Rules VS Guidelines

[shinjak]

Beekeeping has a few hard and fast rules, but it has even more guidelines. The fact that these little creatures can survive our bumbling and meddling is a true testament to how resilient they truly are.

So here is the voice of experience giving a prime example of a hard and fast rule:

Do not attempt to disturb your bee hives at dusk. Dusk can generally be defined as the last hour before it gets dark.

The three times that I have been stung by my bees have all been in this time frame, including a shot I took to the top of my ear today.  Keep in mind that I have worked my bees with no gloves, no smoke, and occasionally no suit, and have jokingly called them stingless bees.

But not at dusk.... Some idiots never learn.

[apisbees]

I knew an old timer that said never work bees after 4Pm. That is when the foragers will be returning and not going back out. Plants will slow production of nectar. The risk of inciting the bees to start robbing is greater. It doesn't always happen at 4 but a good indication of when it is happening is when the bees start bearding on the front of the hive. When bearding happens the bees are done for the day and so should we be for going through hives.

[iddee]

Although you are right, I would work hives at dusk and all night with no shirt or veil before I would work them at high noon without smoke. On a scale of one to ten, you are posting on a 3 when you admit an 8.

[Jen]

I have worked bees at dusk with no problems, and sometimes there were problems. But preferably I like around 11-12am

[shinjak]

Well this is my new rule But it seems like every time I think I can bend the rule,  BAM!, one more sting reminds me why I can't. My work schedule forces me to do most inspections after 5pm with no problems. My favorite time for inspections is around 3 - 4pm with bright sunny skies. The few times I have inspected without a suit was in this time frame.

I am fudging a little bit, my gloves have taken way more than three stings. Those three are just the ones I actually felt.

[ablanton]

I have worked my hives as late as 7:30pm or 8pm with no major problems.  But, I will say that they tend to get a little more agitated late in the evening.  If in and out in 10 or 15 minutes, no problem.   If it takes longer, I can tell they get irritated even though they may not sting.  They will buzz around my head more and bump more.

[shinjak]

My general rule is if I can see the sun, I am ok. That being said, the only time the bees have come boiling out of the hive and really harassed me is after the sun is no longer visible. I live near the foot of a mountain, so sunset comes a little sooner.

[apisbees]

As Iddee do as I say, not as I do I have opened up hives at night and got away with it. But have also gotten nailed bad at all times of the day. For new beekeepers working the bees with the bees foraging in mind means dealing with less bees in the hive. the bees in the hive are busy and ply less attention to intruders. And if the flow is shut down bees from other hives looking to rob the hive you have open can get the bees worked up and in a defensive aggressive state with in a few minutes. This is something that can happen to a new beekeeper and they aren't even aware that it is happening. We can all spot a yellow jacket or wasp trying to enter a hive and rob but how many of us can recognizes it if it is a bee from a different hive?
There are times when I will do inspections and move supers off to the side and leave everything open and at other times keep a lid and bottom on every thing except what I am going through and some times it gets a 1/2 cover also to lessen the exposed area to robbers. I have been working hives and had to scramble to close up the open hive bodies cause the robber scout bees are checking out the open boxes.