Why are my bees seeking me out.

[Big Stinger]

Why is it that everytime i go in backyard there
is at least 1 or 2 bees trying to sting me.
Hives are 50 yds away and 1 got me on the ear
today for no reason. Just don't know why there
doing this. Do i need to requeen or what do i
need to do. Thank's from my sore swelled up ear.

[iddee]

<<<If your gettin stung your doing
something wrong...>>>

Probably cologne, after shave, or something along that line that they don't like.

[Big Stinger]

Yea i know my line.
But its like there coming just to sting me.
I dont wear cologe or aftershave just use
zest soap this started about 2 or 3 weeks
ago. I dont like it, it hurts to much. Think
maybe i need to requeen my hives. Got 2
superceide queens laying now. Guess i'll have
2 order 4 from purvis brothers in georgia.
But would like to get them 2 stop stinging
me. Thanks for info iddee

[Michael Bush]

Figure out which hive and requeen. [img]smile.gif[/img] Try opening them all without smoke (gently of course) and see which one is the hottest.

[Big Stinger]

Ok will try that tomorrow. I think i know
which 1 it is. But will find out tomorrow.
Thanks. Just wish my ear would go down.
Look like dumbo on left side.

[iddee]

Just remember, a person puts off an odor when scared. The more nervous you are, the more stings you will get.When you get to the point that you don't know one is buzzing your head until your buddy points it out, you will quit getting as many stings. That's why very few oldtimers wear suits, or for many, even a veil. The bees feel their comfort and respond accordingly.

Another thing that will solicit a sting quickly is waving your arms and ducking and jumping. If you just walk away at a normal pace without waving, 99% of the time you will not be stung.

AH, but I just couldn't pass up that tag line.

[AstroBee]

>Hives are 50 yds away and 1 got me on the ear

At 50 yards, I'd expect to be able to mow the grass untouched. Make sure that nothing is getting to them, like skunks, etc. Check for scratch marks on the landing board. If you don't find any external cause then requeen asap. Someone also mentioned recently that you may want to consider killing as many drones from this queen as time/will power permits. You guys should be in a big flow right about now and should have "happy" bees. If they're mean in April what will they be like in August?

If you don't mind telling, what was the origin of these bees??

[Jeffrey Todd]

Ormond Aebi describes "wavecloths" he used in a similar situation. He put out several items of clothing that had been worn the day before (without being washed afterwards) on sticks in front of the hives so that they would wave in the breeze. The idea was that the bees would get used to the motion and the scent and realize there was not a threat. I have never needed to try it, but it worked for him.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I heard the girls always go for the big stinger

>Guess i'll have
2 order 4 from purvis brothers in georgia.

Don't spend more money than you can afford to lose.

[Big Stinger]

I didnt have time to do anything. I was building
another hive stand. And here she come straight to my ear and stung me. The hive stand is 40 yds from the other one. So i dont know why there doing it to me. But it sure does hurt. Yea BB they sure go for the big stinger. I would say there italians but they were 2 big swarms i got last april and split them this year.
[img]smile.gif[/img]

[size="1"][ April 05, 2006, 06:42 AM: Message edited by: Big Stinger ][/size]

[iddee]

Did you find her after you smacked yourself upside the head? Is it possible it could have been a YJ? It just sounds very strange for a honeybee to hit at that distance during a flow.

[Big Stinger]

Yes it was a honeybee smacked her off my ear and ran in house and pulled stinger out with tweesers. Its not the first time last week 1 stung me on the chin but didnt swell up like my ear. So i dont know whats wrong with them will do what MB said to do. Open them up without smoke being careful with them so ill see in a little while. Which one is mean as a snake.

[power napper]

Good luck finding the nasty one there Big Stinger.
My ear is itchy just reading your post. Hope ya get it resolved real fast!

[Big Stinger]

Well opened up hives no smoke 1st one new queen not laying yet normal bee behavior. 2nd 1 no queen normal bee behavior will give them a frame of eggs from new laying queen in hive 3 good pattern laying like crazy. Hive 3 new laying queen good pattern normal bee behavior. Hive #4
cracked innercover and was covered with mad bees stinging all over my suit. Found they dont have a queen also but they were 100 times more aggresive than the other queenless hive ive got. They also had a capped queencell upper corner of frame. Hope this helps them out there 2 mean.
I guess i only need 2 queens. But seriously thinkn 1 queen and a can of gas for the other one. And they were chasing after me when i went into my building. Just wish they were like they were about 3 wks ago could walk right in front of hives and nothing Look in them and maybe 1 or 2 would buzz my vale. Well ive rambled on enough so give me some iddeas please.

[size="1"][ April 05, 2006, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Big Stinger ][/size]

[BULLSEYE BILL]

It's natures way of telling you,... somethings wrong.

Name that tune and artist!

I wouldn't take it out on the prodigity and torch them. Either give the new queen a chance and if they aren't in a better mood in two months pinch her and give them a frame of fresh eggs from your best hive. You need to save your workforce for now to make a crop. They will settel down as soon as they start getting their QMP fix.

[TwT]

yeah, they got something wrong, I have a hive that lose their queen and they have a new queen now but this is a unpleasant hive, they still mean, haven't seen her laying yet so if the next time I inspect the hive in a few days she should have eggs or ill add here to my alcohol list, besides got queen cells caped now to place in that hive...

[Big Stinger]

Was just joking bout gas can couldnt do that to them. They have come to far from 3 frames of bees last year to 10 frames in brood box and 2 supers full of bees now. I'm thinkn of ordering 2 queens from pervisbrothersapiaries in georgia to requeen the mean hive with also the other queenless hive with. The mean hive has a capped queen cell now but dont know if she will be mean or not so thats why i was thinkn of requeening them.

[Man O' War]

Big Stinger,
Do you have Africanized bees in your part of the country yet. It sounds like your virgin queen may be producing africanized offspring.

Is there any chance you just missed spotting a queen in that hive you posted as queenless?

I will make it a point to mark all my queens this year, to keep tabs on supercedures and swarmed colonies. Being in African territory, I don't like to take chances with the neighborhood's
tolerance of my backyard hobby

[iddee]

Queenlessness makes them mean...The q-cell may produce the nicest queen you have. Wait and see what she does. I think local queens are always best.

[Big Stinger]

Will wait and see what they do. Havent heard of AHB in NC yet maybe 1 day. Will be in full suit from now on from looking at hives or laying out in sun but only my face will get tan. Hope they calm down its a pain to bee in the backyard. Went to building about 6:00 pm and got buzzed by 2 girls but i guess they took mercey on me when they seen my ear.