i have one hive that started as a nuc last year. they've been gentle as can bee until about the time i hived a new package two weeks ago. this hive sits nearby. i haven't seen any evidence of robbing or fighting. the older hive has honey stores, the new package still has some dry sugar and a pollen patty inside. i used to be able to go right up to the entrance without incident, now i can't get within 30 feet without getting buzzed or stung. what gives ? at first i was thinking maybe the weather had been lousy for a while and they were just in a bad mood, but even on a sunny day the older hive is not foraging like they were last year. possibly the hive needs more nurse bees until their numbers increase ? maybe having more bees in the hive is making them cranky ? i did notice a lot of tiny little sugar ants on/in the hive. could this bee the cause of their aggression ? should i seperate the two hives even if it doesn't appear to be robbing ? i'm stumped. advice and/or suggestions greatly appreciated
Check that they are queenright. The stronger the colony, the more defensive they become...more guards I guess. Any colony with a constant pest like ants can get pissy too.
Check the queen first.
bulldog, had a hive last year like that.before i would work the hive with no problem, then they became the hive from hell :evil: i went through the hive and found that they requeened .well i went ahead and pinched the queen and took everything from them that they can make a queen with and put a frame with eggs from another hive . they made a great queen from that and the hive became very gentle in about three months. ...schawee
I need to do this with a pissy hive I have right now. Makes inspections difficult and I cannot get them away from my veil even though I walk very far away. I have to jump into my car with my bee outfit on.
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Try first separate the hives . Perhaps wind brings the neighbour odor into the nextdoor hive entrance and they are prepared to fight.
This thread has a similar problem: http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,32845.0.html (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,32845.0.html)
Well they could be Africanized. The ants don't help eather. Africanized bees will get real grumpy win they are getting eaten by ants...