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Author Topic: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.  (Read 6010 times)

Offline Mackayboi

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Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« on: January 04, 2014, 03:36:23 am »
Hi all, I'm very new to bee keeping, I've had my hive for about 4 months now without a problem, can open and bees are behaved. Pleasure to work with.
But just today I approached the hive to look from a metre away and two of the bees attacked me and stung on the ear and arm.

This is obviously a sign that something is wrong, what are some reasons?

Outside the entrance it has more  bees than usual.

And the only thing I have done recently which I think is a bad idea is  that I left some comb outside the box when I scraped off some comb that was forming in wrong spot.
Could this robbing and aggressive behaviour be triggered by this?

Thanks

Offline yantabulla

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2014, 03:48:26 am »
Mackayboi,

Nothing wrong.  You're standing near the hive entrance.  It's a hot day & they're all out the front. 

Expect to be stung.

Leaving comb outside the hive is a poor practice and it spreads disease.

Good luck with your bees

Yanta.

Offline edward

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2014, 03:49:53 am »
What was the weather like?

Rain, thunder in the air can make them angry, also if the nectar stops flowing it can make them protect their honey-hive more.

A Queen mates with mutable drones, some angry genes may also bee surfacing

mvh Edward  :-P

Offline edward

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2014, 04:02:30 am »
Nothing wrong.  You're standing near the hive entrance.  It's a hot day & they're all out the front.  Expect to be stung.

It depends on what you as a beekeeper accept as normal behavior.

I want bees that I can bee in my bee yards 3meters in front and 1meter behind my hive for at least 15minutes beefore a guard bee marks me, not attacks me, they usually knock me in the head a few times bee fore stinging me.

As with Life and humans, there are angry idiots, also nice agreeable and gentel people, why keep Company with unpleasant people/bees when you don't have to?  :angel:


mvh Edward  :-P

Offline yantabulla

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2014, 04:12:46 am »
The weather today in Mackay was 34 degrees c and 70% humidity.

That would make me cranky.

Standing in front of a beehive & getting stung does not indicate a problem to me.

Offline edward

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2014, 04:33:48 am »
I left some comb outside the box when I scraped off some comb that was forming in wrong spot.
Could this robbing and aggressive behaviour be triggered by this?

It may have attracted bees from another hive, when the scraped of comb was finished they started to look for more in the immediate area and started to rob the hive, the hive changed its strategy and increased the number and attitude of the guard bees.

mvh Edward  :-P

Offline Mackayboi

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2014, 07:08:53 am »
Yes the temperature was unbearable, everyone in air conditioners while the poor bees in a hot box! Perhaps some of the bees just needed to cool off.
I tried to make a nice roof for the box, but it would still be pretty hot when the ambient temp is 34 degrees celsius or so.

Just to clarify the train of thought regarding standing in front of hive. I learnt from my first visit to a bee keeper to always stay away from their entrance as it really is like blocking their path. So yeah, I was not in front of hive.

I visited another beek this evening and he suggests that requeening every year or so helps a lot in hive strength, to keep beetles down and have a good genes  in the worker bees. Still have to learn how to get a queen and put her in.

Also I agree with yantabulla regarding bad practice to place comb out of hive.

UPDATE: My total of 1 hive has now tripled to a total of 3 hives as of today. So keen to learn more about bees. Great to be able to post here and learn from others.


Offline yantabulla

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2014, 04:20:55 am »
Great to see someone gave you a hand Mackayboi.

The bees would have had the hive at just the right temperature despite the extremes outside.

The humidity gives them the bleep.

I work bees in a similar climate.  Hot humid day - expect to get stung.  Hot dry day - different bees.

Requeening every year may be a bit excessive providing you have a good queen in the hive.  I have three year old queens still going strong however their days are numbered.

The advice about strong hives & good genes is spot on.

An apiary of three hives is a great start.  One hive is not really sustainable.

Try to join a beekeeping club/association or do a beekeeping course.  Look for a mentor to help you

This forum is a fantastic source of information however you should not rely on it for all of your information.

Getting popped occasionally does not mean you have a problem with your bees. 

Use a smoker and a veil, gloves if you have to.  Enjoy your bees.

Good luck.

Yanta



Offline edward

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2014, 06:21:16 am »
When its hot the need water, how was their supply?

Offline Lone

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2014, 10:43:08 am »
Has the hive population increased in the four months since you started?  Low numbers mean fewer attacks because they need to conserve the bees.  With a larger hive they can afford to sacrifice a few to put you in your place.  :)

By the way, it's been over 40 C for about 2 weeks here, today up to 45C. It's the beekeeper who is getting cranky and avoiding the sun and the bees.

Lone


Offline rawfind

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2014, 11:50:58 pm »
Hi all, I'm very new to bee keeping, I've had my hive for about 4 months now without a problem, can open and bees are behaved. Pleasure to work with.
But just today I approached the hive to look from a metre away and two of the bees attacked me and stung on the ear and arm.

This is obviously a sign that something is wrong, what are some reasons?


It all depends on how long between checks?, if the bees have had enough time to raise a new queen and for her eggs to hatch then your queen may have died or been superseded  and the new bees are now a more defensive aggressive strain, or they have recently had attacks from wasps so are all defensive, or the last time you checked them you upset the guard bees, ive done this before and it took weeks before new guard bees replaced them, i had to stay away from the hive for ages unless i was suited up. Also i don't go near my hives with my flouro work top on as they seem attracted to me, aftershave or strong deodorant is another thing to avoid when around them

Offline CliveHive

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #11 on: April 03, 2016, 01:33:41 pm »
Great thread.  Learned a lot about 'what may make bees sting'

Offline azzkell

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2016, 08:52:18 am »
I had my hive in suburbia,  although the honey was flowing well they became aggressive over time. Moved them (Neighbour complained) to a rural location and within a short time they became very polite again, still are. I put it down to the stress of modern living lol. Chemicals and noise can make them upset, like most things including myself.
Could this be your situation also Mackayboi?
It's awesome when you increase your hives. I went from one a year ago to 7 just yesterday. 5 swarms 2 nucs.
Enjoy

Aaron.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2016, 06:43:29 pm »
Check out the Catalyst program on iView from the 5th -bees and lavender ( link on main forum in a thread on lavender) Think I will carry a spray bottle of lavender water for the days they get toey.

They do get unhappy with a storm coming or if on Jacaranda also if you are a little rough like a frame slipping and dropping a cm
David L

Offline SlickMick

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Re: Help! My first hive is being aggressive.
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2016, 08:04:07 pm »
That was a really interesting show... Certainly well worth watching

Mick

 

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