to put to bed. I find that a mist of water sprayed, not at them, just about a foot or so above the top of the hive, sends them scurrying back down. Might be worth investing 99p in one of those squirty misty thingy bottles ?? Some people even add a little sugar or honey to the water but I don't bother.

 

[Cussword]

Go and buy some Olbas oil .. a couple of drops on your gloves and rub your hands together - should solve your problem. Works for me ... bee free hands.

I've not had the problem since I picked up that tip earlier this year.
My bees were not nasty, just flew to my hands as mentioned above .

.

 

[taurus]

I was told to wear the usual washing up gloves but I found the finger tips always caught in the ends of the frames and the bees tended to go for the fingers. The bees also seemed to go for my fingers even though I washed the gloves in soda after every inspection.

Then I started wearing blue nitriles over the rubber gloves - the bees now ignore my fingers completely.

 

[Norvic_chris]

Personally I would tolerate them if they're not stinging or aggressive, especially if they're as prolific as they sound -- they could be really productive. Olbas oil and water spray are both excellent suggestions.

I say this because they sound delightful compared to one of my old colonies -- they would sting anyone who went even vaguely near and used to follow me for ages, back to my house, through trees and even round and round the house if I tried to shake them off! Nasty, pingy, stingy little devils. Even the patient bee inspector remarked they should be 'changed' after they chased him back to his van!

Interestingly, they were about the most productive and hygienic colonies I have had. They "refused" to be re-queened (killing external queens twice) and so I allowed them to continue for that season and strangely they happily raised a new queen and are now a docile and reasonably productive colony (albeit several years/generations down the line). Despite this, if any colony turns out to be that nasty in the future, I will not tolerate them again, it's not worth the aggravation. So I would make a clear distinction between "naughty" (keep) and "nasty" (sort them out!).

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks people. I will try those tips and report back.

I would like to try and manage to get on with them as I suspect they will go well next year.

At the moment 'naughty' fits. But if they get nasty......

 

[Swarm]

Time of the season also, even gentle bees can be less patient when they have stores to protect.

 

[B+.]

I've tried different gloves, fresh clothing and white nitriles to brighten the profile.

Its just a thought...maybe the WHITE nitriles are a problem. I use the BLUE nitriles without any problem.

 

[Brigsy]

Noted. Will also add that to the plan.

 

[pargyle]

Noted. Will also add that to the plan.

Must admit - I use blue nitriles over marigolds - not because I am worried about stings - just my bees propolise for england and it's a lot easier to put another pair of nitriles over the marigolds when they get sticky.

Good luck Brigsy ... sure they will be fine - I talk to mine as well - not sure whether they appreciate it but it sure as hell helps me !!

 

[Brigsy]

Haha. I may also have a chat with them, don't tell anyone. I started using the nitriles as these also like to propolise like mad.

 

[madasafish]

Conversations with my bees end up like this:

"Now don't ciimb up under my cuffs, you are nice bees.
Ow
Ow
Ow.
Time for nitriles"

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Conversations with my bees end up like this:

"Now don't ciimb up under my cuffs, you are nice bees.
Ow
Ow
Ow.
Time for nitriles"

How about "behave yourselves, stinging carries a death sentence"

 

[busybee53]

Funny about talking to a colony. The bee inspector described one of my colonies as 'fiesty' after they got in her hair. She said that had not happened for years. The next week I was showing some friends the same hive, having told them to walk away if the bees were a problem. Then I told the bees to behave themselves. They were little angels and let my friends look right into the hive during the inspection. How odd. There was no difference in the weather or anything else between the two occasions as far as I could see.

 

[norfolknchance]

Tea Towel

The other thing that might help is a water spray ... I rarely have to use smoke on my bees but I have one colony that really do like to be up on top of the frames when I open them up - I have clear crownboards and run top bee space so I don't get too much of an issue squashing bees when I put them back together but this one colony is a real beggar to put to bed. I find that a mist of water sprayed, not at them, just about a foot or so above the top of the hive, sends them scurrying back down. Might be worth investing 99p in one of those squirty misty thingy bottles ?? Some people even add a little sugar or honey to the water but I don't bother.

A Cotton Tea Towel layed over all but Two Frames will make it easier for you, just my opinion,

 

[Brigsy]

Thanks for all the help

 

[pargyle]

A Cotton Tea Towel layed over all but Two Frames will make it easier for you, just my opinion,

Yes, I occasionally use a hive cloth if I'm queen searching but this particular colony are as quick as a wink to come up on to the top of the frames - you need three hands to roll the cloth back and slide the crown board after it - and I've only got two - and one of them is a left one !