Guard Bee Aggressiveness

BeeV · June 08, 2011, 09:31:04 PM

For the past few weeks I have been able to just walk up to my hive, watch, check the feeder and whatever completely unnoticed, but, for the past couple of days I have gone out to check the girls and a very buzzy guard bee has come to zig zag and head butt me till I leave. Haven't been stung, but I got the message. I don't think anyone has been messing around with it, and I don't think any animals have been around. What else would cause this behavior?

AllenF · June 08, 2011, 09:38:32 PM

Mean queens will breed young mean bees sometimes. Queenless hives will turn mean. Robbing and periods of dearth will make them defensive. Have you checked them lately?

FRAMEshift · June 08, 2011, 09:52:23 PM

I can't guess what made your guard bee(s) mad, but what I've noticed is that when they get really angry, they can stay that way for up to a week, without any further provocation. My guess is that once a guard goes into "vigilant" mode, they stay that way. The problem only goes away when those guards graduate to become foragers.

BeeV · June 08, 2011, 09:54:37 PM

I have been checking them weekly since I got them six weeks ago. Haven't seen the queen but there has been eggs/larva since week two. Up until last week it had been cool and rainy and they had been bringing in pollen, but it has turned off hot and dry and they haven't been bringing in any pollen. Also, since it turned hot, they have been washboarding a lot. Don't know if that's got anything to do with anything, just an observation.

AllenF · June 08, 2011, 10:14:44 PM

In late summer, when things are dry they will get a little testy but nothing to worry about. I had a hive several year back that would chase you as you got out of the car in the front yard and the hive was in the back yard. I snuffed that queen. Several weeks later they were great.
Do they chase you around or just run into you when you are in the way?

BeeV · June 08, 2011, 10:44:35 PM

Just seems like one bee. Gets right in my face zipping back and forth and headbutting me. Chased me probably 30 feet this evening before she gave up. Strange. The rest of the hive seems normal as usual. The only thing I have done differently in the past few days is add a few drops of mint and lemongrass oil to their syrup per a recipe I found. Would that do it?

AllenF · June 08, 2011, 10:50:10 PM

You still feeding? Quit. Then other bees will leave them alone and they will be happy.

BeeV · June 08, 2011, 11:10:19 PM

Thanks. I haven't noticed any robbing going on but Ill pull the feeder this weekend.

VolunteerK9 · June 08, 2011, 11:29:48 PM

I think the hot, dry weather weve been having is making them pissy. Ive been popped a couple of times this past week just walking by.

Kathyp · June 08, 2011, 11:33:57 PM

my mental google is not working, but who was the priest who kept and wrote about beekeeping? as i recall, he recommended squishing bad tempered bees that won't leave you alone.

FRAMEshift · June 09, 2011, 07:16:42 AM

Quote from: kathyp on June 08, 2011, 11:33:57 PM
my mental google is not working, but who was the priest who kept and wrote about beekeeping? as i recall, he recommended squishing bad tempered bees that won't leave you alone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Kehrle

Brian D. Bray · June 12, 2011, 06:41:28 PM

Over feeding is the biggest and most common mistake made by beekeepers, it's also the worst advice given by beekeepers.

There are a lot of factors that can produce aggressive bees. Some of those are too frequent inspections, neglect, overfeeding, disturbance by other animals (skunks, raccoons, humans, etc), strong odors (either wind carried or on clothing), etc. Evaluate everything from hive location, clothing worn, cattle using hives for rubbing posts, to so many other things. Don't just do a knee jerk and off a queen just because you see some signs of the bees becoming aggressive. Make an effort to rule out outside factors first.