Hello new beek

[RatedMark]

Hi, I am new to owning a hive and got the entire hive and full of bees for a good deal.

So I joined the forum a week ago and have been reading here and there.

I'm posting because I'm trying to figure out if I have a problem, I'm still a little uneasy around my honey bees with out a suit on so please forgive me if I sound skittish.

I've got my bees near my house and I've noticed a few bees seem to be buzzing me and I can't help but kinda shew them. They haven't bumped me, but I'm a good 50-60ft away from the hive which is on my patio roof roughly 10ft off the ground to keep the flight path higher.

I'm assuming they are guard bees, but they kinda chasing me down and before I do something about it what is the level of acceptable space for them before they become like that? I'm not watering or mowing just walking around looking at my dead California front yard (central valley).

[Ben Framed]

RatedMark Welcome. I would suggest ordering or buying a ventilated bee jacket and a veil. Wear the jacket until you are more comfortable around your bees. (The jackets come with an attached veil). Later you will graduate to you independent veil, as you feel more comfortable and your confidence builds. Enjoy those bees!

Phillip Hall

[RatedMark]

I have a full bee suit and a majority of what I assume I need. I have a deep 10 frame hive with a brood box and a deep honey super on top of that. I have a queen excluder to keep her in the bottom.

What I'm talking about is kinda being harassed by the bees when I'm not really doing anything to there hive.  Its not many just 1 or 2 bees that kinda chase after me.

[Nock]

Can you move them? 

[iddee]

If I had a hive that did that more than 10 feet from it for 3 days I would requeen it, unless you are in a drought. Then put out a water source and it will likely stop.. They may do it because of the weather, but not more than 1 or 2 days.

PS. Put your location closer than just US. We may tell you entirely wrong if we don't know the climate you are in.

[CoolBees]

If I had a hive that did that more than 10 feet from it for 3 days I would requeen it, unless you are in a drought. Then put out a water source and it will likely stop.. They may do it because of the weather, but not more than 1 or 2 days.

PS. Put your location closer than just US. We may tell you entirely wrong if we don't know the climate you are in.

Iddee pretty much nailed it. If they do that for more than a day or 2, they probably have a problem. Try solving each of the following:

... they need water (always)
... they need nectar (flowers)
... they need pollen (to raise their brood)
... they are out of honey and are starving
... they have a pest or disease problem
... they are queenless

Once you find the answer and solve it, they shouldn't do that - they should be gentle and ignore you.

[RatedMark]

 I have a 1,000 gallon aquaponic tank within 50 feet and there is safe access in the tank for water. I see many blossoms on trees available. I opened the hive on Saturday looking for the queen a bit, and I didn't want to have the hive opened too long. The hive I got is really populous, so I'm hoping since I just opened the hive they're a bit irritated.

I saw pollen on their legs, they came with a food tray that was empty. They have honey capped I some of the frames. Should I feed them even though I can see and smell orange blossoms in my area?

[iddee]

On a sunny, windless day above 70F. it doesn't hurt to keep the hive open for 20 plus minutes. It takes less than 10 to remove enough frames to see if they have brood and food. A fully capped deep frame, about 6 pounds, will last them 20 days or more. That gives you a basis to go on.

[RatedMark]

It was my first time EVER opening a hive. I took out every frame and went through the hive. But to see that many bees was a bit overwhelming for my first time. I'm gonna go full natural comb, I bought 20 deep frames without wax board and am gonna slowly cycle those in over this summer as I'd like to get them down to the natural comb size in the brood box and the honey super for cut comb. Also my smoker ran out of fuel midway through. I lifted the first box and it was glued to the frames in the first box, so I had to scrape off the burr comb. I did see some developing bees but they were along the lines of almost finished. I read taking apart a hive can cause a lot of stress on the bees and I should minimize that too every 10 days. I'd like to make sure the queen is in the bottom brood box. So I can have 2 deep supers above. I have almost all the stuff to start doing oxalic acid treatments. I'll be doing that soon. 16 of the 20 frames had bees on them, and I have one of those flow frames for a 3rd box. I have to build a box for them in the next few weeks.  I'll take pictures next time, I didn't see any queen cups or cells.

[Seeb]

One of the things everyone kept telling me about opening a hive was to be quick, so right away I was rushing, bumping frames, dropping things and generally making my bees mad.  When I purposely slowed down, and stayed calm, my movement was gentle and smooth, I was able to find my queen, etc.  Another thing I started doing before suiting up, and continue to do now, is review a list I keep of what I want to check for/accomplish when I open the hive.
Good luck!

[Ben Framed]

In what part of the US are you located?

