Hail storms and Bee Hives

[GeezzzBeezzz]

I heard that when a hive is attacked - like someone throwing rocks - the bees loss their gentle demeanor and become aggressive.
We had a pretty good hail storm tonight (lasted a few minutes) and it must have given the bees in my hive a good fright.
Can I expect a change of attitude tomorrow. They have been quite gentle up to now.

[JP]

They'll likely be okay by then but you'll have your answer tomorrow for certain.


...JP

[BlueBee]

Is that a bee beard you're wearing on your new avatar JP?

I don't know the answer for the OP, but hail is my foam hives worst nightmare!  Luckily the worst we normally get here is pea sized hail which shouldn't damage my foam.  It's rare here, but we have gotten ping pong ball sized hail.  Boy is that stuff destructive.   

[JP]

How did things work out?

Blue bee, it is a bee beard on my shirt from Bud4. Had some fun with a small swarm.  ;)


...JP

[samuils]

From what I understand, aggression has to do with genetics and an attack on bees.  Hail storm is similar to attack, so at first Im sure your girls got riled up, but as soon as hail storm/ attack is over, they go back to normal.   

[Michael Bush]

Bees are much more complicated than a simplistic reaction to a stimulus.  Over time their state of mind changes.  They may start up upset by the noise but they eventually either get demoralized and then wind down, or they get used to it and accept it.  If you threw rocks at a hive for a few minutes you'd get them mad.   If you did it all night it would be a different reaction.  It's the same when you move them or when you do a cutout.  Sometimes if you move a hive a short distance they will come out mad when you open it back up.  But you put it on a truck and drive 50 miles and some of it bumpy, and you let them out and they are just relieved.  Sometimes a cutout starts out defensive and gets docile as you go.  Sometimes it starts out docile and gets more angry as you go and it takes a lot to get them to finally give up...

[GeezzzBeezzz]

Hi everyone ... well, I'm still alive. JP, it worked out fine - but the girls did seem a bit more agitated when I opened the cover to pour in more syrup. We had another big thunderstorm last night - no hail - but heavy rain. I'm starting to think that the bees can tell what kind of weather is on the way. They seemed to be working more deliberately and did not want to be bothered - they just wanted to work. Michael, I'm just starting to realize how perceptive bees are - these creatures can see much more than I can in regards to nature. Since they depend on the weather for their collection flights I think they are able to read weather far more accurately then most creatures. Before I started looking at bees I thought of them as little machines : you get too close they sting and so on. I'm beginning to see a bit of that complexity you mentioned. For instance, I think they seemed more deliberate on Saturday. They must have know it would rain all of Sunday and knew they had to get work done for a couple days. I'm really amazed by these little creatures. Samuils & Bluebee, thanks for your input and thoughts, really appreciate it. It looks like everyone is on the same boat in that the hail storm won't have any long term effects. Did I mention I did not get stung! It was a good day.

[LoriMNnice]

The other day it stormed real bad here major hail, thunder and lightening. The next day after the storm I went down to check on the bees my yellow hive was super active I posted a video asking if it was robbing but it was bees orientating. My pink hive was calm/normal. Just what I observed, probably doesn't have anything to do with the storm. I took a peek in the pink hive, I left yellow alone :)

[AndrewT]

I think you'll be OK, just as long as you wait until the hailstorm is over before you get into your hives.