Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Nonprophet on May 14, 2013, 01:27:34 AM

Title: Temperment Change After Packages Start Hatching Brood?
Post by: Nonprophet on May 14, 2013, 01:27:34 AM
Seeing as the package bees are usually a mix and not related to the queen, I'm just curious if people have observed temperment changes to their colonies 4-6 weeks after a package install when the queen's progeny start hatching out. My girls are extremely gentle and docile now, and I really hope they stay that way--though I know they can have bad days too......

NP
Title: Re: Temperment Change After Packages Start Hatching Brood?
Post by: Bees In Miami on May 14, 2013, 02:19:14 AM
NP...All new packages are "gentile"....The more the bees have to defend, the more (seemingly) aggressive they will get.  I am not saying they will be aggressive...I am just saying, going into a hive of 12,000 is a LOT different than going into a hive of 60,000, or more!!!  Don't nix your queen....just listen to the bees.  (and don't think you need to be a "hero"....outfit yourself accordingly!) 
Title: Re: Temperment Change After Packages Start Hatching Brood?
Post by: Michael Bush on May 14, 2013, 09:05:19 AM
Certainly the genetics of a package change over time as the new bees from the queen emerge, but most changes are do to having more bees to defend the hive...