[iddee]

Hey, Phillip, guess where he's at.

""I'm not watering or mowing just walking around looking at my dead California front yard (central valley).""

[RatedMark]

Yeah, it was wet the last several days. But they had syrup in the hive. Plus I have an outdoor fish tank with a gravel water fall that is very accessible for water. There is a huge orange tree in full blossom next to it and its in the mid 70s all week, some days in the low 80s.

[BeeMaster2]

Mark,
Welcome to Beemaster.
I updated your location in your profile for you. The US has a wide variety of climates.
I suspect that the bees are reacting to rough handling. As mentioned, when you go in your hive have a plan, go slow, wear blue nitrate gloves so that you can feel the bees before you crush them. Your goal should not bee to see the queen. Just look for signs of the queen being present, look for eggs and wet larvae.  I recommend you remove the queen excluder. Your queen will probably need more space at some point and if she does not have it, they will probably swarm.
Jim Altmiller

[guitarstitch]

One of the things everyone kept telling me about opening a hive was to be quick, so right away I was rushing, bumping frames, dropping things and generally making my bees mad.  When I purposely slowed down, and stayed calm, my movement was gentle and smooth, I was able to find my queen, etc.  Another thing I started doing before suiting up, and continue to do now, is review a list I keep of what I want to check for/accomplish when I open the hive.
Good luck!

This is spot on.  Conventional wisdom says "get into and out of the hive as quickly as possible", which puts the beekeeper under enormous pressure to complete inspections.  Especially a new beekeeper.  If you slow down, move in a highly controlled and deliberate manner, and avoid jostling the bees any more than is necessary, you will find them to be much easier to work with.  Bees are highly sensitive to vibrations and scents.  They are less worried about light and locomotion.

You don't have to find the queen.  Just look for brood in all stages, particularly eggs and capped brood.  Eggs mean your queen was on that frame within the last 3 days.  Smooth capped brood means your hive is relatively healthy and producing worker bees (something only a queen can do).  Bullet shaped caps are drones, which are normal as long as you also have worker brood.

When you're first starting out, I find it's helpful to identify the purpose of your inspection.  "I am opening this hive to: (assess colony health?  check for swarm cells?  evaluate the need for a super?)"

As to your harassing bees, there could be any number of reasons they would bother you.  I recently had a  thread on the subject of defensive bees and tied some of the feedback I got to other incidents of being harassed similar to your situation.  50-75' away watering plants and getting bumped, etc.  I like wearing black clothing.  That apparently can send the bees into a defensive mode.  I don't know if a darker complexion can do the same, but I would assume so.  Others have provided a sound list of reasons why the colony might be defensive.  I'll add to that list:
-hot hive (temperature, not temperament)
-over crowding

Being in California, you cannot ignore the possibility that you have a hive with Africanized genetics as well.  Such a colony may be more defensive than a purely European colony.  (This is where the recommendation to re-queen comes into play)

Jim's suggestion to work with nitrile gloves (or even sans-gloves completely) is a good one.  It certainly makes you much more aware of where your stubby appendages are and when they're about to crush bees.  If you want to see a hive get excited really fast, crush 5 or 6 bees.  Be sure to smoke your hands thoroughly to mask your scent.  Since I started working gloveless, I have taken no stings to the hands, but have noticed that even my most excitable colony can be calm during inspections.

[Seeb]

love your turtle!

[Ben Framed]

> Iddee. PS. Put your location closer than just US. We may tell you entirely wrong if we don't know the climate you are in.

> Ben Framed.  In what part of the US are you located?

>Iddee. Hey, Phillip, guess where he's at. ""I'm not watering or mowing just walking around looking at my dead California
  front yard (central valley).""

Haa haa That was funny. Looks like me and my buddy both missed that one lol. But iddee, I was wanting to know which direction he was facing! lol

Phillip   

[van from Arkansas]

Mr. Mark, welcome for sure, welcome I say.  As Ms. Seeb texted, I agree I like the turtle and the fish.

My dead California yard,,, I enjoy the humor.

Van

[RatedMark]

That turtle is my pride and joy. He's a hybrid red ear slider mixed with a local western pond turtle.

I doubt they're africinzed bees, only cause this guy sells a lot of hives on a regular basis. This is his business I guess, as he was offering discounts on 100 hives or more.

Either way I was asking because I like the idea of switching over to a hybrid carniolan hive only if the queen needs to be switched, but I've also read about getting the colony to accept her. Was reading this variety is more mite resistant and a better honey producer.

[The15thMember]

That turtle is my pride and joy. He's a hybrid red ear slider mixed with a local western pond turtle.

He is awesome!  Does he have a name?