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Perhaps I Spoke Too Soon? Use of Sulfur to Destroy Aggressive Hive

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Nugget Shooter:
Good morning All, got my first real mobbing from one of our feral hives today during inspection, I mean bees all over me and stung through the gloves many times, but not through the suit and got my very first case of rash from stings on my belly and chest now almost gone. On a good note my arthritis is not bothering me now  :laugh: I have had even my Italians go angry and attack once in a while, but this hive was always more active during inspection, but not really aggressive. Now though it is 2 deeps booming with brood and they are filling a honey super as well as lots of stores both pollen and honey.

It was about 8:30am which is earlier than I usually go into the hives and after a good smoking and inspecting the top medium I started into top deep and after the 6th frame they exploded into action with me as the target  :o It has me wondering if perhaps the AHB genes I was bragging of not seeing in our feral captures are present in these bees as they are from South of us where I am always hesitant to go on calls . Like I said I have been stung and chased before once the bees tire of me molesting their home, but never like this and they chased me further than I have seen trying to sting all the way. I went into the yard and a bunch followed me and even stung the dogs a few times. Then leaving for work I was chased to the truck  :laugh:

So this leads me to a question and I am aware I may have just caught them in a bad moment as I have read many times here, what is the direction one goes if in fact a large colony goes mean and getting to the queen is almost impossible due to the bees being overly aggressive? I feel as though she needs to be replaced perhaps? I do plan to wait and see after they settle down how the next inspection goes, but right now anyone getting close is chased away. This is a first for me and looking for input about your experiences with hives that are "hot" and what steps can be taken? Just trying to gather info in case they are AHB influenced and I have to let this hive go or fix the problem in the coming future....

Les:
Certainly not an expert but everything I have read or viewed on video indicates that queen has to go.

yes2matt:
This is from memory, but I can't remember where I read it.
AHB
> are physically smaller
> hold their wings more erect, not flat on the back
> scurry more under smoke.

I think may bee it was in the Sammataro book, there is a whole list of identifiers.  https://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Handbook-Diana-Sammataro/dp/0801476941


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riverbee:
nugget this sounds to me like ahb genetics. i keep russians, they can be aggressive, but not the aggression you are describing. i am concerned about the rash developing away from where you were stung.

if you can requeen.  my guess is, you will be unable to. no amount of smoke will help you find the queen without the aggression.

we have a member here from florida who dealt with ahb genetics in his hives 'cracker'. i will send him a pm with a link to your thread/ and also find his old threads on this and post the link nugget.

i can't remember all the specifics now. i don't remember if he successfully requeened any, or had to destroy. i also think his bees were tested?  perhaps perry or g3 will remember, but he went through what you are describing and more.

Perry:
Wait till mid-day when half the bees are gone and find the queen. Replace her.
Cracker had a hive go ballistic and they stung and killed a bunch of his chickens.

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