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One Angry hive

1K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  RedBarn 
#1 ·
So I have 2 nucs that I put into 10 frame deep with inside feeder each. Got them June 9th. ( call them small hives )

both small hives have been very gentle but on the week side.

All of a sudden one small hive got very mean.

This is what has changed,,,,,

1. New eggs from the nuc would have been hatching for the first time in the last few days.

2. Brought home a very strong hive from a cut out and placed right between my two small hives.

3. Should have a great flow going on now from sweet clover bloom

4. After new strong cut out hive came home, I put on second deep to both small hives. - angry hive was looking pretty full... that is when they first seemed angry.


I'm wondering what is wrong.....

A. angry small hive could be queenless

B. Could be worried about that strong hive right next to them

C. The hive that came from a nuc could just have a mean ass genetic trait. Told she was a carni-italian which is a gental hybrid. ???

Any thoughts ?


Video kind of shows what is going on - with narration.

Thanks,
Matt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCB18sM3bV4&t=36s

(for some reason the video tries to start at like 36 seconds. may have to rewind to beginning.)
 
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#4 ·
I am a new beek...so, I don't know much, but sounds like something has them defensive, I would think the newest change, other bees, but could also look around hive for other causes...I noticed the first time the grass had started to block the entrance, the bees would investigate my presence, I cleared the over growth, and they went back to business as usual.
 
#6 ·
Couple of things.
Neither one of those smaller hives were ready for a second box. Simply too small of a population and by adding the second box with a feeder, there is too much area to defend. Adding too much space too soon can demoralize the queen/bees. Bees actually prefer to be a little crowded.
I agree with enjambres in that they are getting harassed by something. Either the stronger hive OR by some critter knocking on their front door. Skunks visiting a hive can get them very defensive to any movement. It's best to get a hive at least 16" off the ground.
The meaner hive could be queenless, but only a deep inspection would prove otherwise.
 
#17 ·
Couple of things.
Neither one of those smaller hives were ready for a second box. Simply too small of a population and by adding the second box with a feeder, there is too much area to defend. Adding too much space too soon can demoralize the queen/bees.
What did you see that makes you think they went ready from the pics. I thought week nuc started looked tight with the feeder in. Second nuc started hive did look week to me by lack of bees between all frames.

Appreciate input !
 
#7 ·
The weaker hives have only one entrance. The bottom entrance is blocked off to be 3/4" x 3/4".

Maybe I will suit up full protection and do an investigation of them to check for active queen / evidence of robbing, percent full of bottom box.

With limited availability to inspect, I didn't want them to fill up without me knowing and swarm. Hence adding the second deep.

What to do?
 
#10 ·
A three-quarter by three-quarter inch hole without a robber screen is more than large enough to have some upsetting predation/robbing by a stronger hive on a smaller victim. This looks different from the typical all-in killer assault that is easy to identify as robbing, but it's just as harmful and distressing for the target hive.

I am a huge fan of robber screens, especially those with displaced entrance design that give the home guards more points to intercept unwanted visitors.

Enj.
 
#11 ·
A. angry small hive could be queenless
Possibly. I do agree, a full inspection would confirm if the hive is queen right.

B. Could be worried about that strong hive right next to them
Is your second smaller hive (from the other NUC) acting more aggressive too? If the strong hive is reeking havoc I would think the second smaller hive would become more defensive as well. If possible I would relocate the small aggressive hive to an out yard or somewhere away from the larger hive. I have had very aggressive hive in my home yard in the past. Than after relocating them to an out yard where there are no other hives they become less aggressive.

C. The hive that came from a nuc could just have a mean ass genetic trait.
Possibly. I would relocate the aggressive hive if possible. If after relocation they are still aggressive then it may be genetic.


Why was the chair in front of the hive? Were you using that so the bees could re-orient?
Not insinuating that the chair is the cause of the aggressiveness, just curious.
 
#12 ·
As a beekeeper that does a lot of cut outs and swarms every year. I have learned never bring a hive into your bee yard you know nothing about. I have brought some cutout hives into my yard that ruined my good hives. They have also killed my weaker hives and bread my new queens that were from docile genetics and now they are demon possessed. Keep only what you know. Don't trust just anyone you get bees from that are just trying to make a dollar. We have a lot of people in town that are buying Weaver bees out of Austin knowing that they are 7% African and as they swarm and re-queen with local bees they turn into a nightmare. Then we have the peeps that are catching the swarms and selling them to new beeks and it turns out disastrous. So just be careful and good luck.
 
#16 ·
Use smoke and robber screens. A robber screen can be as simple as a piece of #8 hardware cloth bent into an L shape and stapled to the bottom board holding the screen a inch away from and in front of the entrance. What makes the robber screen work is that robber bees will fly back and forth in front of the entrance until they see an opening when a guard bee is busy with another bee or just looking the other way, they then dart into the hive, the screen keeps them from doing that.
 
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