It's not a hobby, it's an adventure!

[FRAMEshift]

I'm really a new bee; this is my first season with a hive.  I generally work our very docile bees with no veil, gloves, or smoke.  I wear light colors and a white hat with a long sleeve shirt... that's it for protection.  Until today, I had never been stung.

Today I went to the field day at our local beekeeper's association.  The first thing I saw as I approached the house was a guy running down the path from the apiary swatting and cursing.  That should have given me a clue.   :-D    A State Inspector was there giving demos on a bunch of hives.  They were torn down with fully suited spectators standing around blocking the approaches to the hives.   A tornado of angry bees was circling the roughly 20 human participants.  It was not a pretty sight.  

I stationed myself about 75 feet away with a group of similarly unprotected onlookers and proceeded to talk bee.  But it was not going to be a peaceful afternoon.  Heavy clouds began to leak and the bees got even madder.   A  couple of guards picked me out for special attention.  They were right in my face doing the back and forth.  I ducked and ran but they were not forgiving.  Finally I got popped on the hand.  Hurt for a minute but apparently I am not allergic.  

Altogether 5 folks were stung.  I guess it was a learning experience.  I got my stinger out in about 5 seconds. One old-timer taught me to put poke weed on my sting to block out the alarm pheromone.  I guess it worked because I was not bothered again.  I met some great folks, made some friends, had a pleasant lunch and went home nursing a swollen but not severely damaged hand.  About all the adventure I needed today.  :-D

[jajtiii]

Poke weed, eh? You just grabbed a handful of the leaves and rubbed them on the sting site?

[luvin honey]

Sounds like fun :D Is poke week the same thing as dock? I think I read about smearing dock leaves on stings. Or maybe that was stinging nettle wounds...

[FRAMEshift]

Poke weed, eh? You just grabbed a handful of the leaves and rubbed them on the sting site?

Yes, there just happened to be a poke weed (called polk salad in the South) growing a few feet away.  My friend grabbed a leaf and suggested I rub it in.  He keeps poke weed growing in his apiary for this very reason.  Poke weed is a ubiquitous inhabitant along the edges of fields all over the South and maybe elsewhere.

Sounds like fun :D Is poke week the same thing as dock? I think I read about smearing dock leaves on stings. Or maybe that was stinging nettle wounds...

No, poke weed is not the same as dock , but that may work too.  The scent of the poke just drowns out the alarm scent so the other bees don't get the wrong idea about you.  It does not reduce the pain of the sting at all.

[iddee]

North Carolina is a big place. If you want answers that will pertain to you, change your profile to a bit more exact location. People on the coast don't keep bees the same as in the mountains.

Unless you are prepared to take 30 to 40 stings above the shoulders within 2 seconds, as I did yesterday, use smoke. Each and every time you go in them.

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

some very basic rules for safety. 1 always wear a vail, 2 use smoke 3 never work bees in the dark if you can. because some times you don't know if the bee is in your vail or out. bad juju Mcgumbo having to up right a hive at 2 am.

[bull]

I'm just learning to use smoke , but i chew and tobacco juice works to kill the pheromone .
while the hive is small i get away with a lot but late in the season it diffrent ,just walking up can get you tor up.

[caticind]

The particular colony FRAMEshift is talking about is new from a package this year, and I can confirm that these girls are gentle as lambs.  We have two stings total from this colony, and both were incurred while shaking out the package.

The colony's in my back yard, so I'm generally the one who works it.  I'm not much bothered by stings as long as they aren't in my eye, so our safety gear is limited to veils.  On a sunny day, I'd have no problem doing a basic inspection with neither veil nor smoke.  If it's threatening thunder, as it's done here for the last two weeks solid, or if I'm going to break all the way in and move frames around, I'll wear a veil and/or have a lit smoker on hand in case anyone sticks her abdomen up in the air.   ;) 

But I generally don't need to use the smoker beyond maybe a puff in the door.  Sometimes I'll puff an accidentally crushed bee to keep her sisters from thinking about vengeance.  That's about it. 

I know that they can suddenly take it into their bitty bee heads to sting me, even though they're normally docile, but so far we get along wonderfully.  Maybe it's that, only having the one hive right now, I can take my time, move slowly, and back up if a guard bee buzzes me.  Or maybe these bees are genetically more chill.

Anyone else have particularly gentle bees?  Maybe I should try to breed a line of pacifists.

[vermmy35]

My first hive from last year have to be some of the most gentle bees ever.  I dropped a frame full of the girls last year and all they did was get up and go back into the hive.  I would often go out and check on them with no smoke or veil, but this year I have 2 new hives that are the bees from HELL. 

[iddee]

A little puff in the front door, as you say, is usually all that is needed. I like to add a puff across the top bars when I remove the inner lid, but not always.

No smoke at all is not the way to work bees. It will backfire on you before long.

[Kathyp]

Anyone else have particularly gentle bees?  Maybe I should try to breed a line of pacifists.

some bees are easier to work than others, but don't let the docile ones fool you.  depending on the time of year, weather, flow, etc. they can get aggressive overnight.  it will always happen when you are unprepared!

[lenape13]

And when you see the guard bees breaking out their gas masks, you can be sure you're going to have a fun time!   8-)

[FRAMEshift]

And when you see the guard bees breaking out their gas masks, you can be sure you're going to have a fun time!   8-)

You got that right!  And now I'm learning about collateral damage.  The sting I got didn't hurt much and the swelling disappeared in 24 hours.  But I pulled my Achilles tendon when I tried to duck and run.  The tendon hurts a hundred times worse than the sting did.  So next time it will be veil and gloves and no trying to run.  :roll:

[bull]

combined 2 hives today ,while Waring baggie shorts and cut up shirt and hood.
got it done but did some dancing when they flew up my shorts.
But they've been so nice, next time a whip and a chair.

[sarafina]

New from a package means their numbers haven't built up real big yet........

Don't count on them staying so passive once they get their hive built up and have honey stores to defend!   :evil:

[luvin honey]

I learned that the hard way last year :) It was hard to believe in May, quite easy to understand in July/August :D (when I finally broke out the gloves!)

[caticind]

You may well be right.  I'll enjoy working the hive in shorts while I can.

They are just starting to really ramp up in numbers - no idea how to estimate, but all 10 frames in the first box were solidly coated with bees last time I looked in.  Does anyone know how many bees to a frame if they all pack in close?

[iddee]

There are approx. 11,000 bees in a 3 lb. package. How many frames were covered when you did your first inspection after installing? That will give you an idea of number of bees per frame.

[AllenF]

So far I have only had a bee up my short twice this year.   Lucky me.

[Two Bees]

So Frame, maybe next time you'll just stand there and take it?  :-D