I have a hive that is just wicked mean. they are three mediums of bees and just busting at the seems. It is late in the year but I was thinking if I split them and do a walkaway, would their aggresion go down since they would not have as many bees? I still have the fall flow for them to build up and pack away honey. I guess i just dont want to replace a queen right now and am trying to come up with another option.
Keith
In the area you are in, they could have superceded and the new queen met with a few AHB drones, along with mostly European drones. That would give her offspring enough African to seem mean without being like a full Africanized hive.
Replacing a queen now would give you a brood break and free up more bees to forage. Actually bring in more from the fall flow. Fall requeening is getting more popular every year.
Keith, there's no assurance decreasing their numbers will make them any less angry. I would re-queen them.
...JP
Ya requeen them, but what fun would that be? Drop in a thermite grenade. Or just set it on top of the hive and let it burn through. Now there's some fun.
The last really hot hive I had, I took a blow torch to them and knocked down their numbers a little (it just felt good, and was good on the SHB population) to get to the queen. Burned her and then replaced her. This was a hive that would run you out of the front yard and they were on the back side of the property. This was right after the 4 year old was born and I had to do something quick. They were the top honey hive the next year.
I thought we were beekeepers, not bee killers. I was given a hive this summer that the guy said would begin hitting the windshield 50 feet before he got to the hive. I requeened it and now work it in my shirt sleeves.
It's the only one I've seen in many years that made me don my hooded jacket every time I went into it. New bees a few weeks later are much gentler.
I have an extremely aggressive hive,too. It is also busting at the seams. Started it as a nuc April 29th with a queen cell and had two full deeps full of bees, brood and food, and a full med. super of honey on July 3rd. Started a nuc from it in late July. Those girls will attack in force and chase me for 200 yards and then hang around waiting for me to unveil! I now am quite liberal with using smoke on that hive; it does seem to help. God help anyone who might try to vandalize that hive!