Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Steel Tiger on May 07, 2013, 10:38:41 am
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Just went out to check on the hives. I was standing about 15 feet away, not moving and off to the side, when one of the girls from the west hive decided that she didn't want me there. She flew up and nailed me 1/2 an inch under my right eye. It's the first time I've been stung by a bee in about 35 years. It was much less painful than I remember. That hive always seems busy and always sends bees to circle me whenever I get close, and some of them buzzing loud. The stinger was in my skin for almost 5 minutes, surprisingly, no swelling.
It's been almost a week, so I'm going through it later today to search for the queen. Right now I'm hoping that they don't have one, which would explain why they're being so defensive. It might also explain the roaring sound I think I hear now and then coming from that hive.
If I can't find her, I'll pull a frame of eggs from my other hive, which does have a queen and are far less defensive, and put them in the other hive if there are no queen cells in it. If there is a queen, I'll decide later whether to replace her or not. I really can't see me allowing the hive to build up to 50,000 bees if they're overly defensive.
Any thoughts or ideas on what else I should be looking for, or am I overreacting?
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Any thoughts or ideas on what else I should be looking for, or am I overreacting?
swelling :evil:
the fastest way to know without going to the trouble of digging through a hot hive, is to just put that frame of eggs in there. mark it. go back in a couple or so days and look for queen cells. you'll pretty much have your answer and lower your exposure.
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Scott hardwood mentioned that, if he gets nailed as he enters his apiary that he knows that he has a queenless hive in there somewhere.
Sounds like your suspicions may correct.
This doesn't mean that the queen that died was agressive. It is just a sign of the distress the hive is in due to her loss.
Jim
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Sounds like good idea. I was going into both anyways to remove the feeders and add 2 frames. According to the weather report, today will be the last chance I get to go in until Monday due to rain. The pissy hive is building up so fast, I was considering adding a medium box. That can wait till next week when I go in to check that frame. Thanks.
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This doesn't mean that the queen that died was agressive. It is just a sign of the distress the hive is in due to her loss.
I suspected because that hive seems to "roar" now and then when I'm nearby. I've hear that that's the sound of a queenless hive. I could be standing several yards away and bees from that hive come out and circle me. They're also extremely busy, I guess with no queen, more are foraging and building and guarding. Right now I'm really hoping that it is queenless, I don't really want to deal with a mean queen.
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or you could have been standing in the beeline and just got nailed because the bee didn't expect you to be there. also, the last sting i got around my eye didn't swell til later and hurt that night. wait til you take a sting under the fingernail, that is pretty intense for the first couple of minutes.
if you still don't have a strong flow on or if you've had crappy weather like we have had down here the bees could just be a little defensive. when a good flow kicks in those bees may settle down.
you should be able to pull a couple of frames and tell if there is a queen or not by now. there should be some small larvae and eggs.
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It really does sound like it is queenless.
Jim
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Alrighty. Went out and opened the first hive. Pulled the feeder and added a frame at that end. went through each frame looking for eggs and larva. Found a lot of capped brood, nectar and pollen. I saw no eggs and no larva. I did spot the queen on the 4th frame in. Squeezed the frames back to where they were and added the second empty frame on the other side. The empty frames that were placed last week has approximately 2/3 drone comb. That's understandable. All the frames that came with the nuc had only worker cells.
The second hive. Went in and pulled the feeder. Added an empty frame to that side and started going through. Found capped brood and open larva. The larva wasn't tiny, I would guess a few days old at least. I didn't spot the queen nor see any queen cells. A few drone larvae fell out. I saw no mites. While in there, a few bees were buzzing me. It wasn't a swarm, just a handful.
I'm going to assume that there's a queen in there. I'll leave them and check next Monday. I'll peek in long enough to see if they're drawing comb on the empty frames I gave them, if so, add a medium on each. Hopefully by then I'll have a better plan on what I want to do about the defensive bees.
I think I'll buy a pair of magnifying glasses this week so I can see eggs. Right now I'm not even spotting them.
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buy a cheap pair of reading glasses so both of your hands will be free.
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I use something like these...
(http://www.activeforever.com/content/images/thumbs/0038934_task-vision-led-lighted-reading-glasses.jpeg)
Task Vision LED Lighted Reading Glasses (http://www.activeforever.com/task-vision-led-lighted-reading-glasses)
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I use something like these...
(http://www.activeforever.com/content/images/thumbs/0038934_task-vision-led-lighted-reading-glasses.jpeg)
Task Vision LED Lighted Reading Glasses (http://www.activeforever.com/task-vision-led-lighted-reading-glasses)
16 bucks isn't bad, I'll order a pair off Amazon later today. The only other pair I saw with lights are 20x jeweler glasses. Overkill.
