[stefanely]

Hello all,

I recently reversed two chambers because they filled the second one with all honey and no brood, also I added new honey boxes on top of the brood chambers for harvest. I have two hives.

First hive is 100 % Italian bees
Second hive is a mixture between Italian and Carolinian.

I used lots of smoke for both, but the hive with 100% Italian bees were so angry that they managed to sting me about a dozen times ( I was wearing a complete bee suit), somehow they poked though suite and jeans and my shirt... The second hive with the mixture of two breeds were so welcoming and had no problem me doing the work.

What could be the reason for the first hive to be so angry? Could it be the queen is aggressive so the babies are aggressive as well? What is the cause of that behavior? What can I do about it?

If changing the queen is the only fix? What is the easiest or most efficient way to do it (minimizing the number of stings)?

Thank you very much in advance for all of your help!!!

Stefanely

P.S. Is it true that if I would to rub vinegar on my self the bees will not sting me?

 

[Munson]

Could be the queen is dead or it's before a storm or something else is going on with the hive to stress them out. Perhaps too many were killed last time the hive was opened or brood damaged. Very likely they do not have nectar or pollen and are starving. Start feeding them. Examine the hive in a couple days to check for eggs and look for pests, parasites or other causes. Vinegar will not save you.

 

[Jim 134]

Are you sure you're bees are not in a dearth ?? This is happening all over New England right now. In Central New England this has been going on for about the last two weeks.


BEE HAPPY Jim 134

 

[aunt betty]

^^^ yes. What Munson said.
I'd add that the flow is over. Bees are getting defensive and it's been really hot and humid. (steamy)
Bees have been bearding a lot.

We all get stung.
Use the smoker on yourself and take a "smoke bath" so to speak before you inspect and hit a bee sting with smoke anytime you get one. They leave a marker on you and the smoke helps erase it.

 

[dynemd]

I get into an angry hives pretty frequently and usually without getting stung. I use a Mann Lake ventilated full suit, two pair white socks, never wear dark socks, decent gloves (I prefer thicker leather gloves) and keep my nose and chin away from the fencing veil. I use adequate smoke and try to excite the bees as little as possible. If you're getting stung where is it? Something's not quite right.

 

[Brad Bee]

It could be any of these:
Dearth
Robbing
Queenless
Genetics
Small hive beetle problems
Wax Moths
Ants
Tall weeds or grass at the entrance
Cloudy
Windy
Too much smoke
Too little smoke
Inner cover "Popped" when you took it off
Working the hive too fast
Working the hive too slow
You squished bees causing alarm pheromone to be released
Just because

 

[Munson]

And finally at the end of a rough day, wash your suit or jacket. And jeans. If you can't before the next time you go out now is the time to give it a spritz with vinegar.
When you are working bees and get stung make smoke to lesson the alarm pheromones released when it stung. On a cutout once I had bees all over me. On my legs one stung. Than, as if a signal, five or six on each leg. Getting stung is one thing. Getting 8-12 stings all at once is another.

 

[Colobee]

I finally found some exceptionally gentle bees. So much so that I've taken to working them without gloves, and in just a pollinator jacket - only as a precaution. Even working them all spring and summer, without smoke, I only had one ornery hive - and it was a dinky nuc led by a southern (AHB cross) queen. It was gone overnight.

I've never been so pleased, or amazed, in almost 40 years of beekeeping.

There is MUCH to be said for pursuing "gentle" genetics. Brad Bees has kindly listed just about everything that can turn "gentle" bees into little monsters. I'd have to add "skunks, or bears" to the list

 

[Jim 134]

I finally found some exceptionally gentle bees. So much so that I've taken to working them without gloves, and in just a pollinator jacket - only as a precaution. Even working them all spring and summer, without smoke, I only had one ornery hive - and it was a dinky nuc led by a southern (AHB cross) queen. It was gone overnight.

I've never been so pleased, or amazed, in almost 40 years of beekeeping.

There is MUCH to be said for pursuing "gentle" genetics. Brad Bees has kindly listed just about everything that can turn "gentle" bees into little monsters. I'd have to add "skunks, or bears" to the list

A little hard to miss bear damage. Much easier to miss damage by raccoons, opossums and skunks

BEE HAPPY Jim 134

 

[Nordak]

Tall weeds or grass at the entrance

I did not know this. Might explain a couple of mean bee scenarios I've had.

 

[DavidZ]

I'm going with the OP statement highlighted in red in paragraph 3

another question..Do they always act like this?
Bee's do not need lots of smoke, a little goes along way and you get about 15min
once you have the bee's agitated that's when they are sounding like a jiggle rattle buzz
you've smoked them way to much.

If they don't act that way all the time you need to analyse your work tek with the bee's.

Hello all,

I recently reversed two chambers because they filled the second one with all honey and no brood, also I added new honey boxes on top of the brood chambers for harvest. I have two hives.

First hive is 100 % Italian bees
Second hive is a mixture between Italian and Carolinian.

I used lots of smoke for both, but the hive with 100% Italian bees were so angry that they managed to sting me about a dozen times ( I was wearing a complete bee suit), somehow they poked though suite and jeans and my shirt... The second hive with the mixture of two breeds were so welcoming and had no problem me doing the work.

What could be the reason for the first hive to be so angry? Could it be the queen is aggressive so the babies are aggressive as well? What is the cause of that behavior? What can I do about it?

If changing the queen is the only fix? What is the easiest or most efficient way to do it (minimizing the number of stings)?

Thank you very much in advance for all of your help!!!

Stefanely

P.S. Is it true that if I would to rub vinegar on my self the bees will not sting me?