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Hauled my first bees

4K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  ralph3 
#1 ·
A lot of you commented on a previous post that I started about getting bees from another person across the state. Yesterday afternoon, I drove four hours, met my friend and her family, and started working on loading up those bees. When I talked to the man that owned them, he said he got them in 98 and hasn't done anything with them since. He had a beesuit, and figuring that this could be interesting, I put it on. I smoked the hive but as soon as I popped the top of the hive the bees literally exploded out. I immediately got stung on my hand where some found access into my gloves. I retreated and figured I would just load them up. Turns out the other two "empty" hives the man said I could take were loaded up with bees as well. They were so aggressive, I told my friend to just sit in her truck until I loaded them up. I ended up getting seven stings with the last one hiding out in my truck cab and taking my shoulder about two hours into my drive home. If any of you got these bees, what would you do with them? The bees that I used to have were very docile and laid back, but these guys are angry. Should I just keep them and requeen next spring? The hives are two deeps and all of them except for the last one are full of honey. There was no brood which I could see, but the hives is super crowded, so I guess they are just honey bound. Burr comb is everywhere, and I know it will take a long time to get those frames out.
 
#2 ·
I would wait for some local keepers to sound off, but it could just be a timing thing - this time if year, and this year especially, all if my normally docile hives have been super defensive. I don't know anything about AHB, or if you have much of a "winter", but mine are full of honey, grumpy, and tucked in for the winter!

Congrats again on the great find of three hives! Even if you have to requeen, that's a great startup!
 
#4 ·
Smarsh, I am glad to hear that you made it back ok, if it were me I would leave the hives alone, the bees are settled in for winter so it would probably be best to leave be till spring. You might even see the aggressiveness diminish when spring rolls around, if not I would requeen at that time. I am happy for you that you are back in the bee business.
 
#5 ·
Ditto on the good wishes on getting the 3 hives given to you. Were they in AHB territory where you picked them up? If they were you might want to watch them caustically and like others have said, requeen them in the spring. just my $0.02 worth, worth just what it cost you.
 
#6 ·
If any of you got these bees, what would you do with them?
I would sit them out in a remote place somewhere. Then next spring split them into as many five framers as possible and get some queens from somewhere. Smaller colonies are ever so slightly nicer than big ones so should dilute the evil a bit until they go extinct.

I would hate the thought of bringing drones from something that mean into my area. Yet there's a couple guys across the hill from me with bees that will eat you for breakfast.
 
#7 ·
Good to hear that nothing fell apart on you and your alive!! If they have been living in those hives without any help or manipulation since 1998, you have some awesome survivor stock!! I would do what Ralph said and split the heck out of them in the spring to get as many survivor queens as you can!! Goodluck and look forward to a spring report!!
 
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