Angry Bees

Wombat2 · January 10, 2015, 01:58:14 AM

I now have two hives. 1st hive I've had for over twelve months and it has been a very docile hive - quieten down with smoke - handle frames with bare hands, lots of honey (134 Kg in the full year) Only a few stings.Number two hive started in March last year and did nothing -took until August to build numbers enough to consider a second box (well it was winter but I was still robbing #1) October no activity in the second box and considered next time I will kill the queen and start it again. End of September bees all over the second box - drawing and filling comb figured they must have done the job of replacing the queen themselves December pulled 4 frames and gave them another box to play with while I went on holidays. They seemed a bit edgy but it was overcast and some rain now and them but it was the only time I had. #1 hive was also a bit off but not as bad.

Today,sunny and still,I opened up #2 and it was almost full but were the girls angry! - a puff of smoke sent them into a frenzy and they surrounded me - let them calm down but every time a pulled a frame they let me know they were not happy. Instead of going down into the box like #1 bees do they keep "boiling" up and out. I copped three stings on the wrists and had to put gloves on working on the middle box got too "busy" they eventually drove me off with only 5 fully capped frames - probably another 3 in there and if I give them another week there looks like another 5 on the way. I also noticed they were bridging frames together with substantial amounts of comb and breaking that to get the frames apart also sent them off their rocker as well.

Is this normal behavior? Have I been spoiled with my 1st hive and now got a normal one or is something happening?

splitrock · January 10, 2015, 07:50:23 AM

You should try running the bees down with some bee go or whatever is available, and taking the whole thing with you.

BeeMaster2 · January 10, 2015, 08:55:49 AM

I agree but I would use bee quick, smells good, not like the ones that smell like puke. Actually I made my own this past winter but I have not had a chance to use it. Somewhere on here is the formula.
Jim

BeeMaster2 · January 10, 2015, 01:47:37 PM

Maysam,
No it is not normal it can happen, sometimes it is caused by how you handle the bees. I have had as many as 40 different hives, most feral and I have only had one that got bad enough that when they swarmed and I had boxed it, I left the lid off and let them leave because they tore me up.
Jim

jalentour · January 10, 2015, 02:06:51 PM

Jim,
I have seen many make the comment you have about aggressive bees. (Letting them go).
I wonder, wouldn't be more productive to requeen, you basically have a new hive in 6-7 weeks? Or is it more practical for you to repurpose the frames, comb, etc to newer hives or nucs?
Just wondering.
Joe

BeeMaster2 · January 10, 2015, 02:30:14 PM

JV,
I didn't have a suit or veil and they attacked me every time I got within sight of them and I already had over a dozen stings to the head. I should have known they would react that way. I had tried to catch the queen as they came out of the hive but they kept head butting my eyes and ears so bad that I could not keep my eyes open to see her and had to back off and let them gather.
I also have 2 grand daughters that I have to protect.
Jim

jalentour · January 10, 2015, 03:13:26 PM

Understood.
As a first year beek, I thought is was normal to be running like the devil from my bees from time to time.
I'm like you, I pull maintenance without a veil or gloves, but there are bad days.
My grandkids are not yet interested in the farm or bees so no need for immediate caution.
Still, it sounds like worse than anything I have experienced.

BeeMaster2 · January 10, 2015, 08:03:12 PM

JV,
I really do not like working in the heat with a suit on and not being able to see very well. All of my hives are docile enough, 99% of the time, that I can pet the guard bees that are out front. I do this quite often to show people that are deathly afraid of bees that they do not have to bee afraid of my bees.
Jim

Culley · January 10, 2015, 11:05:54 PM

My hives are all very gentle, no veil needed, except one which is is much more defensive. I put on gloves and veil and everything and it made the job so much nicer.

I'm not sure if I'll requeen it - they are so prolific - the location is out of people's way, and we don't have AHB here in Australia.

Highlander · January 11, 2015, 11:09:09 AM

I have two hives, one is fairly calm most of the time and the second one is much more aggressive, driving me away if I do not have gloves and vail. However, the calm hive was NOT during its first year! It was a very aggressive hive, and survived a very piss poor start to life, arrived as a package with 75% of the bees dead, soaking wet with spilled syrup on a very cold, windy and wet week. Two had arrived in similar condition, one with more bees and a calmer disposition, that hive did not survive while the aggressive one did. Now the hive that survived is workable and produced an abundance of honey in its second summer. All that to say that keeping at it with an aggressive hive may be well worth it in the long run. This is merely my own experience and am passing it on for one and all to consider.

Cruachan!