MAD bees!

nepenthes · August 09, 2007, 08:01:31 PM

ITS really weird, I was showing my moms boyfriends nieces (their needs to be something shorter for that), the bee hives, and It is cloudy and was really windy earlier, and should have known, I told them Now you don't wanna get to close to them. While I was crouched down near the entrance. Well Lucky me the Russians were keeping the hive cool in full force! and Then next thing i know 4 Bees STING ME! Out of NO WHERE! I had to choose the more aggressive bees to get close show them didn't I! I could have just shown them the Italians, but no! So I told them to walk away calmly ass I picked the stingers out.

Moonshae · August 09, 2007, 08:20:02 PM

Was your body blocking their flight path in and/or out of the hive? I had a similar experience a few days ago...I saw two bees grooming a third, and I stuck my face in close to watch (and to check for mites). The bees didn't seem to mind, but then two flew into me on their way out to forage and got stuck in my hair. One zapped me on the ear, but I kept the other far enough away from my skin that it didn't get to sting me before it untangled itself and flew away.

The benedryl was a great suggestion by those who remember my last sting, where a big part of my forearm swelled up...I went inside, popped a tablet, and had nothing worse than a mosquito bite. Two days later, it's pretty much totally gone.

nepenthes · August 09, 2007, 08:22:44 PM

No I wasnt blocking their flight path, I was right to the side, but I was the closest so that could have been it. :-\ OH well ill be fine!

mgmoore7 · August 09, 2007, 10:41:14 PM

I got stung today at the side of the hive too. Not sure if I was just in the way for this bee or if I was attached. I just popped the top real quick to look at my SHB trap. The top was not open for 10 seconds and I got stung in the pinky finger. That one hurt.

nepenthes · August 10, 2007, 11:18:40 AM

Yea for some reason they REALLY hurt on my leg, I found out I got 3 on my leg. One under my knee (spelling?). It felt like ive gotten into a fight, with a girl, that could punch pretty hard. LOL.

randydrivesabus · August 10, 2007, 11:37:21 AM

this time of year they are difficult...i love to watch them but i may have to resort to binoculars to do that now.

beemaster · August 10, 2007, 11:41:32 AM

On some days, some hives REALLY don't want to be worked - and sometimes you don't find out UNTIL it is too late! Not to forget that many hives get more agreesive as stores of honey and large numbers of brood climb during the mid-late Summer days.

Going back a different day and doing the same thing REALLY could prove different results, Cody you know social creature well - they get into their head to do something, not much will stop them. Hope they calm down and keep that smoker around - even when just showing off the hives, I'd take a minute or two to smoke them BEFORE walking non-beekeeps to the hive. They don't know how to stand around bees comfortably, so they often over-react to simple bee stuff and it alerts the bees.

Cindi · August 10, 2007, 02:42:41 PM

Cody, yes you spelled "knee" correctly. Go figure our English language eh? So many unpronounced letters, and so many different words that mean different ways.

My poor pittbull that works outside with me. He always gets stung. He runs away and I chase him to remove the stinger. By that time there are several bees after him, trying to find out where the sting pheromone scent is coming from. I rescue him and he is always grateful and tries to hide right beside me for me to protect him. Then he forgets the pain and is off doing his thing again. I am surprised actually that the bees don't attack my hand, because surely that sting pheromone scent must be on my hand from removing the stinger(s) from his body.

I need more bee stings. I am going to have to get aggressive with stinging my left knee. From doing so much weeding and work throughout summer, it gets rather sore. THis is because I do so much kneeling on the ground that my knees are bent for a good part of the day. I keep saying that I need to get on this, and yes I do. BUT.....actually catching the bee and making it sting me is a tough one to do, it is like self-tormenting, but....right...get on with it. Have a wonderful day, best of our life we're livin', good health. Cindi

genesbees · August 10, 2007, 06:58:55 PM

I have to make my pit bull mix stay away. She gets the girls too riled up because she thinks the bees make a good snack and snaps them up as they fly by. Don't know if they sting her in the mouth on the way down, she does not seem to take any notice.

Moonshae · August 10, 2007, 08:43:55 PM

Quote from: Cindi on August 10, 2007, 02:42:41 PM
I need more bee stings. I am going to have to get aggressive with stinging my left knee. From doing so much weeding and work throughout summer, it gets rather sore. BUT.....actually catching the bee and making it sting me is a tough one to do, it is like self-tormenting, but....right...get on with it.

