Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Rodni73 on April 15, 2010, 10:27:10 AM

Title: Guard bee
Post by: Rodni73 on April 15, 2010, 10:27:10 AM
Yesterday a guard bee patroled the yard every 15 minutes and head butted any creature she encountered on a regular basis.  We abandoned the yard and moved to the deck.. same thing. From 8:00 am till noon no one was able to go outside without being harrased by her. A single lonely bee..! At last at 3:00 PM as my wife was playing with the children it attacked my nephew and then my wife. I intervened and swated at it and it stung me in my palm :?. I was very happy it was me and not the children or worse my wife.  We were about 250 yards from the hives. This is the first time in two years I encountered such an agresive behavior from a single bee.

Rodni
Title: Re: Guard bee
Post by: manfre on April 15, 2010, 10:48:32 AM
Next time spray her with sugar water to avoid getting stung.
Title: Re: Guard bee
Post by: JP on April 15, 2010, 10:53:34 AM
A bee that never gives up the chase like that one has the intention of completing its suicide mission. You either get away from it or pinch it.


...JP
Title: Re: Guard bee
Post by: bassman1977 on April 15, 2010, 01:19:36 PM
QuoteYesterday a guard bee patroled the yard every 15 minutes and head butted any creature she encountered on a regular basis.  We abandoned the yard and moved to the deck.. same thing. From 8:00 am till noon no one was able to go outside without being harrased by her. a single lonely bee..! At last at 3:00 PM as my wife was playing with the children it attacked my nephew and then my wife. I intervened and swated at it and it stung me in my palm huh. I was very happy it was me and not the children or worse my wife.  We were about 250 yards from the hives. This is the first time in two years I encountered such an agresive behavior from a single bee.

I get this every year at my back door.  If it gets too annoying I bust out the raid.   :evil:
Title: Re: Guard bee
Post by: Kathyp on April 15, 2010, 01:25:06 PM
there is an old bee book that recommends killing those girls that get aggressive with you.  don't remember which one it was.....  i remember laughing when i read it because of the way it was worded.
the only mistake you made was not getting her earlier....and maybe a fly swatter next time?
Title: Re: Guard bee
Post by: Scadsobees on April 15, 2010, 01:55:18 PM
I usually get a few of these throughout the summer.  Usually after particularly aggressive handling of a hive, a full teardown or splits.

And they usually will only headbutt me.  Sometime the kids but rarely.  Most of the time if you hold really still for a few seconds she'll leave.  After a day or so she'll quit patrolling if I give her that long.