Author Topic: Aggressive bees with potent stingers  (Read 1642 times)

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omnimirage

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Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« on: January 16, 2018, 09:49:08 pm »
I captured some swarms last spring, and moved them to a new apiary site. I hadn't checked up on them as frequently as I should have, the supers were rather crowded which I know induces aggressive behaviour. The bees were rather aggressive and I possibly had the most painful beesting I've experienced since starting beekeeping, was excruciating.

I'm rather unsure how to proceed. I've gave them an extra super, so hopefully they'll be less aggressive. I was interacting with them at night time. Are bees more aggressive when they're all clustered in their hive at night? I believe the potency of bee stings is caused by whatever the local bees are foraging. I was considering moving more bees up to this site, but I don't want to until I find out what's going on because it was quite a painful stressful experience.

Could there be something in the local environment that's causing them to be more aggressive? They hadn't been looked at in 5 months, when I dropped them off they had only just graduated from nuc size colony to deep super size.

Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2018, 10:10:25 pm »
Hi Omni, my first question is: What is the weather down there right now, what season? I'm not good at geography  ;) 8)
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omnimirage

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2018, 10:13:13 pm »
Summer. We're not in a heatwave but it's rather warm, been mostly floating around 26-36 celcius.

Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2018, 10:37:38 pm »
I see, you say that you gave them a extra super hoping that that would calm them down. Did you go thru the hive frame by frame by chance?

How many boxes high is this hive?
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omnimirage

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2018, 11:10:17 pm »
One of them is just 1 high, the other is 2 high. I looked at the four centre frames of the hive on top. I more gave them an extra super because they needed more room to expand.

Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2018, 11:18:55 pm »
Without seeing what going on in the aggressive hive, like pictures, it's hard make an accurate account of that hive.

When was the last time you treated for mites?

And did you maybe see the queen? Or, eggs laid by the queen at the bottom of the cells. Not eggs laid by worker bees?

Those would be my most important questions.

And yeah, if you mess with a hive after the sun goes down, or even late into the evening, you're pretty much going to get nailed real good. They bees think you are a bear or skunk. 
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Offline CBT

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2018, 11:29:53 pm »
If You use a white light at night yes that light becomes a stinger target. If you must open a hive at night use a red light. It may help. It doesn’t take long for the bees to school you about leaving them alone at night.

Offline apisbees

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2018, 05:16:03 am »
When you receive an accidental sting from a bee you put your finger or hand on or one that has gotten stuck in your clothing. these are bees that may not bee the proper age for their venom to be at full potency. Where a just under 3 week old guard bees venom sack will be full of potent venom at the ready to be released into it's victim.
# 1 Rule of beekeeping! Do not work bees at night.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2018, 05:54:48 am »
Only work bees at night if you have to save them from imminent danger.
Not being familiar with your environment, I would ask if the nectar flow is still on?  If it has stopped, bees will be very cranky.
If there are no pests like skunks making them cranky, you may need to requeen.  Divide and conquer.  Separate the two hive bodies for several days.  It will make it easier to find the queen.
I believe it was apisbees that recently posted about older bees packing more of a punch when they sting.  I am not sure I am correct.  Maybe apis will verify this.

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2018, 06:32:51 am »
B-12 It is in the post above. Guard duty is the last job the young bees do before the start foraging at about 3 weeks of age.
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omnimirage

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2018, 07:37:37 am »
Good to know about leaving the bees alone at night!

I've never treated for mites. I may be mistaken but I don't believe that's an issue in my part of the world. I saw brood but no eggs; was too dark to see such. Didn't see a queen.

I was using a white light. I might have to get myself a red light torch.

That excruciating sting was probably from a guard bee I got stung by it before opening the hive.

I don't even know if there's a nectar flow on. I hope and imagine there'd be something flowering.


Offline Barbarian

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2018, 01:08:26 am »
If the bees have been working a nectar source and the flow stops the bees can become more aggressive.

In the UK, if the bees have been working Oil Seed Rape (Canola type) and the flow stops or the hives are moved away, reports are that the sting is more painful.
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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2018, 09:28:18 am »
One of many easy spot checks for mites is to open a few capped drone cells and look for them on the drone as they are easily seen against the white body. This not the only test but very quick.

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2018, 10:02:27 am »
Omni is far removed from the varroa They entered Australia on their host bee, the Asian honey bee and were discovered in 2007. They have only been found in the North of Queensland. With restriction on bee movements and eradication of the Asian honey bee colonies when found as long as beekeepers and the public do not spread them the rest of Australia should stay varroa mite free.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2018, 12:58:22 pm »
Well then Omni, that boils it all down to a night inspection then. When I was a newbee I was contemplating doing an OA treatment about 10:00 at night. I asked about it first on this forum and I got a resounding shout "NOOOOO!" from the pros. You would think that the bees would be quiet and cooperative at night when they are tired from a hard days work, but quite the contrary.

And I might add, that if you get stung, say on the knuckle, or the kneecap, or the ankle, it hurts a lot more than if you get stung on the upper arm or thigh. The larger masses of muscle, tissue, and fat can absorb the venom more easily and the sting isn't quite so concentrated as the small amount of tissue around a knuckle.

This is a good thread Omni, we learned some cool stuff  ;D 8)
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omnimirage

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2018, 05:23:11 pm »
Yeah thankfully no varroa here.

I have learned to avoid the bees at night. I did get stung at quite a sensitive spot, at the finger tip, but the stings in other places were quite painful as well.

Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive bees with potent stingers
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2018, 06:53:47 pm »
Oh yeah, all those nerve endings on the fingers, Ouch! But if you have any arthritis in your hands I'll bet that hand feels pretty good, well after the swelling goes down anyway  ;) 8)
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