dont know how much more i can take

[trapperbob]

Register those bees and have them inspected they may be AHB. If they are I would demand a emediate replacement of your bees. the more bees in the box the more dangerous they will bee. If the inspector checks them and decides there just hot bees and not AHB go buy a queen and leave them alone for alittle while and your problems will be solved. Don't be dicouraged just let it be a learning experiance. If money is a issue then a top bar hive may be the way to go for you you have to make them yourself but they are less expensive overall and real easy to work with not to say you can't do it the regular way to and just starting out langs are probably the best way since most beeks use them and are more able to help you.

[papar]

If you can, get some of those bees into a zip lock bag with some alcohol (maybe about 30) and send them to the test lab in beltsville, MD(you'll have to search out the address I don't have it handy)include a slip of paper with what you suspect is the problem and your return address. They will test them for free and send you the results in less then 2 weeks. The inspector would have to do the same thing anyway- might save you some time. If they are that aggressive and sesative to vibrations from your mower- I suspect possible AHB.
good luck.
ps
you can also ask to have them tested for nosema cerana- even though you don't have any symptoms it can be a silent killer

[BjornBee]

I would agree about having them tested.

This is the time of the year that bees should be their best. They have plenty to do and should be the easiest to work. If they are that hot now, it would only get worse later on.

Look for mud or scrape marks on the front of the hives. If they are being bothered every night from skunks or other animals, they can also have an attitude.

Good Luck.

[tecumseh]

with testy bees a smoker and proper bee suit is essential. I had a group of bees that was unusally testy this spring (I worked them one day and they never seem to settle down) and when I moved them about 200 feed deeper into the woods and away from human movement (they had bothered the livestock very little) they seem to have calmed down. what a mess that was since all except one (which I left to catch the stragglers) was loaded down with honey.

most time I am not so much into killin' bees, but sometimes they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. requeening would be best, but if you think they have becomes to much of a hazard kill'em... kill'em all.

[poor man]

thanks again yall....

a smoker seams to pee them off even more, a little or a lot of smoke same reaction...

i dont see any sign of anything bothering them at night, we have cats, 1 walked up to the hive to check it out one day and was promptly zaped a few times and hasnt been back over there at all


i have found out that if i want to change feeder jars (have a couple entrance feeders sitting off to the side of the hive) i do it at night so i dont have to "suit up"

[okb]

Poor Man,
If the hive is registered and you tell the inspecter the problems you are having and he finds a problem "AHB" he himself may have a little something to send/say to the guy who sold them to you.

Oh yeah, If the inspecter says/send a letter to that guy, remember it will some with a state seal on it, I dought seriously he will/can ignore it as he has you.

Better yet call these people below and tell them your story ask them should you register it and tell them there too hot to get into. See what they think.

http://state.tn.us/agriculture/regul.../apiarist.html

[Brandy]

I've just gone through the same issue. Hotter than hot in my home neighborhood. Out of 20 hives this one has alway's been saved until last. It was a PB superceded queen that I probably cut some slack thinking she would shape up at some time. But after the last inspection with plenty of smoke on a 76 degree day I finally had enough. Had no interest in dividing up brood to have 4-6 hot hives or to add 3-4 new queen's to the divides and wait for these kamakazee's to die off. So, I took my loss now. I did make one mistake in taking the hive and splitting it in 3 different divides away from it's hive stand. At the time I was in the divide and conquer mode. But that left the returning field bee's to drift into the neighboring hives. Luckily I got most of them but there are still a few out there wondering who's the next target.

[okb]

Brandy,
If you should encounter this in the future simply remove the hot queen, place one frame from the hot hive into another hive, place the frames removed from the "mild" hives into another empty box, when finished there should be no hive with more than one frame from the hot hive and another box with 10/8 frames that were removed to make room place this box at another location and allow them to produce their own queen. this shouldnt be a problem with that number of hives.

You end up with the same number of hives and the new queen will hopefully be of milder genitics.

Or just rid yourself of them completely.

[Brandy]

Thought of that as I said. But handling 20 deep frames with a full on attack trying to find the ringleader (queenie) was asking for more fun than I wanted. I also would have cut out all the drone cells if I was going that route since I didn't want to risk any future queen mating's as I'm gearing up for grafting season.
But the real issue was my neighbors with their young children. I've tried to reassure everyone that the bee's are not a threat. But if I can't go out into my yard without full protection then I put everyone at risk and I lose a little credibility. My home yard location is too valuable to me to let one hot hive become a problem. So, I tried to remedy the problem quickly (& in the dark!!) With additional yards I could have just moved them, to say Wyoming!!! Although they probably wouldn't have wanted them either!!

[xen]

Hey was that first shot a swarm you picked up?