View Full Version : Aggression
jones2270
08-13-2008, 11:20 PM
First, hello to all. I started beekeeping with a friend this year and have learned lots. We have started with 14 hives of carniolans and everything has been going pretty smooth except for the usual stuff. However yesterday we had our first swarm, which we caught but today it decided to leave again! Today under one of the hives there was a large number of bees in the hundreds if not low thousands "wrestling" on the ground. It started to rain and when it stopped most of the bees were gone, some where still there but most were dead or weak. My friend and I decided to check the hive to see if it swarmed, but when we opened the hive it was as strong as ever and very aggressive. I have been around hot hives before, and I know they probably grumpy from the rain, but I have never been attacked by so many bees they chased us all the way back in the house. I guess my question is why were they all over the ground? were they about to swarm and the rain stopped them? is that why they were so pissed off? These hives have been very gentle all year, i'm just curious why.
Sorry for the long post.
Fuzzy
08-13-2008, 11:33 PM
Can't be sure but I would guess that the hive in question was being robbed by another hive. As long as that is going on, they will eat you alive. Would reduce the entrance down to a defensible area ASAP and leave them alone for 2 weeks.
Why 2 weeks ? Just because the guards have good memories. They should be dead in 2 weeks and new guards will be in place -- Just my opinion..
Fuzzy
Yea, sounds to me like possible robbing. Are you feeding the bees? If so, is the type of feeder all contained within the hive to prevent the robbing syndrome? Front Boardman feeders tend to cause robbing fever... If it is robbing, reducing the front entrance is good, so long as you have plenty of ventilation in the hive so that the reduced entrance doesn't cause over heating. How are the other 14 hives doing? is there alot of aggressive activity in all the front entrances?
tecumseh
08-14-2008, 05:20 AM
jones writes:
However yesterday we had our first swarm, which we caught but today it decided to leave again!
tecumseh ask: are you certain they are not absconding. like mr marler (I think?) my first concern would be how much feed you have in the boxes.
jones2270
08-14-2008, 06:57 AM
I havent been feeding at all, but the cotton has been blooming for about 2 weeks!
jones2270
08-14-2008, 08:44 AM
So tecumseh, you think they are getting to swarm?
jones2270
08-14-2008, 08:46 AM
And no its just one hive, all the others are still calm.