Lightening - Bees

[GSF]

Yesterday evening after I got home and ate I went to check on my bees. I have them at my place. These bees are what I consider to be very gentle. When I got there right off I noticed that they were flying around outside in a frenzy and ticked! I slowly moved in closer to see if any robbing was going on - no fighting at the entrance - don't know. The next thing I know there's about a half dozen on the front of my clothes angrily crawling around so I backed up, some left some got brushed off. A couple of seconds later I came in from more of a side angle. Right off one came straight to me and balled up on the hem of my sleeveless shirt trying to sting me, others flying around me all the time. So I ended up knocking it off a few times while I'm backing up. So not leaving well enough alone, I try to approach it from the back. One went straight to my hair and got tangled up (short hair).

The whole time I'm out there this storm is coming up/going by. Lots of thunder/lightening. I've read somewhere that the static electricity discharge from a storm really agitates the bees. Any thoughts?

[Michael Bush]

The bees are definitely not in a good mood when a storm is coming in.  But usually that only translates to when you open them.  They usually aren't angry, just grumpy.

[BeeMaster2]

I have been the hives with no problem until a storm cloud moved over me and the bees immediately lit me know that I should not be in the hive. I think the are agitated by the pressure change on their exoskeleton.
Jim

[BlueBee]

I attempted to charge a hive with a Van de Graaf generator once and didn’t get much response.

Was there enough static in the air to make your hair tingle?  Enough charge might make the bees motion hairs go haywire and think somebody/something is banging on their hive.  That usually gets them riled up.
 

[Joe D]

OK, you should leave them alone when the weather is bad.  You may want to see how their stores are doing.  They also get fussie when it get low.  There is little to now flow going on over here now.  Some of the beek in my area are already feeding their hives. 



Joe

[Bees In Miami]

GSF...I live in the lightning capitol of the world, and though I would never go IN to my hives with an approaching storm, it never seems to agitate them if I am near by.  Are you sure you didn't walk in too close during an orientation flight?  Orienting bees sure aren't the best flying Aces...so perhaps you being in their way created the agitation problem?  A few bees just trying their wings for the first time, can easily get caught up on a shirt, hair, whatever, and then if brushed/balled away would put alarm phermone into the air, and would result in a more defensive reaction from elder guards in the hive when you came back in for more lookie-loos.  Those were my thoughts when reading your post!  Check the hive the same time tomorrow...I can set my watch by orientation flights of my hives.  Robbing is UGLY!  Kind of like confusing orientation flights with swarming....Once you see a swarm, you never have a question of it again!!  Good luck!

[GSF]

Thanks all,

Naw, I wasn't going "into" my hive I was just going "to" it to visualize what they were doing.

Bees In Miami, I sure hope it was an orientation flight, I need all the bees I can get. I actually plan to inspect my hive this weekend when the weather is sunny.