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Offline Jen

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Aggressive Bees
« on: May 30, 2014, 04:06:56 pm »
Got into the other hive with the new introduced queen. All looks great! Time for another medium. But Boy! were they Pissy! Didn't take long to look at the medium, bees seemed just fine. Then I got down into the deep, and they were after me. I was thinking that maybe new queen was no longer, so I toughed it out and I DID find her so I buttoned it up.

I did take note that there was quite a bit of drone brood in the deep, is that okay for this time of year? Im thinking that they would be making worker bees instead?

Also, the hive still has it's queen, so what are other reasons why the bees would get so hot?
 
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Offline pistolpete

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2014, 07:12:26 pm »
There are a whole range of reasons.  If it rained recently, or will rain soon, or if there are thunder storms in the area, or it's too early or too late in the day, or you squished a couple of bees, or they don't like the smoker fuel, or there's a dearth, or the planets are not aligned harmoniously :)    Bees are considered hot if they are bouncing off of you just for approaching the hive.   If they stay mean through several inspections, then you need different genetics (again).   Even Apiaries known for very gentle queens will produce a hot one once in a while. 

As for drone brood, they want to have 10 to 15 % drones naturally.   We  don't really let them do that by supplying worker size foundation.   If you pop some foundationless frames in there they will draw the first couple entirely drone size.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2014, 09:10:49 pm »
Hey Pete- Yeah I figured that's the answer I would get  :)  Yeah they were all over my veil and pinging off. Closed it up. About 2 hours later I took some syrup out and lifted the lid to to set it inside and one fly out arse first and nailed my right nostril. That surprised me, so I'll be veiling up with this hive for sure. Thanks for the input I'll keep a check ~

ps. This is the fourth time this season that I've been nailed in the right nostril! What the freakinA is that!
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2014, 09:47:55 pm »
jen, newer beeks are led to believe that a hive is queenless if they are pissy, quite the opposite most of the time.  like pete said, a great range of reasons.  when they get pissy, close the lid, give them a day or a few days and then go back in.  as far as the drone brood, how many frames?......a healthy hive most likely. 

ouch on the zinger to the schnoz...... :D
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2014, 10:09:05 pm »
I would say the deep only and maybe 2-3 that I saw, but I didn't finish the inspection. I'm not too worried.

The hive looked good, and apparantly so did my nose  :D
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2014, 10:52:36 pm »
LOL... sorry Jen, cant help but laugh...
    The wife had one zoom STRAIGHT into her nostril.. the only fortunate thing about that is that it left the stinger on the outside...   She snorted it out... sort of like a horse would do, and before she could holler I had the stinger out...  I was already on my way to her because she got stung on the neck just before the nostril diver...   Ever stood in front of a horse when it snorts?   ALWAYS try not to have your mouth open......

    I have been trying to take extra care and precaution this year, but the bees seem a LOT more testy. I have been stung this year more than the last five years combined. Wearing my suit annoys me, but I don't check a hive without it any more.
   Tried my old veil, got stung on the arms...  put my suit on, they are getting my fingers..  tried nitrile gloves.. still getting my fingers..   Two stings today before I put the leather gloves on.. one sting in the glove but didnt get through...   Doesn't seem to matter how much care I take...   it is taking me almost twice as long to do an inspection.. Even my favorite hives seem to be grumpy...
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2014, 11:05:41 pm »
"Ever stood in front of a horse when it snorts?   ALWAYS try not to have your mouth open......"

LOOOOL  OMG... stoooop, I'm laughing, tears

That's what I'm talking about Scott! The inside of my nose, right side.... 4  times! I'm in the house in front of a mirror with tweezer trying to get the flippin' stinger out! Tears streaming down my face, and I can't even say I had a good cry over it ~

Okay.... getting my composure.... Ooooooohhm

I do hope the prop tincture helps with your cranky bees. It 'seems' to be helping me, but I have to confess, today was not a good example. 
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2014, 11:20:51 pm »
" I have been stung this year more than the last five years combined. Wearing my suit annoys me, but I don't check a hive without it any more.
   Tried my old veil, got stung on the arms...  put my suit on, they are getting my fingers..  tried nitrile gloves.. still getting my fingers..   Two stings today before I put the leather gloves on.. one sting in the glove but didnt get through...   Doesn't seem to matter how much care I take...   it is taking me almost twice as long to do an inspection.. Even my favorite hives seem to be grumpy..."

aw scott, they are just telling you to leave them the h e double LL alone............. :D :D :D
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2014, 11:40:23 pm »
Riv- "aw scott, they are just telling you to leave them the h e double LL alone............. "

    Is THAT What It Is? I was thinking that my new queen was producing some Bad  Bee's, have to find some Bad  Harley's to go with them.


