IMHO, if its only been a month, I'de give them a chance to get new brood out and flying and then see if they are still that aggressive...but thats just me. I have seapped hive positions before and they say it can be done, but it started a big bee war here...
What if ?
I'm a second year beekeeper. I have two hives near my house. One of the hives is a very strong colony that has become somewhat aggressive. I cannot mow within 20 yards of this hive without getting stung. This is my best producing hive - making 50 lbs of honey last year(1st year) and already about 70 lbs of honey so far this spring. I would like to move this hive farther from the house because it is getting to be a problem for my family. We live on 24 acres, so I could only move it about 1/4 mile away at most. The other hive that was started last year at the same time has always struggled and has made only minimal honey (not enough to harvest). I requeened this hive about a month ago and have not seen much improvement yet. What if I placed the weaker hive where the stonger one was and moved the stronger hive as far away as possible. Would a significant number of bees from the stronger hive drift to the weaker hive? Would they be accepted and make the weaker hive stronger? Would this solve my aggression problem? Would the stronger hive continue to thrive in its new location?
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
Your move plan will help. In my experience Africanized bees make more honey, but you need to consider requeening the strong hive at least when the nectar flow is ending. The bees from the stronger hive will be accepted since there is a good flow. If you move the weak hive over two feet, its foragers may be lost. The foragers from the strong hive are probably going to join the weak hive if it is within 20 feet.
when i have a strong aggressive hive, they always have more honey than the others. there is also always a weak hive nearby that makes little or none. my conclusion- robbers. good luck,mike
1 - 4 of 4 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
Recommended Communities
