Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner
Cancel

Mean winter bees

1665 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Oldbee, 
F
My mite strips are due out right now, and I'd like to move the hives a bit while at it. The temps are just above freezing and it's raining plenty. I went into a hive Friday to get out the strips and the bees were nuts. I used plenty of smoke, but got 20 stings. Into my socks, right into my veil. They were on a mission.
They were like magnets- from the hive onto me in one maneuver. Haven't had this before. They were in winter clusters.
Is there a safe way to go through them? We don't have sun in the forcast and those strips need to get out.
Thanks.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
R
This time of year, the best you can hope for is a warm, quiet day when at least a few of the girls are out and about. Aside from that, move slowly but don't waste time, use as much smoke as you need to keep them down, protect yourself and get the job done. I pulled strips out a few weeks ago and they did NOT like me at all. Remember, they're all at home with lots of honey to protect. MUCH different than a couple of months ago when I could do almost anything I wanted in an open hive!
Reply
Save
Like
Jim Fischer
Rain makes bees very nasty.

Try again with the same hive when it is not
raining, and you may find that the same hive
is suddenly much less mean.
Reply
Save
Like
F
Thanks, I'll try to wait the weather out. There are probably no flying days left for these guys but it's worth waiting a week, sounds like rain or snow for the next 7 days.
Reply
Save
Like
H
One of my favorite quotes from iddee:

“Look at the sky. If you wouldn't remove the roof from your house, don't remove the roof from their house.”
Reply
Save
Like
H
farmer joe-
Will you repost and let us know how it goes when you check the hive in different weather? I'm curious. I'm trying to gauge how friendly my hive is. Thanks!
Reply
Save
Like
O
Hi Farmer. I learned a lesson myself about getting the miticide strips into the hive as early as possible after honey removal. Yes, those bees can be very nasty at this time of year when it gets cold; and good for them. They don't want any MICE coming into there HOME!!
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Beesource Beekeeping Forums
A forum community dedicated to beekeeping, bee owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, honey production, health, behavior, hives, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Bee Forum Beekeeping 101 Equipment/Hardware Diseases and Pests The Queen & Bee Breeding
Top