Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: philinacoma on October 03, 2010, 11:15:30 am

Title: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 03, 2010, 11:15:30 am
Euthanasia, assisted suicide, murder, right to death, pro choice, call it whatever you like, but I encountered a hive today that is more in need of a requeening than any hive I have ever met. I parked the car 20-30 m away from the nearest hive no sooner was I out of the car than I was getting attacked. I couldn't get in the suit fast enough. I didn't approach any hive except for the 2 I was dropping off yet on the way out I had to get the wife to drive a 100m away before I could shake the attack party. As it was they managed to land a sting on my neck.

This queen has a name and that name is Amber. I'm sorry OzBuzz, but that is one line you do not want to keep. I strongly recommend you replace her with a much more docile strain.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 03, 2010, 07:06:56 pm
Sounds like she really fired up! I havent had that sort of problem with her before... When I worked them the day before she is only a problem when I lift the lid off-then I get head butted left right and centre. Her hive stung me on the leg. She is a four week old swarm-she's an amazing brood layer (all frames in the nuc are packed) but they have few stores... I'm going to move her up to an 8 frame this weekend and see how they build up-if she is still agro after they have stores then she will be shown the door. Sorry you got stung mate...
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: Pete on October 03, 2010, 07:27:44 pm
I have a new hive like that. They were fine when i picked them up, but getting hotter, always get a face full when i open it. But most awesome brood pattern and drawing so much comb, loads of larvae, but not much stores. Hope they calm down as spring builds up?

Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 03, 2010, 11:52:58 pm
I have a new hive like that. They were fine when i picked them up, but getting hotter, always get a face full when i open it. But most awesome brood pattern and drawing so much comb, loads of larvae, but not much stores. Hope they calm down as spring builds up?



You gotta hope they either settle down or produce like there is not tomorrow!
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 04, 2010, 01:49:33 am
If they have no positive attributes then adios-I just imagine what it would be like with 60,000 - 100,000 hot bees charging at you! At the moment amber is just a nuc! If she stays that way I can't imagine I would keep her even if she produces 100kg a month!
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: Michael Bush on October 04, 2010, 04:51:12 am
I didn't know you have Africanized bees in OZ... ;)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrequeeninghot.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrequeeninghot.htm)
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: Culley on October 04, 2010, 09:14:13 am
What was the weather like at the time?

They're pretty mean here right now with storms.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 04, 2010, 09:49:07 am
It was quite a nice day yesterday-I went there tonight and yesterdays hot hive is peaceful and today 'doc' was a little warm...oh Phil, I put those frames in for you-they're looking good although the one with the strap had a bit of a roar about it and was a bit hot once the lid was off
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 04, 2010, 09:57:27 am
I didn't know you have Africanized bees in OZ... ;)

We don't and it's illegal to have them here. I'm not going to argue with that!

What was the weather like at the time?

The weather was mid 20's with a good breeze.

It was quite a nice day yesterday-I went there tonight and yesterdays hot hive is peaceful and today 'doc' was a little warm...oh Phil, I put those frames in for you-they're looking good although the one with the strap had a bit of a roar about it and was a bit hot once the lid was off

Thanks mate. I think the one with the strap was a swarm from a keeper down the road. Any thoughts about more bees from the chimney?

Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: Michael Bush on October 04, 2010, 10:50:09 am
Anytime someone finds a hot hive here, they are called "Africanized" even though I've seen hot bees for decades before there were supposed to be any in the US and there STILL aren't supposed to be any in the North.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: AllenF on October 04, 2010, 01:49:48 pm
I thought you got paid double for collecting "Africanized" bee swarms.   :-D
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 04, 2010, 08:41:42 pm
I thought you got paid double for collecting "Africanized" bee swarms.   :-D
Good idea! I like it.  :lol:
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 10, 2010, 04:29:36 am
Hey philinacoma, checked on your swarms yesterday-the one with the strap is hot as! Got hit five times from it-checked for eggs and found none-it's roaring too! Any possibility it's queenless? The other one is going great-plenty of eggs and great stores.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 10, 2010, 10:05:44 pm
Thanks OzBuzz, I have order a queen from Stephen on KI. It'll be here either later this week or next. I went and checked out that place in Eaglemont yesterday. There were a few bees in the chimney but they looked like they were just picking over the carcus of the old hive. The action was in the shed. There was a stream of bees entering and exiting the side and another on the front. I think they are from seperate colonies. I told him I had no time to do it yesterday. If it was just a swarm, no problem, but that is a big job. Maybe next weekend, if it hasn't been pulled down by then.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: westmar on October 10, 2010, 10:23:55 pm
hi
   Phil just be carfull when u go to re queen as i had nasty hives kill queens,i find to put frame young brood in first let them rare a queen then re queen later on.had one hive her went through 2 queens,and then i was told to give them young brood worked out grate took longer but would saved 40.00 dollars and 2 queens. 
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 10, 2010, 11:23:01 pm
Thanks for the advice. I was thinking a frame of brood if the queen dosn't get here before the weekend to settle them down in the short term. I'll probably do that now anyway.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: westmar on October 11, 2010, 06:25:27 am
yea good idea.
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 11, 2010, 08:56:51 am
Thanks for the advice. I was thinking a frame of brood if the queen dosn't get here before the weekend to settle them down in the short term. I'll probably do that now anyway.

I've got plenty of frames of brood I'm happy to transfer in
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 11, 2010, 08:08:50 pm

I've got plenty of frames of brood I'm happy to transfer in


If you're going there in the next couple of days, could you please? I'll return the favour next time, thanks OzBuzz.

:)
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 12, 2010, 12:40:28 am

I've got plenty of frames of brood I'm happy to transfer in


If you're going there in the next couple of days, could you please? I'll return the favour next time, thanks OzBuzz.

:)

No problems mate, more than happy to help! you're helping me by giving me an opportunity to carry out some swarm control! I can't get new boxes until this weekend to transfer my nucs in to and they're chockers at the moment! I was actually thinking about asking you if i could use that swarm as a starter for some queen raising i want to try but i don't think there will be enough nurse bees - although would their being queenless be sufficient? I have a really quiet queen who is an amazing producer in that first double hive you would have seen! i want to get some offspring from her and if i'm successful i'd be more than happy to re-queen that nuc with one (although you mentioned you have a queen coming from KI?)
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 12, 2010, 01:02:52 am
Yeah, I've already organised a queen from KI, otherwise I would have said no probs. I'm trying to prep some boxes to transfer those 2 nucs into. With my name off the list I'm starting to catch up on my bees. As you'ld have seen none of my new boxes have been painted, I just didn't have time. I'm going to rectify that.

I've got a swarm I collected last week that is looking really good. Hard workers and quieter than mice. Picked them up in Brighton, so they're obviously well bred!
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: philinacoma on October 13, 2010, 08:22:39 pm
The queen arrived this morning, but she'll have to wait for Saturday to be introduced to her new workers.

OzBuzz, are you heading over there at all on Saturday?
Title: Re: Euthanasia
Post by: OzBuzz on October 14, 2010, 02:49:23 am
The queen arrived this morning, but she'll have to wait for Saturday to be introduced to her new workers.

OzBuzz, are you heading over there at all on Saturday?


Yeah Mate, Saturday is going to be a big day for me over there hopefully! transferring all of my swarms in to 8 frame boxes and setting up one to raise some Queens from