Newbeek Questiona

[GJP]

I didn't have a chance to check my hives like I wanted this past weekend and finally got to them last night.  My weaker hive (swarmed in late June) was it's usual self and I was able to inspect both hive bodies and honey super and clean off the screened bottom board with no problem.  I planned to move a frame of brood over from my other hive to give it a boost.   When I got into the upper hive body of the second hive, one of my girls stung one of my fingers.  I figured, my fault, wrong place, wrong time.  By the time I got halfway through the frames, I got another sting on my other palm.  I was smoking and had my veil on but have been working the hives without gloves since my second visit to the hives just after I setup the packages.  I went back to the house and got a pair of white canvas gloves and my long sleeve shirt.  By the time I started to pull another frame, I got my third sting.  I went back to the house, got the leather gloves with gauntlets, put the hive back together as fast as I could and got the heck out of there. 

Questions: It was about 6:30 pm (Wisconsin) by the time I got my leather gloves, was the later time a big part of the multiple stings?  I'd only had two stings total till last night and they were both my fault.

I also took a honey super off last night for harvest and set it about 150' from the hive.  Could that have helped aggravate them?

They have been showing swarm cells and that was another reason I wanted to get in there.  They are a very strong hive.  Could a pending swarm aggravate them?

I'd appreciate your feed back!

Thanks,

Greg
:-P

[Moonshae]

Once bees have honey stores worth defending, they take intrusions more seriously. Frequent intrusions also bother them. How fast were you moving your hands? Slow movements are definitely better. Also, once you get stung, they smell the alarm pheromone and you're more likely to get stung more. The middle of the day is ideal, because most of the foragers are away, but 6:30 shouldn't have been too bad, for this time of year.

I wouldn't have worried too much about three stings, they happen. Sometimes there are a couple bees who are just testier than their sisters. Once you were fully protected by the leather gloves and the long shirt, you could have kept going. Give them a rest and don't try to go back in too soon (unless you saw something in your brief inspection that warrants a full inspection).

[indypartridge]

What you've described is nothing unusual.  First, it's very typical for the temperament of a colony to change based on any number of factors including time of day, weather, whether there's a flow on, etc. Second, new hives started in the spring don't have that many bees, don't have much to defend, and are typically very gentle. Once the population increases, there are more guard bees, there are stores to guard, and beeks who walk off with an entire super of honey that they busted their little bee-butts to collect.

I almost hate to tell you, but three stings is nothing. There WILL come a day when you have to get in the hive and they will downright ornery. They'll come boiling out at you and you'll wonder - even in Wisconsin - if they were superseded by an African queen.

My first year was very similar to what you said: two stings over the first three months. Then we had a long dry spell - dearth - and one day I took 18+ stings before I ran away. Next time I went out, they were back to being sweet, gentle girls.

[GJP]

Thanks for the advice!  I plan to leave them alone for a couple of days and go back in a little earlier in the day  to check the first hive body out.  I guess I've always expected stings but had gotten so use to checking the hives without problems.  I was trying to take my time but I think multiple factors were just stacked against me.

Thanks again,

Greg
8-)

[jeeper038]

I'm in the same boat you are. I have 3 hives, 1 from a package and 2 swarms. They all have been really nice bees so I had stopped smoking without a problem. Then I moved one of the swarms back with my other 2 hive and they turned mean as could be. I have only had 2 stings all year and now I take 2 everytime I mess with that hive. This is my first year so I am still learning. Boy is there alot to learn.

[Moonshae]

Just wait until your first 50-degree inspection day in the winter. If you think they're testy now...  :evil:

[clgs]

I HATE GETTING STUNG!  When I first started several experienced beekeepers told me not to waste the bucks on a full suit -  just a veil, gloves and your own clothes are good enough.  Got 2 ladies up under the veil, stung my nose and temple and that was it for me.  Went running to buy a good zip-it-all ain't-no-one-getting-in suit.  I put it on every time just like my seat belt in the car.  Just as easy too, pull the coveralls over my clothes, zip on the veil and away we go.  Usually don't need it, but there are those days.....you just never know for sure.

[SgtMaj]

There are a lot of variables with the bees gentleness... did you take a shower before working them?  Were you wearing any perfume/colone or deodorant/other that they may have disliked?  Have you been eating a lot of bananas recently?  Did you handle or eat any bananas just prior to working them?  How fast were you moving?  How much do they have to defend?  How old is the queen?  Is the queen putting out strong phermones?  How many stings do you have in you or your clothing that is putting out alarm phermone?  Were your clothes washed in something that may have left a residue that may be emitting a scent they don't like?  What time of day are you working the hive?  What temperament is the hive normally?  Did you use any smoke?  Did you use too much smoke?

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  It's kinda like the tax code, there's a zillion reasons/laws, and no one can remember them all, all the time, so when we get stung/audited, we tend to blame the bees/IRS, when really it was our own mistake(s) that got us there.  Are there mean bees?  Sure, but what we humans call mean bees, are just stricter auditors that don't forgive us for our violations as readily as what we call gentle bees.  But in the end, neither set of bees will sting us if we don't violate ANY of the rules.

[rdy-b]

If they start stinging your fingers when you are reaching into the box then you need to drive them back with more smoke -sometimes they need to be pushed back so you can do the manipulation or to see whats going on -most times a little smoke goes a long ways but there are times when direct perswaytion works best  :) RDY-B