[Tallevaguy]

My bees were gentile last year as new packages. This year they are a little more aggressive but I haven't considered replacing the queens. As a matter of fact, both hives have re-queened themselves. Maybe I haven't really seen mean bees yet. The only experience I've had with mean bees is some of them wanting to sting through the veil / jacket and maybe sometimes sting through my jeans. They will butt my veil and try to get at me but I haven't been covered up with bees.
By reading a lot of the posts on here i get the feeling that if you have mean bees, the queen needs to be replaced if you want docile bees. But on the other hand, bees have stingers and they are meant to be used as a defense against a potential threat.

So my question...is replacing a queen just because the hive is aggressive, overrated or necessary at times?

Don't want to cause a fuss here, I just want to get more clarity of this one reason to replace a queen.

Let clarify the title...I didn't mean to say a mean queen but a queen to a mean hive.

Thanks,

 

[queenbee3074]

I suppose it all depends on how mean they are. I have two hives that are a little more aggressive than my others, but not bad enough that I don't want to work them. Those two are my best hives for bringing in nectar, so I'm not re-queening.

 

[jmgi]

To me there is a difference between aggressive bees and defensive ones. All honey bees are defensive to some degree when you work a hive. An overly aggressive hive is one that comes after you even if you are not working the hive but just come near it, and they also harass you for long distances as you walk away from the hive area. I can deal with a certain amount of defensiveness, as it is natural for them to do so, but overly aggressive hives are a nuisance in my opinion and should be requeened, as should overly defensive hives.

 

[Tenbears]

I have some hives that get a bit testy when I am working them, and some that are calm and tolerant all the time. I sit on a stool in my apiary 10 feet from the row of hives for hours at times and watch the bees come and go without incident. I occasionally lean over the top of a hive and watch the pollen laden bees come in, all those bees are fine. The bees I do not tolerate are those who come after me when I enter the gate to the apiary, or mow outside the fence. those bees get requeened, all others are fine. I mean who would not get upset at a giant poking around in their house?

 

[GLOCK]

I had a hive this year that would not let me set in front of the bee yard with out 4 or more attack bees on me.
so I pulled the queen and put her in a nuc and all is good I can sit and watch the hive and sip tea with out getting attacked .

 

[beepro]

I would requeen right away. How do you know if the daughter queens not contaminated with the
AHB genetic for the little workers?
I got chased 300' or more and they were all over my veil and suit trying to sting me. One stung my
butt that I jumped up instantly. This was my first year and thought this was normal beekeeping. Then I
found out there are such thing as gentle bees and queens on my 2nd year. Now I just keep the gentle bees.
I don't want to be chase by my bees again. I want to work them in my veil and shorts in the summer time.
Aggressive hives will be more aggressive when they grow bigger. Don't believe me then do a search on
you tube to see the vids.

 

[UTvolshype]

I'm starting to wonder if AHB genetics will be a blessing in the long run. I have some hot hives that came from a commercial operation last fall. I had to move about 6 hives that were too nasty to work in the garden which is about 30 yards behind the hive. I split them in April with mailed in queens and move the hot sisters 2 miles back in the woods. I will split them again later this month, but these are booming hives and making honey. Are they still nasty? Not so much since the population was cut by a 1/3 but they don't like to be opened. I'm planning on keep the line going and see what the next generation looks like next year when they mate with my carni/Ohio/russian muts.