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Author Topic: Aggresive bees  (Read 2884 times)

Offline limyw

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Aggresive bees
« on: October 10, 2005, 11:31:26 am »
I owned 20 over hives, queens originated from Australia. I almost got sting every times during inspection/harvesting, unless I heavily smoked them.

Untill recently I visited an apiary in my neigbour country (a few thousand miles away), I found that their bees were so friendly, no protection is needed at all. Bare hand, no musk, short pant, and use little smoke. Bees fly around but do not attack human at all.

What make so much of difference between my bees and theirs? Does it because of queen?
lyw

Offline stilllearning

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Aggresive bees
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2005, 05:14:06 pm »
the traits of your bees come from both their parents.
changeing your queens to some from a different source
will change the bees in your hive the new bees will have
traits inbred in your new queens. queen breeders breed for
different traits, if you use feral queens, it is pretty much
what you see in the bees is what you get.  That is where I get
the most gentle bees I have.
Wayne Cole

Offline Finsky

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Re: Aggresive bees
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2005, 05:38:14 pm »
Quote from: limyw
I owned 20 over hives, queens originated from Australia. I almost got sting every times during inspection/harvesting, unless I heavily smoked them.


If you have some native colonies near you and you apiary gets blood from them, your strain does not stay in condition.  I by a couple of queens from professionals and I take only one generation daugters.

If you nurse bees before night even calm becomes angry. - But I suppose you does not. I have just now 20 hives.

You should get new blood to you tiny apiary .

Online Michael Bush

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Aggresive bees
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2005, 08:01:08 am »
>What make so much of difference between my bees and theirs? Does it because of queen?

The queen and the drones she's mated with.  Yes.  Other factors are predators like skunks stirring them up all the time or rough beekeepers.  :)
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Offline beemaster

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Aggresive bees
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2005, 11:31:53 am »
I tend to agree with Finman to the most part - the biggest difference is that "IF" I get a gentle hive "AND" I need queens, I'll steal a frame of brood from that gentle hive and raise a queen from it. Getting shipped queens isn't always an option, but raising my own by letting the workers raise a queen or two usually is possible.

The only downfall of course is TIME. Getting a shipped queen and introducing it could take just a few days - realistically a week. Raising your own takes nearer to three weeks. So, whether replacing out an agressive hive's queen or starting a new hive, you should try to do my method as early in the season as possible.

I've been lucky and only had a few really agreesive colonies. I knew that suiting up was the ONLY OPTION with those hives and I'd save my shorts and teeshirts for the friendlier hives.

We need to remember too that we are dealing with, interferring and working around a viable living colony. Man-made hives are wonderful things, but we are still thought of as a threat to SOME ill tempered bees. And in a world where it only takes ONE STING to trigger an ALERT MODE in a hive, there is very little room for error on our part.

That does NOT mean that we shouldn't ALWAYS TRY to work hives as gentle and least intrusive as possible. Even when suited up, work your colony as if you were unprotected and I can guarentee that you will have fewer bees chasing you back in the house when you reassemble the hive.
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Offline Apis629

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Aggresive bees
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2005, 06:01:46 pm »
How big is this hive?  A very large hive will be much more aggressive than a smaller one.

Offline Joseph Clemens

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Re: Aggresive bees
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2005, 06:51:01 pm »
Quote from: limyw
I owned 20 over hives, queens originated from Australia.


What is an "over hive"?

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