Welcome, Guest
Login or Register
Home
« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: why are the bees so aggressive ?  (Read 2329 times)

Offline bulldog

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 267
  • Gender: Male
why are the bees so aggressive ?
« on: May 10, 2011, 10:08:07 pm »
i have one hive that started as a nuc last year. they've been gentle as can bee until about the time i hived a new package two weeks ago. this hive sits nearby. i haven't seen any evidence of robbing or fighting. the older hive has honey stores, the new package still has some dry sugar and a pollen patty inside. i used to be able to go right up to the entrance without incident, now i can't get within 30 feet without getting buzzed or stung. what gives ? at first i was thinking maybe the weather had been lousy for a while and they were just in a bad mood, but even on a sunny day the older hive is not foraging like they were last year. possibly the hive needs more nurse bees until their numbers increase ? maybe having more bees in the hive is making them cranky ? i did notice a lot of tiny little sugar ants on/in the hive. could this bee the cause of their aggression ? should i seperate the two hives even if it doesn't appear to be robbing ? i'm stumped. advice and/or suggestions greatly appreciated
Logged
Confucius say "He who stand on toilet is high on pot"

Offline hardwood

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3482
  • Gender: Male
  • Alysian Apiaries youtube.com/MrBeedude
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2011, 10:50:12 pm »
Check that they are queenright. The stronger the colony, the more defensive they become...more guards I guess. Any colony with a constant pest like ants can get pissy too.

Check the queen first.
Logged
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline schawee

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 977
  • Gender: Male
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2011, 11:50:33 pm »
bulldog, had a hive last year like that.before i would work the hive with no problem, then they became the hive from hell :evil: i went through the hive and found that they requeened .well i went ahead and pinched the queen and took everything from them that they can make a queen with and put a frame with eggs from another hive . they made a great queen from that and the hive became very gentle in about three months.        ...schawee
Logged
BEEKEEPER OF THE SWAMP

Offline annette

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 5353
  • Gender: Female
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2011, 12:27:55 am »
I need to do this with a pissy hive I have right now. Makes inspections difficult and I cannot get them away from my veil even though I walk very far away. I have to jump into my car with my bee outfit on.
Logged

Offline Finski

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3928
  • Gender: Male
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2011, 02:49:04 am »
.
Try first separate the hives . Perhaps wind brings the neighbour odor  into the nextdoor hive entrance and they are prepared to fight.
Logged
.
Language barrier NOT included

Offline Brian D. Bray

  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Galactic Bee
  • ********
  • Posts: 7369
  • Gender: Male
  • I really look like this, just ask Cindi.
    • http://spaces.msn.com/thecoonsden
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2011, 06:49:03 pm »
Logged
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Beesville

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: why are the bees so aggressive ?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2011, 04:15:39 pm »
  Well they could be Africanized. The ants don't help eather. Africanized bees will get real grumpy win they are getting eaten by ants...
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
 

anything