Cutouts and AHB

**Sharpbees** · 07-23-2012, 11:25 AM

Since I don't live in an AHB state I was wondering if you beeks that live in those states worry about running into them when you do cutouts. Do you take any special precautions before you start? Just curious and wanted new beeks that are just starting to do them to use caution.

**knoxjk** · 07-23-2012, 02:56 PM

The threat of AHB in Texas is real, in fact I've almost quit doing them! I would suit up really good until I see how they act towards you. BE CAREFUL!!!

**Jaseemtp** · 07-24-2012, 10:23 PM

You work them in a FULL SUIT with your wrist and ankels taped up. You also make sure the neighboors know your there and to stay indoors until your done.

**jdawdy** · 07-25-2012, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Sharpbees

Since I don't live in an AHB state I was wondering if you beeks that live in those states worry about running into them when you do cutouts. Do you take any special precautions before you start? Just curious and wanted new beeks that are just starting to do them to use caution.

I did an AHB cutout- my first and only. It was bad.

In hindsite, I can't really think of a good reason to do one. Just call pest control and kill the hive. These bees represent a public safety issue, so fooling around with them is a bad idea. Last week a man cutting a tree limb in the center of Las Cruces, NM was sent to the hospital in critical condition with bee stings- I can almost guarantee it was AHBs.

My mistake was thinking that the bees were not AHB since they seemed fairly docile. Boy, was I wrong. My suggestion would be that if you are in AHB country and want to do cutouts, inspect the hive shortly before sundown. If they attack you after you disturb them, and you have to walk 100+ yards followed by a cloud of angry bees, wait until sundown, get in your car, and drive home, leaving the phone number for pest control with the property owner.

**charles adams** · 07-25-2012, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Jaseemtp

You work them in a FULL SUIT with your wrist and ankels taped up. You also make sure the neighboors know your there and to stay indoors until your done.

I've done two removals that were AHB fully suited and still got thirty stings. told all the neighbors what was going on no stings there. one of them called the local pd but he stayed in the car

**Jaseemtp** · 07-25-2012, 01:36 PM

I always warn or have the homeowner let the neighbors know about bee removals before getting started. I haven't had the police called but I was pulled over once for speeding. It only took a few bees jumping on him for him to let me go

**Jgabbert** · 08-01-2012, 06:55 PM

How soon do you Re-Queen after you get the swarm home? Do they calm down right away? How long does it take for them to be docile?Thank you for your responses

**Jaseemtp** · 08-01-2012, 07:18 PM

I normally let any hive I have remove calm down for a week before doing anything more than feeding them, and to that I do not have to open up the hive. After a week I will open them up and if all looks well I order a replacement queen. I am not in a 100% agreement about feral genetics so I requeen every swarm and removal I do. If it is a rather large colony I will split it up and obtain several new queens.

**Paul McCarty** · 08-02-2012, 02:06 PM

My end of New Mexico has a ton of bees that test postive for African DNA (just about all of them) - not sure about the AHB part as most a fairly docile and African genetics is nothing new around here - been here since the 1500's. I would say about 1 in 6 removals in my area have to be put down as too aggressive. The others get re-queened if they are difficult to manage (runny, nervous), show signs of aggression, or swarm too much. That being said - never approach strange bees without some sort of suit.

I have a strong suspicion a lot of the bees here are not Brazilian, but descended from something else (Iberica, Intermissa, etc). Most of the ferals just don't act like what is described in all those scientific reports floating around the Internet. Texas definitely has it worse than us, I think those bees are different somehow genetically - or maybe it is the environment?

Here is my take - If you have a hive that is nervous and runny, beards heavily, has very littlle honey in the comb, or is overly agressive - it is best destroyed than removed. Those are the warning signs around my area. All of the removals I have done that would be considered Brazilian AHB have shown all of these outward signs. Don't rely on the scientific dogma as is often repeated. And by overly aggressive - I mean being attacked by the thousands of guards bearded on the side of the hive entrance. Not just a dozen or so little guards trying to fight off the big white bear taking their hive apart.

**Erik** · 08-03-2012, 10:13 AM

My answer to the overly aggressive "AHB"s here in central TX was to buy an Ultra-Breeze suit for myself and my son who helps me on cut-outs. Still it's just straight un-nerving to have dozens or hundreds of bees attack you almost instantly. I only do cut-outs at night in consideration of neighbors, pets, etc. Since they won't fly in the dark that keeps neighbors, pets, etc safer. They do crawl though, boy do they crawl. For AHB cut-outs, work at night, and have a helper with that bee-vac at all times.