Pulled 160 Stingers from my Gloves!

[sarafina]

Sarafina,

Please have them tested and let us know what the outcome is.  You have plenty of time to collect a sample.  I have been real close to purchasing bees from R. Weaver but have held off for now. Living in AHB country we need all the help we can get to keep them gentle.  I have 3 hives started this year from a nuc and packages picked up in LA and they are so gentle I feel silly wearing protection.  However, I am certainly fearful of supercedure in this area of the country.  Looks like this thread is good for at least another month as we watch the progress of your "taming of the hive".

Bee-Nuts,

I would hate to sound critical but it looked to me like you were getting a bit too strong with the smoke in your first video.   They work better for me when I  just waft it over them a couple of times and not blast them with it.   Just a thought.

Chuck

Thanks for the videos, bee-nuts.  I always enjoy watching other beeks doing inspections since I don't have any mentors.  If I didn't have my other gentle hive - if this was my fist and only - I would have given up on beekeeping by now!  And I don't give up easily :-)

I thought the same thing as you did Chuck.  When I was smoking my hot hive what I considered "heavy" I don't think I used that much smoke.  Bee-nuts, it looked like you were using the smoke to brush the bees aside so you wouldn't squish them before you put the tops back on.  I use a bee brush but inevitably some get squished anyway.  Beautiful hive and beautiful bees !!!


I will collect my sample to send to A&M on Sat when I retrieve the empty queen cage.  I don't want to collect them now while I am still getting them to accept their new queen.  By Sat she will have been in there a week and hopefully they have made their mind about her.

I need about 50 bees in a jar and then I have to soak them in alcohol.  Reminds me of when I was a kid.  I use to take a mason jar and go up to the ligustrum bushes and collect bees.  I had holes in the lid and loved to listen to them buzz.  I always released them after a couple of hours - didn't want them to die.  Never got stung, either, but I wasn't near their hive.

[bee-nuts]

chuck

The edited video is one thing but standing there looking down the frames and knowing that all the bees that just got smashed and slammed around were very unhappy and letting off "tons of sting the crap out of this guy pheromone" is another.  Maybe I should have masked the "tons of sting the crap out of this guy pheromone" smell a little more!!  You know they can sting through jeans, right?  Without smoke I could not work the frames without getting more stings either.  They were mad as hell and I knew it.  If you drop a frame and crush lots of bees, you will find out.  You have to smoke the bees to get them out of the way.  If you think the smoke got them mad you are mistaken.

When things go well and I dont accidentally crush or kill many bees, I just waft it over them a couple of times, or just into the entrance and into inner cover a little.

[sarafina]

You know they can sting through jeans, right?

Yes, I know it very well!   :-D  I used to work my bees with just my jeans and a jacket, but that was before I had to deal with really hot bees.  You don't have to drop a frame or squish bees to get them riled up - just pulling the top cover off or even a few puffs of smoke at the entrance is enough.

I finally bit the bullet and invested in a full bee suit and I should have it next week.  But if you want extra protection on the cheap, go to Home Depot and buy one of those disposable painters coveralls and wear that over your jeans.  It is a bit hotter than just jeans, but the extra loose layer makes it virtually sting-proof, plus it is white which is more calming to the bees.  I also have the elastic velcro straps that I use to cinch down my pants against my boots so they can't crawl up my pants legs  :shock:

[sparks]

Sarafina,

Thanks for taking the time and effort to get those wild ones tested.  Your childhood bee collecting made me smile.   :)  I am reading a book right now that, although it is a novel, it incorporates bees throughout.  One of the characters collected bees in a jar.  I would highly recommend  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Bee-Nuts,

I guess that I just haven't experienced bad bee behavior yet.  Hope it's not anything like teenagers.  :evil: ;) At least they can't get a drivers license.  :-D 

Chuck

[bee-nuts]

Sarafina

Glad you enjoyed the videos!  I have a bee brush but rarely use it.  I don't like brushing the bees because I think it hurts them sometimes and makes them mad.  If they are in the way I find a little smoke usually does the job just fine.  I also find that the less crap I have to remember where I just put it, that I am more efficient anyway.  I'm also hoping that my bee escapes will work too so I don't have to shake and brush many bees when I harvest.


Chuck

I would rather deal with AHB than teenagers.  LOL.

One of the reasons I like to record and watch my visits later is I notice many mistakes and/or see things I would like to do different next time.  For instance, maybe if I would have set the frame that slipped aside, maybe I would have been able to work the bees without them boiling out.  Reason being is, because I stuck a frame of mad bees letting off pheromone back into hive making em all mad.  Probably would not have made a difference (many reasons I wont list) but next time I will try and see anyway.

I also returned to that hive yesterday and thankfully found lots of eggs, larva, and capped brood.  I was really worried I hurt or killed her (the queen I introduced that is) in the incident.  They were also very gentle.  Just a couple puffs of smoke before I entered.