Starving bees are mean!

Sean Kelly · February 12, 2008, 07:38:16 PM

Wow, I got attacked by the hive I thought was the strong one!!!

Yesterday I took a peek inside my "weak" hive and they had TONS of honey left. This hive also had a handful of bees coming home loaded with pollen! Not sure where it came from but I thought that was a good sign.

Both my hives I left a honey super on top just to make sure they made it through the winter. Well the hive I thought was weak still has almost the entire honey super loaded and capped. Not much honey left in the brood boxes though. I even dug my finger into the wax to taste a little and it's still all good, not crystalized or anything! I wasn't wearing my suit, vale, helmet, or gloves! They were very gentle.

Now today I wanted to check the "strong" colony. Soon as I popped open the lid, the bees went into major attack mode! Shot right at me like bullets! Luckly this time I was wearing my vale, gloves, and a long sleve shirt. I didn't have a chance to check the brood boxes cause they totally run me out. But every frame in the honey super was bone dry. What happened? I checked both these hives last month an they all had the same amount of honey. They were freakin mad, digging their stingers into my shirt in a frenzy. I tossed a pollen patty on top, threw the lid on and ran away! I filled a mason jar with some 1:1 syrup with "Honey B Healthy" in it and put it on an enterance feeder (didn't have time to dig out my top feeders and clean them).

Sean Kelly

DayValleyDahlias · February 12, 2008, 07:47:17 PM

Holy Moses Sean Kelly...I am looking forward to the responses!

JP · February 12, 2008, 08:00:21 PM

Yeah bud, gotta smoke 'em! Were you screamin' for ya momma when them bees lit you up, lol? When you go back in, give that hive that ate all of its honey some honey frames from the other hive. This will make them very happy.

....JP

Sean Kelly · February 12, 2008, 08:44:01 PM

Nah JP, screwem! They aint gettin nothin for treating me that way!!! J/K I took the enterance feeder off and just put the jar over the hole in the inner cover and put a empty hive body over that.
They took to the pollen patties flys on sh*#%. Scarfing it down like crazy. They didn't seem to care much for the enterance feeder. Must be too cold.

Sean Kelly

Understudy · February 13, 2008, 01:03:23 AM

When it happens. I refer to it as the waterfall.
I am near my hive and the bees pour out if it like a waterfall. It is an amazing sight. Scary as all get up too.

Smoking won't help at that point either.

Watch out for them going on a robbing spree also.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

CBEE · February 13, 2008, 09:19:44 AM

I'm mean when I'm hungry too :evil:

Cindi · February 13, 2008, 10:22:05 AM

Sean, do as JP said,I would give them a couple of frames of honey really quick. The sugar syrup will help temporarily, but they need that honey that has already been processed. It takes the bees effort to make the sugar syrup usable to other bees (like the nurse bees) for feeding the babies. This colony that has no food is in full speed brood raisin' and they need lots of food right now. Feed 'em well. Have a wonderful and awesome day, love our life. Cindi

KONASDAD · February 13, 2008, 12:02:02 PM

try some warm syrup in early spring. If its cold they will ignore. Better, switch a few frames of honey from weak hive. Once you start w/ patties dont stop until they stip taking it and use swarm prevention techniques as feeding will stinulate egg laying and rearing.