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take pictures. you'll see what you didn't see.
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I have two hives one we call the happy hive which never seems to care what I do in it. They just carry on as if I was not even there. The second hive is the mean hive, they will scout me out as soon as I get with in 10 yards, and we even had one checking out the bee suit on the porch and head butting both the wife and myself after the last inspection. My gloves are always covered with bees trying to sting, and lots do. As far as making progress, the mean hive should have brood emerging soon, if not already. The happy hive has larva but not much in the way of capped brood yet, very laid back hive. They are out and about collecting pollen and seem plenty busy, just moving along slower. Anyway, just my two cents worth.
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take pictures. you'll see what you didn't see.
I tried, they keep coming out too fuzzy. guess I could use the video camera.
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take pictures. you'll see what you didn't see.
I take pics as well. I wish I had an HD camcorder that I could just put on a tripod near the hive. Then wave the combs in front of it for a few seconds.
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take pictures. you'll see what you didn't see.
I take pics as well. I wish I had an HD camcorder that I could just put on a tripod near the hive. Then wave the combs in front of it for a few seconds.
I was just thinking that. I have the HD camcorder and tripod. I'll set it up from now on and hold each side of the frames up.
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auto focus is your friend. so is the anti shake feature :-D
i know, you can't see what you are taking pictures of when you are doing it. i just shoot a bunch and hope for a few good one.
tripod is a good idea.
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auto focus is your friend. so is the anti shake feature :-D
i know, you can't see what you are taking pictures of when you are doing it. i just shoot a bunch and hope for a few good one.
tripod is a good idea.
I used my Droid to try to take pictures. If I take a picture of something away from me, they come out great. If I get too close, fuzzy. The camcorder has auto focus, I'll just used that from now on and make screenshots if I need a photo.
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Went out with the camcorder. Worked like a charm.
First pic is my "gentle" hive. I didn't see the queen until I saw her on the video.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7329/8719277654_22e921571c_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61977973@N04/8719277654/)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/8719277610_0c3b08ae16_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61977973@N04/8719277610/)
Diversity of the hive from the defensive hive
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7397/8718160529_3797023c52_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/61977973@N04/8718160529/)
I didn't find the queen, but I did find eggs.
I'll give them a few weeks to settle down. Hopefully by then the few aggressive bees will have expired and new bees will be a little more easy going.
Next Monday I'll be adding mediums. I think I'll brings a squirt bottle of sugar water instead of the smoker. I seem to grab the smoker like a lifeline. Even though I wasn't putting the smoke directly on them, I let the wind carry it them, they weren't happy about it. I'll try misting and see how that works.
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Don't be afraid of smoking them! You don't want to blow smoke right at 'em for 10 minutes straight but a few good puffs right in the entrance before you open them up and an occasional puff right on top of them is what you want if they are aggressive.
Scott
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If I stand that close to one of mine they can be testy. Especially with the flow not starting up so slow. I also never know what may have just stirred them up, or if lightning is coming or anything else. They are gentle, but can't always take it for granted.
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Any thoughts or ideas on what else I should be looking for, or am I overreacting?
swelling :evil:
hehehehehe
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Any thoughts or ideas on what else I should be looking for, or am I overreacting?
swelling :evil:
hehehehehe
Still didn't swell.
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Just went out to check on the hives. I was standing about 15 feet away, not moving and off to the side, when one of the girls from the west hive decided that she didn't want me there. She flew up and nailed me 1/2 an inch under my right eye.
As a noob I have nothing to add to this thread other than to say that after installing two packages on 4/15, this happened to me last week, but it was under my left eye; just standing there, looking at the hives, and WHAM. Add to that a sting on the lower, right butt cheek (don't ask) and a sting at my throat, I'm off to a good start in beekeeping.
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good pics. glad that worked out for you.
you may be one of those lucky people who can take all the stings and never show it. that'll be a big plus!!
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good pics. glad that worked out for you.
you may be one of those lucky people who can take all the stings and never show it. that'll be a big plus!!
Like I said, it's been over 35 years since I've last been stung by a honey bee. When I was a kid, a neighbor's dogs got loose. I was trying to round them up and was between the dogs and the side of a brick building. Turned out to be a hole in the bricks and a beehive inside. Suddenly I had several bees buzzing me and I couldn't run or the dogs might of attacked (they were dobermans). I started walking away while trying to swat bees and got stung in my left eyebrow. My entire eye swelled up. Because I remember that, I was surprised that half my face didn't swell from this sting.
That hive ended up being plugged up because other kids in the neighborhood (being the brave souls they were) kept throwing rocks at it.