Question about feeders and smokeing?

[Dexterjc]

So my hives are just under 2 weeks since I installed the packages and they building up very quickly. I have a feeder in the hive right now that they are using quite a bit. It holds over 2 1/2 qt. They have been going through this every 1-3 days. The feeder is a large container  (like a margarine tub.) with a lid that has hundreds of micro perforations all over it. It needs to be placed directly on the frames with a super around it. Last Friday I went to fill it up and I just brought a sprayer with sugar syrup in hopes that I could spray them and while they were busy, remove the feeder, refill and replace. When I opened the hive I saw hundreds of bee's with there stingers out ready to attack. So I resorted to plan B and lit the smoker and smoked them a bit. This did the trick and I was able to refill the feeder with ease. I am just questioning if it is okay to smoke them that often (Potentially every day) to fill the feeder or if I should be doing something differently?
Thanks!

[FRAMEshift]

I prefer Miller top feeders for just this reason.  You can feed the bees without opening the hive.  In cold climates the top feeders are not so useful because the syrup stays too cold for use.  But in North Carolina they work great.  You might try one to see if it is useful.

[AllenF]

Smoke is your friend.   Don't worry about giving those worker bees lung cancer, they are just going to work themselves to death this summer.   Use the smoke.

[Michael Bush]

>When I opened the hive I saw hundreds of bee's with there stingers out ready to attack.

I think you're overreacting.  Bees that want to attack do attack.  They don't hold their stingers out to threaten you.  When they stick their butt in the air and their stinger out they are exposing the Nasonov gland and fanning that pheromone because the hive has been disrupted and they want to keep everyone together.  It's the pheromone that says "this is where the colony is".

There is nothing wrong with one puff of cool smoke from a well lit smoker.  More will not really help.

[don2]

I use the feeder that goes in where the frames sit. I have one and 2 frame space feeders. just a little smoke and just move the top over enough to expose the feeders. I place them on the outside  edge. :)don2

[backyard warrior]

Mike is right the thing of it is you need to get used to working the bees without gloves the bees will land on your hands and yes you will freak out and pull your hands away quickly this is usually when you take a few for the team  :bee: You have to work them slowly and consistently slow movements no fast jerking of the hands.  Like Mike said a little puff of smoke under the hive cover is all you need.  This is beekeeping and you have to get over the stinging part sooner or later you will become less worried about a sting here or there. A new colony really doesnt have alot to defend in the way of brood and honey a second year colony is def more defensive of their stores and brood Chris

[Dexterjc]

> When they stick their butt in the air and their stinger out they are exposing the Nasonov gland and fanning that pheromone because the hive has been disrupted and they want to keep everyone together.

This makes sense. I have seen them doing this to release that pheromone before. But I had never seen them all like that on the top of the frames with there stingers out before. Granted that was my second time interacting with the bee's, the first being when I hived them from packages. Regardless of whether they were out to sting me, there were several flying deliberately into my mask, so I was getting the hint that they didn't welcome me (It was a rainy day and I had my wife help me make a umbrella stand to keep them dry, they were most likely cranky to begin with.). So from what I have heard so far it's fine to smoke the bee's (even if its daily) to refill there feeder. I just don't want to disturb them any more than I have to.

> Mike is right the thing of it is you need to get used to working the bees without gloves the bees will land on your hands and yes you will freak out and pull your hands away quickly this is usually when you take a few for the team

I have been working the hives without gloves so far. And yes it is a little freaky when they land on your hands. The day I hived them I had to do it a 7:30pm, 50 degrees and getting colder. Some bee's made it into the grass around the hive and were clustering into little balls. I didn't want them to freeze to death so I was combing them out of the grass with my hands. Talk about freaky, that was a bit scary, and I did get stung once pulling that stunt, but all in the name to save a few bee's.


P.S. My bee's are bringing in pollen like CRAZY right now. I would say 75% of the bee's have pollen on them. Just 9-10 more day's till the first brood hatch!

[backyard warrior]

If you like stings work the bees at night and when its cloudy or rainy outside  :-D

[hardwood]

You need to get over the fear factor. Easier said than done I know! It will take time and more exposure to the bees before you find your own comfortable style, but know that it will come to you. It's not always perfect weather when you have to go into the hive(s) but try for a sunny calm day if you can. Just a puff or two of smoke is all you need...the only time you need more is to deter robbing or when moving them. I tend to think of using smoke as more for lessening the stress on the bees than for protecting me. The only time I really smoke the snot out of them is during robbing.

Scott

[Michael Bush]

Yes, pinging your veil is a much better indicator of aggression than their butts in the air.  :)