Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bwallace23350 on May 14, 2016, 09:16:38 AM

Title: Why would my bees be congregating on the side of my hive?
Post by: bwallace23350 on May 14, 2016, 09:16:38 AM
I noticed yesterday that my bees were hanging out more on the side of the hive than ever before. So I had to open it up and look. On the top box they have only drawn out 3 out of 10 frames so they are not out of space. Could it be the weather. It was near 90.

Also as some may know I burned my hands pretty bad putting out a hay/field fire. I hit upon the perfect glove remedy for that. I got rubber cleaning gloves and then put my leather gloves over that. I watched two bees try to sting my glove after I accidentally killed one bee. No sting was felt upon the hand. Other than the gloves I just wore a veil.
Title: Re: Why would my bees be congregating on the side of my hive?
Post by: Dallasbeek on May 14, 2016, 10:28:12 AM
It's the weather.

You must be smashing bees for them to be drawn to sting the gloves.  I sometimes wear neoprene goves from Northern Freight or Harbor Freight to work with bees.  More feeling through them than leather gloves and the bees don't get crushed as bad.  Also, the bees can't get a good grip on them to get the stnger in and they're thick enough so the stinger can't penetrate.  If a bee can get the stinger into a glove, it leaves the barbed stinger and the bees entrails there and that emits a pheromone that tells other bees "STING HERE".

Sorry about your hands.  Are you applying honey to them?  Honey works really well to help heal burns and other wounds.
Title: Re: Why would my bees be congregating on the side of my hive?
Post by: bwallace23350 on May 14, 2016, 06:57:48 PM
It was just one bee but I had honey on my glove they might have come to plus old sting smells on my gloves. I might want to wash them. I hope it is just the heat. I have put some honey on them. Raw natural and local.