Mean bees

Keith13 · April 20, 2008, 06:01:02 PM

Okay here is my dilemma if any of you remember this hive is the USC hive this is the hive that stung me 37 times when I went to pick them up, just not nice insects to be around. I installed them about four weeks ago, I never saw the queen although the beek I got them from said all queens were marked, he said he saw the queen. The other nuc I received I saw the queen during install and have never had a problem with those. Both of these nucs were Russian, if that makes a difference. Okay let me get to my question. I have given this hive more than enough time to simmer down but to me it seems they are getting more aggressive. I canâ€™t even walk with in 100â€™ of my hives without them buzzing me when I get closer than that they start to sting. Itâ€™s to the point now I am convinced they are just plain mean. I think I am ready to do a requeen I think I have to. Unless I get the feedback that this is normal bee behavior, which I doubt, I have three other hives that could care less when I am around (1 Russian 2 Feral). So what do I need to do? I have never seen eggs in this hive, could be due to the fact as when I open them up they just attack relentlessly I canâ€™t even begin to work them, but again I have never seen a queen or eggs. So if I choose to requeen this hive do I just buy a queen then stick her in or do I need to find this mystery queen and kill her or can I put the new queen in inside her cage and let the bees figure out what to do? Man I need some help it has gotten to the point I do not like to go near my hives.
Keith

fcderosa · April 20, 2008, 06:57:08 PM

Time to requeen. If you can't find her remove a brood frame from your other hive, make sure the queen isn't on it, shake it out to remove all bees. Then place the brood comb in the questionable hive using minimal smoke, give it about ten minutes and the queen of the questionable hive will be on that frame.
If you have time you could leave that brood frame from the other hive in the questionable hive, if it starts sprouting queen cells there's your answer. You can then either leave them and let nature take it's course, or introduce a queen of your choice. If nothing happens to the frame, you'll need to go in and find her before replacing her.

Michael Bush · April 20, 2008, 09:47:57 PM

There may be a queen, in which case they will kill any you introduce. There may not be a queen, in which case they may have laying workers. There may be no queen and no laying workers, in which case you just have a hot queenless hive (which might explain some of why they are hot) and they still may be too aggressive to accept a queen.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrequeeninghot.htm

Kathyp · April 20, 2008, 10:12:42 PM

this hive is probably to new for him to split? can he take the frames away and shake all the bees loose. that way he'd probably get either the laying worker or the queen? if it turned out to be a queen, would she not be easier to find and kill if in a ball on the ground? then the workers would return to the hive and it could be requeened.

JP · April 20, 2008, 10:30:51 PM

Have you contacted your supplier? I would tell him what's going on and listen to what he has to say. I bet he would want to right things with you cause his reputation is on the line. Everyone knows how fast bad news travels.

You could take a couple of different boxes and break the hive appart, inspecting one box at a time. Less to inspect will give you an edge on finding the queen.

After you've found her or not, you can make your next move and put the hive back in one piece.

Good luck!!!

...JP

Keith13 · April 21, 2008, 03:12:06 PM

Thanks guys I am going to contact the seller today and will start dealing with the queen this week

Keith13 · April 21, 2008, 07:50:11 PM

All,

I contacted the supplier and he offered to swap out the nuc for me. Ijust need to drive over and pick up another. hopfully problem solved and that keeps me from having to dig through the hive and do the whole queen swithcing thing I'm sure I need to learn it but for now I am happy to not have to do it just yet

Keith

JP · April 22, 2008, 12:08:45 AM

Quote from: keith13 on April 21, 2008, 07:50:11 PM
All,

I contacted the supplier and he offered to swap out the nuc for me. Ijust need to drive over and pick up another. hopfully problem solved and that keeps me from having to dig through the hive and do the whole queen swithcing thing I'm sure I need to learn it but for now I am happy to not have to do it just yet

Keith

Hey Keith, one question?

You gonna wear the LSU hat again? :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Good luck!

...JP

Keith13 · April 22, 2008, 10:10:17 AM

No i have a Philadelfia Flyerers Hat I'm going to try out. But just in case they are not hockey fans i packed my veil this time.

Cindi · April 22, 2008, 10:17:12 AM

Keith, oh that was bad news. I had a colony like that once, it was a swarm that I had caught, it was during my first year of beekeeping. Let me tell you, if I had only that colony to compare to, I may have been turned off bees for sure. I know that feeling, the aura that comes from that hot hive.

I am so glad that the dude that you bought these nucs from is being so nice. That is admirable, and yes, you will tell two people, and they will tell two people and they will tell two people. You have already began this process, he is a trustworthy man to deal with and I take my hat off to him. That was a story that gave that warm fuzzy feeling to my soul. Beautiful and most wonderful day, Cindi

bassman1977 · April 22, 2008, 10:19:47 AM

QuoteNo i have a Philadelfia Flyerers Hat I'm going to try out. But just in case they are not hockey fans i packed my veil this time.

You should just burn that hat and stick to the veil. Go Pens!!!!

Keith13 · April 22, 2008, 10:49:15 AM

Yeah i knew I was going to hear from you bassman about my post. well if we can get by tonight i am pretty sure we will meet in the near future and we will see who has to burn their hat :evil:

Cindi you are so right i have 4 hives 3 are as gentle as they come one was the birdhouse bees i did a cut out on, those bees never stung head butted or anything it seemed like they figured i knew best what they needed and they let me do it ( JP the day I did that cut out I gained a new respect for what you do Very intimidating to have thousands off bees buzzing around you) but that one hive that is hot man i hated to go around them, if that was the only comparison I had I'm pretty sure I would have given them a soap bath for sure The beek i received them from never hesitated he said bring em back he would switch them no problem, it surprised me a bit but hey better to be surprised in a good way

Ross · April 22, 2008, 11:00:14 AM

In the future, if you have a hive like that that maybe queenless, give them a frame of eggs from a good hive. If they start queen cells, they were queenless and they will requeen themselves. If not, you know you have to dig out the old queen.

JP · April 22, 2008, 11:10:21 PM

Quote from: keith13 on April 22, 2008, 10:49:15 AM
Yeah i knew I was going to hear from you bassman about my post. well if we can get by tonight i am pretty sure we will meet in the near future and we will see who has to burn their hat :evil:

Cindi you are so right i have 4 hives 3 are as gentle as they come one was the birdhouse bees i did a cut out on, those bees never stung head butted or anything it seemed like they figured i knew best what they needed and they let me do it ( JP the day I did that cut out I gained a new respect for what you do Very intimidating to have thousands off bees buzzing around you) but that one hive that is hot man i hated to go around them, if that was the only comparison I had I'm pretty sure I would have given them a soap bath for sure The beek i received them from never hesitated he said bring em back he would switch them no problem, it surprised me a bit but hey better to be surprised in a good way

Keith, I'm not surprised he is trying to make things right with you, its the admiral thing to do. Its good you made the call.

...JP