Aggressive Hives

[GSF]

cured = capped. If they cap it, it's cured 

[GSF]

Sorry, I missed your other question. I am experiencing with the concept of a "mega hive" meaning 3 brood boxes. On one I have 3 8f deep brood chamber and 4 or 5 deeps/1 medium for honey supers. The other is close to this size and the rest are not much different from the rest except aggressive. So I'm also wondering if size equals aggressiveness.

[bwallace23350]

Oh wow those are massive. I am just hoping to get one medium for a super on top of my two deeps by the end of this year.

[Ben Framed]

A bee flies head-first into you.  That's a warning.  If you don't react appropriately (move away), they might escalate and use the business end on you.  You'll know it when they head-butt you.

So now you know about head butts

Quite often they will head butt you right between the eyes or on your forehead or face. If they do, move slowly. If you jerk away, too much motion will cause them to immediately use their weaponry. Most of the time, if I completely ignore them they will eventually go away.
Jim

[Bob Wilson]

I needed to weed eat under the hives this past summer, but I was too lazy to put on a veil, and too cautious to weed eat without one.
But at last our first frost is arriving and grass cutting is over.

[Occam]

My hives have never cared about me mowing or using a string trimmer around them, at least so far. Granted one is a horizontal hive that faces the fence and there's no trimming going on right in front, but my Lang doesn't seem to care either. That may change at any given time, perhaps I've been lucky so far.

[The15thMember]

I always give a veil to whoever wants to weedwhack (or "whipsnip", I like how the Aussies say it better lately ), just to be safe, but I've never had a hive get upset about it either.  We don't mow, so I can't speak to that.     

[BeeMaster2]

I do the mowing and weed eating in front of Our hives. As long as I don?t hit the hives with any exhaust, grass or engine exhaust, and I go real slow in front of the hives, they don?t bother me.
Once I was using a newly purchased riding mower and I went past my bees on a trailer and they were all over my head stinging me.
I didn?t realize it but this mower shot the grass up into the air on the right side of the mower. Those bees would not let me mow any where I that field for several hours. Finally I put my bee jacket on to finish the job.
Jim Altmiller

[Lesgold]

Mowing in front of hives is OK if there is a flow on, very early on in the morning or late in the evening. If there is a dearth on, WW3 generally takes place and battle armour needs to be worn. Winter mowing is a bit easier as the bees tend to be on holidays in a warmer climate.

[BeeMaster2]

When I was just starting beekeeping, my buddy and I went to see an old beekeeper that had 70 hives in his front yard. As we walked up, we immediately noticed that his entire face was swollen. We didn?t say anything at first because this was the first time we met. He looked like he had been in the rink with Mohammad Ali. After we talked at length about the bees we finally ask about his face. He was mowing the yard that morning as he done hundreds of times but suddenly it started raining rain real hard as he passed several hives. The bees poured out of the hives and tore him up.
You don?t want to bee mowing up again your hives in the rain.
Jim Altmiller

[beesnweeds]

Its not the mowing or the weed eating its the alarm pheromones.   When the heavy grass below or around the entrance has crawling bees in it whether they are loaded with forage or dying from age or illness they will release an alarm pheromone when injured from mowing or weed eating which triggers the colony to take action.  Bees can be crawling several feet from the entrance.  I just trim up on cool late evenings.

[Ben Framed]

Its not the mowing or the weed eating its the alarm pheromones.   When the heavy grass below or around the entrance has crawling bees in it whether they are loaded with forage or dying from age or illness they will release an alarm pheromone when injured from mowing or weed eating which triggers the colony to take action.  Bees can be crawling several feet from the entrance.  I just trim up on cool late evenings.

Thanks Beesnweeds! Thumbs Up!

Phillip

[Lesgold]

As was stated in an earlier post, directing grass clippings away from the hive sure does help. Also mower and whipper sniper petrol fumes, noise and vibration tend to get the girls in a passionate mood.

[Ben Framed]

I have a mulching plate on my mower, ( a plate with does not allow the ejection of clippings), that I can engage upon demand which seems to help a lot...

Phillip

[Lesgold]

I wonder if there is a difference between how the bees react to petrol and diesel engines. If I mow with a petrol mower, they seem to be more aggressive than when the diesel tractor is being used. That is just a casual observation and may not be fully correct. I do know that the bees were a bit more playful the couple of times that a petrol zero turn was used to clean up near hives.

[Ben Framed]

Les, whether using a diesel mower or gas I have seen no difference. Until a couple years ago I was using and older Kubota model TG 1860 yard tractor, diesel driven mower. Some cutting days they seem to ignore me while other cutting days I might see some aggravation. I had no mulching plate on that mower.

[Terri Yaki]

Les, whether using a diesel mower or gas I have seen no difference. Until a couple years ago I was using and older Kubota model TG 1860 yard tractor, diesel driven mower. Some cutting days they seem to ignore me while other cutting days I might see some aggravation. I had no mulching plate on that mower.

Time of the month?   

[Ben Framed]

 

[Lesgold]

Put it down to good luck then.🤪🤪🤪🤪

[Ben Framed]