Cindi, Try picking up some of the worn out workers crawling on the ground around your hives. That way, you're gaining one last benefit from them and their death isn't totally wasted.

gunny · August 11, 2007, 11:41:23 AM

Sometimes..........

Worked my hives this morning and boy did I pick the wrong day!

First hive I had just moved to its present location a few days ago. They did not appreciate me being around. All was well until the inner cover came off and then it was a whole lot of head butting, they got serious and went to the sting mode when I pulled out the first frame. Not enough honey there to harvest any so put them all back.
The second hive is one from out of a swarm trap this spring. Had a lot of loose comb in there and went to clean it up, get the loose and empty combs out and replace the space with new frames. They did not like that idea at all and let me know, got stung through the gloves a few times. They calmed down a lot when I put the cover back on.
Third hive I was worried about, very little activity this spring but lately seems to have picked up real good, nice beard when it gets hot. Popped off the inner cover and they came out mad, real mad. Walked back to the house for a bucket to put frames in (they had a hive full of honey) and they followed me to the house. Top super was full of honey, 9 1/2 frames of it. Took 5 and left them with the rest. They too calmed some when the top cover went back. Still had a few buzzing my head announcing their displeasure.
4th hive is the oldest and most productive. Was worried as the activity in and out seems to be a lot less than what I was expecting, not to worry, they must have been all in there guarding that super full of honey. Again, took about half, arranged what they had left to the center and closed it up. They did not get near as riled up as the previous hives. Last hive, also a caputured spring swarm were a lot calmer still than the rest of them. Just looked around and left them alone.
Got 6 1/2 frames of honey so that was a very productive morning.
Hope we get some rain soon, doesn't look like there is any nectar or pollen coming in right now.
Got stung 14 times, a new record. Mostly my fault, was real breezy and partly cloudy. No nectar flow going on, fairly early in the morning and didn't use smoke (too breezy I though). One on my hand is badly swollen, ones on my neck (a couple got in my veil with me) are no big deal. One on my shoulder (yes they do sting through my suit when it gets wet with sweat) is burning and itching.

Good news, got some new honey, no wax moths (had a lot of trouble with them last year), no chalk brood, seem to not have any or very few mites, all hives seem to be thriving and I'm still not allergic to bee sting.

Cindi · August 11, 2007, 12:21:54 PM

Moonshae. Yup, I think that you have got the right idea, I'll use the girls that are on their death throws. I know that for surely they would be the oldest and would probably pack the most whollop to their sting (yeah, eeeks, don't know what to think). I am having a hard time wrapping my head around stinging myself, but sometimes we must take that bull by the horns.

Gunny, yeah, you got some good honey for the efforts of the fair number of stings. I must ask you though, how do you actually really know that you have "none or very few mites?" If you see a mite on a bee, you can bet your bottom dollar there are many more hiding in the brood, doing terrible deeds to these poor little babies confined to their cells. Do a mite check count one day when you have some time. Put in a sticky board for three days and prorate the mites, that will give you a very accurate count, if it be high or low. This is important, 3 days, in the determination of the mite levels. Have a wonderful day, beautiful life we're all livin'. Cindi

gunny · August 11, 2007, 02:02:18 PM

Cindi:
Had a sticky board and screen down. One hive had a dozen on the pad, the most was about 120 (counted the ones on the square and multiplied times the squares). Pads had been in there since Tuesday night.
Been a few hours since the stings, all are not much more than a mosquitoe bite except one on my hand, hand is really swollen, that sting hurt a lot more than the rest of them, really made me winch when she got me on that one. Right through my glove too. Going to find the benadryl for that one.

Laid out the empty frames for the girl to clean up and they sure are at it. Gives them something to do, no pollen or nectar right now. Noticed some of the girls would not fly back to their hive after leaving the spilled honey/frames. They would just stand around like they weren't sure what to do next. I'd guess some have honey on their wings and are going to have a problem flying but there seems to be a lot standing around not doing anything. Some fighting going on too, wonder what that's about. After getting the honey out/off of the frames, laid them out on the back of a trailer near the hives so the girls can clean them up. Lots of bees, including someone else's as evidenced that they flew high and then headed away from my hives.