 
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2014, 11:43:28 pm »
hehe, yeah, I am getting the message loud and clear.. it's like taking your kids in for shots..  you feel like your betraying them, but it has to be done.

 
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2014, 12:04:18 am »
it is scott, sometimes we work them and ignore it, i seem to find it, and i think we all do, more prevalent earlier in the season for one reason or another.

the 'word cops'......?

none of us are 'word cops'. we have an auto filtering system for certain words and terminology.   

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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2014, 12:15:28 am »
Quote from: LazyBkpr on May 30, 2014, 10:52:36 pm
LOL... sorry Jen, cant help but laugh...
    The wife had one zoom STRAIGHT into her nostril..

May the bee of paradise fly up your nose............  la la la

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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2014, 12:19:07 am »
Ha! Very Funny Slow!  :D
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2014, 12:49:55 am »
let's just get back to the topic of the thread on aggressive bees.  many beeks will experience this as jen did and will be looking for answers as to why their hives might become aggressive, or why they are aggressive throughout the season. there are many factors as to why the bees become aggressive.

jen, give us an update on the demeanor of this hive the next time you go in and take a look.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2014, 12:53:37 am »
I sure will!  ;) 8)
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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2014, 01:32:33 am »
I killed the african queen from the swarm that moved into my old bee tree log in summer of 2012.  I actually got more stings YESTERDAY from my docile european bees than I did from the Africans, but I didn't provoke the africans without prodigious quantities of body armor, starting at fairly tight topped leather boots with my beesuit pantlegs tucked in and working to a lot of duct tape and definitely a shirt with sleeves underneath.

Yesterday I wore rubber pond boots. I shook 25 dead bees out of the left one when I got home on the first trip too.

The key to hot bees is remembering they are quite hot. I underfed my hot hive this spring so their numbers would not be too great, to the point where they kicked out all the drones. Then I requeened. Hoping they will be better in a week or 2
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Offline tbonekel

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #16 on: May 31, 2014, 07:15:54 am »
Quote from: Jen on May 30, 2014, 04:06:56 pm
I did take note that there was quite a bit of drone brood in the deep, is that okay for this time of year? Im thinking that they would be making worker bees instead?

Jen, the log cut out I did a few weeks ago was an amazing learning experience for me. The most interesting part about it was the number of drones present in the hive. I don't know if I'm that good an estimator or not, but it seemed like almost half the hive was drone. They were everywhere. That is why I want to primarily run foundationless in my hives. I think if the bees do what they feel they need to do, they are happier and healthier. But I'm sure there are things that can still make them upset from time to time. I think everyone should do at least one cut out of a feral colony just to see how they are in the wild.
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Offline GLOCK

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #17 on: May 31, 2014, 08:29:44 am »
This is my 5th year and I have my first mean hive. It's a booming hive and I want to see if it's a good production hive . It has a 2013 queen and was not mean at all last year . This year if you go 50 yards from the fence you better have a veil on. There's no setting sipping tea and watching the bee's coming and going.
I took her out of the hive around a week ago  so they are working on making a new queen right now .
I don't mind a mean hive as long as it's making honey and my bee yards are not near people so no worry's  but now I have to wear a veil and they always seem to find my arm's and hands.
Never had one in my nostril not good.
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Offline jb63

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #18 on: May 31, 2014, 10:50:52 am »
I had one that the skunks were after and they became defensive. After the skunks were taken care of they returned to normal.
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I don't know.It was like that when I got here.

Offline Jen

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Re: Aggressive Bees
« Reply #19 on: May 31, 2014, 12:00:06 pm »
Me to tbone, I'll be working in that direction prob next year. Or, maybe I could pic one hive this year and just start with a couple.
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