Agressive swarm

patook · June 03, 2009, 03:20:58 PM

I got my first sting today from a swarm. They were under the roof of a carport on someone house. I was about 20ft away and 10 ft below them. One just flew under my baseball cap and got me on the forehead. Go headbutted a few times also. This seems very aggresive for a swarm. Is this a symptom of africanized behavior?

They had only been there since Monday but have built a couple square inches of comb. So perhaps they were getting more territorial. But still, 25 plus feet is a wide berth.

danno · June 03, 2009, 03:27:28 PM

Just before bee's swarm they gorge filling there honey stomachs. At this point they are OK but give them a couple to 3 days without finding a new home and they all get alittle testy. Its called a dry swarm

hankdog1 · June 03, 2009, 03:29:19 PM

Doesn't sound overly aggressive. If they started building comb they have done selected that place as thier new home and were defending it. Just my thoughts but one sting isn't too bad.

MollySuesHoney · June 03, 2009, 05:01:11 PM

Dry swarm. If they were AHB you probably would not have only had one sting. 8-)

JP · June 03, 2009, 05:38:01 PM

Did you get the swarm?

...JP

patook · June 04, 2009, 12:31:32 AM

Quote from: JP on June 03, 2009, 05:38:01 PM
Did you get the swarm?

Yes I did, thanks for asking. I sucked them up into the bee-vac I made last night. It is the top and BB design, but to get it done quickly, I just nailed the masonite to the bottom of the BB and top of the top. I will do the slant board and slide-in top later.

When I got home and opened up the entrance, a few came out and kept hitting the veil trying to get at me. They seem to be more aggressive then my others, but will wait and see if it is enough to warrant a requeen or if they are just hot now.

JP · June 04, 2009, 12:37:43 AM

I think you may wind up needing to re-queen this hive as they are exhibiting way too aggressive traits for this early in the game.

Dry swarms can be aggressive as heck but to seek you out like the one did standing twenty feet away, for a swarm, way too aggressive imo.

Think about re-queening this one, my .02.

...JP

Cindi · June 04, 2009, 12:49:49 AM

Patook, wonderful that you caught that swarm, too bad that you got a sting(s). Good going. Have a great and most wonderful day, to love, live and love, health. Cindi

Rodni73 · June 04, 2009, 12:59:13 AM

Hi Cindi!

I read that you lost your bees last winter

! Did you get new one yet :)?

Cindi · June 04, 2009, 01:07:32 AM

Rodni, I lost 8 of 9. I had one that came through with FLYING colours, it has almost 2 boxes of brood now. I need to get onto doing a split. I am lucky they haven't swarmed. I will let them raise a new queen of their own. We are moving when our house sells, so it was a good thing in disguise that I lost the bees. I believe many good things happen from things that may be originally bad. Beautiful days, to love, live and share, health. Cindi

patook · June 04, 2009, 01:54:00 AM

Quote from: Cindi on June 04, 2009, 12:49:49 AM
Patook, wonderful that you caught that swarm, too bad that you got a sting(s). Good going. Have a great and most wonderful day, to love, live and love, health. Cindi

Thanks for the kind words Cindi. I hope they survived the bee-vac. I did not want to open them up, but through the 3" hole in the bee-vac, I saw them balled up, still in swarm mode in the 4" under the frames.

I need the bee-vac for a cut-out tomorrow so I will know better how they are.