My top bar hive was never like that. I could pull every frame without an issue. Crazy how different hives have such different temperaments. I'm prolly gonna end up with a hot hive this year just to teach me a lesson. Bee-Karma - oh how it stings!
Man I got eaten up today
I split my power colony today and they ate me up. I got stung 8-10 times through my jeans, overcoat, SHEEPSKIN gloves. One got in my glove and hit me the worst as he BURIED the stinger to the hilt. I had to break the whole colony part and they were fine until I got to the brood area and they let me have it. AT least 20 followed me the 100 yds to the truck and I had to walk them off by walking another 100 yds to get them to go away. That was my first split. Any time I get into the brood area of this colony they go nuts.
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They ok to work otherwise?
JC
JC
Yep I can work the top two - three boxes fine but once I hit the brood, whamo, there on me like Donkey Kong. I was real real careful about squishing any. I got stung through my jeans and I guess they got me with the " sting this dude now" phreremone because they came out in force then.
Sounds like you enticed them into a stinging frenzy. Its always a good idea to make splits on nice warm days while foragers are foraging and use your smoker. Im sure you made sure both aspects was already covered, just wanted to throw it out there anyway.
Are you adding a queen to the split? Wouldn't seem as though you would want more of these bees.
Yep had all that covered.Sounds like you enticed them into a stinging frenzy. Its always a good idea to make splits on nice warm days while foragers are foraging and use your smoker. Im sure you made sure both aspects was already covered, just wanted to throw it out there anyway.
I used a frame with three swarm cells for the new colony. The donor colony had a frame with two supercedure cells. Anyway to get one of the queens for another colony?Are you adding a queen to the split? Wouldn't seem as though you would want more of these bees.
Sounds like it was a good colony to split up and requeen. It's interesting how some start the new year hotter than the previous. I've discovered a couple of those in the last week.
Did you use the supercedure queens in your new splits?I used a frame with three swarm cells for the new colony. The donor colony had a frame with two supercedure cells. Anyway to get one of the queens for another colony?
Ramdino why do you think they went into a stinging frenzy?
I have a colony like this one. I'm going to wait until I can raise some aurea queens to requeen. I will pull some frames of brood to keep it from getting too big too soon. Honey production wise this colony is very productive. But, it accounted for 90% of my stings last year. It has come through the winter strong.
I'm not looking forward to the day I break it up. But, I am looking forward to all the brood. I should also try and get it to draw out some new frames before I split it up.
Tom
I'm not looking forward to the day I break it up. But, I am looking forward to all the brood. I should also try and get it to draw out some new frames before I split it up.
Tom
Those colonies I requeen if their mood was not my fault or a skunks or the weather. Repeat offenders get a new queen no matter how good they are otherwise. Life is too short to maintain hot bees unless you enjoy that kind of abuse. I have two boomers this spring that are going to get split into little pieces with new queens.
I found 10 swarm cells in a big hive two weeks ago, and was just forced to split it that day. Didn't know how old the cells were and didn't have time to come back under better conditions. Wind picked up and it was already cloudy. They were mad! Never seen my bees that upset. Good bees, but I passed their tolerance threashhold splitting brood in bad weather.
Same gig as you. Through the upper boxes, bees were fine. Hit brood, and everything went lemons and bananas. If the weather hadn't have been the obvious reason for the frenzy, I would have re queened the splits once established to end the low tolerance threashhold of that parent hive. But this is one of four hives that made good wax, were normaly friendly, and collectively gave 300 lbs of yellow star thistle honey (yummy!). Luckily I saw the inevitable and had a suite and gloves on. Didn't get a sting.
Same gig as you. Through the upper boxes, bees were fine. Hit brood, and everything went lemons and bananas. If the weather hadn't have been the obvious reason for the frenzy, I would have re queened the splits once established to end the low tolerance threashhold of that parent hive. But this is one of four hives that made good wax, were normaly friendly, and collectively gave 300 lbs of yellow star thistle honey (yummy!). Luckily I saw the inevitable and had a suite and gloves on. Didn't get a sting.
No I used the swarm cells. The supercedure were on the same frameDid you use the supercedure queens in your new splits?
This colony has always been gentle when I work the supers but when I get into the brood they get mad. I was running low on smoke and used very little by the time I got to the brood so that could be a factor as well.Ramdino why do you think they went into a stinging frenzy?
How do you get them to draw out new frames without them storing the feed as honey and then widing up with surger water for honey?I have a colony like this one. I'm going to wait until I can raise some aurea queens to requeen. I will pull some frames of brood to keep it from getting too big too soon. Honey production wise this colony is very productive. But, it accounted for 90% of my stings last year. It has come through the winter strong.
I'm not looking forward to the day I break it up. But, I am looking forward to all the brood. I should also try and get it to draw out some new frames before I split it up.
Tom
One problem I have is that I use deeps and mediums for brood chambers. So I don't have a lot of deep drawn comb with pollen and honey to split up with numerous splits. Its all I can do to have enough for both colonies. I though about going to all medium equipment for this very reason.Those colonies I requeen if their mood was not my fault or a skunks or the weather. Repeat offenders get a new queen no matter how good they are otherwise. Life is too short to maintain hot bees unless you enjoy that kind of abuse. I have two boomers this spring that are going to get split into little pieces with new queens.
Does that not ruin the genetics of the colony requeening with a strange queen. This colony is such a good producer of brood and honeyThose colonies I requeen if their mood was not my fault or a skunks or the weather. Repeat offenders get a new queen no matter how good they are otherwise. Life is too short to maintain hot bees unless you enjoy that kind of abuse. I have two boomers this spring that are going to get split into little pieces with new queens.
I have 2 hives like that. They seems to be okay in smaller size but get under that last super and the world falls apart. They Are both very good producers but I will split once they get even bigger. I am hoping all the bee stings I have gotten this year give me some kind of super power! Lord knows I have Had enough already.
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