My new top bar hive - bees docile at night???

**milena** · 06-03-2010, 07:21 PM

I just got my package a week ago and the bees are already drawing nice, white, straight comb

I am so happy. I have an observation window and can see they are really going to town.

Wondered about an experience I just had with my bees. I removed a bare top bar and some dropped comb from my hive - at night. I reattached the comb and replaced the bar. The bees were extremely docile. No smoke, no protective gear. Not a buzz out of them.

I had read that bees were more aggressive at night. Anyone have experiences either way? Thanks!

**erwkkkk08** · 06-03-2010, 08:37 PM

Hi Milena,
My girls are very docile in the evening as well (I run 8 frames, not TBH), although you can't really be sure, even though my bees are really mellow, they have their days, and nights. I wouldn't count on them always being that way. Hope you have lots of luck.

**Michael Bush** · 06-04-2010, 02:19 AM

The problems at night are:

1) things can change quickly.
2) they crawl, don't fly and are intent on stinging if they are attacking by crawling.

I've worked queen banks (a five to eight frame box with queens in cages) in the dark in order to ship queens that day (I have to leave for work in the dark and some people don't confirm until the last minute). It usually worked fine but they were a small amount of bees. I've tried putting wet supers on a hive that was quite docile in the daytime and gotten stung up very badly in a matter of seconds and the crawling, stinging bees were relentless.

**Sam-Smith** · 06-04-2010, 08:36 PM

Yea thats what I have heard they crawl under clothes and everywhere, to sting, they tend to get twitchy/jumpy when bad weather is approaching I have found.

**fatscher** · 06-05-2010, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Michael Bush

The problems at night are:
2) they crawl, don't fly and are intent on stinging if they are attacking by crawling.

Maybe the Nebraska bees crawl, but mine in Virginia fly! At night, they crawl for a few inches, crawl faster, then faster, then faster, and pretty soon they take off and... ...fly! Then they sting.

Milena, whenever a beekeeper tells you that a bee does or never does something, always be skeptical. Bees always find a way to defy what we beekeepers say they'll do. Are you a member of BANV living there in Fairfax?