Think about it. How would you like somebody entering your home without permission? You may have just gotten up or ready to sit down and eat or just maybe you were in the middle of putting away your groceries on an empty stomach. I have only been beekeeping,this my second year but I have already come to believe that I will never know why bees do the things they do because I don't know what they are thinking of or even how they think. As humans,we can only fool ourselves into thinking like bees. Sometimes I can stand next to my hives without any protection and watch them but then there are times I better at least have a vail on. WHY? Simple answer: We just don't know.
Hot or not?
I have been beekeeping for 6 years and currently have 6 hives, 3 that overwintered and which have been gentle since I had them and 2 swarms of my own bees that I caught a month ago and 1 split I did a month ago. 3 weeks ago I did full inspections for the first time since last fall. 5 of the hives were slightly annoyed at me, which I put off on the weather barely being 60 and windy. By slightly annoyed I mean a few bees flying around yelling at me and occasionally landing on my jacket. The other hive, which is from a swarm I caught last year, many bees flew out and bombarded my jacket and tried to sting me immediately upon opening the hive and each time a made a movement in the hive, like easing a frame out to examine it. I had step away several times. The bees followed me 150 feet from the hive, pelting me. I had to wait about 10 minutes for them to finally go away before I could go in the house. This past weekend I opened this hive to check stores in the top super and they flew at me like they were shot from a gun and pelted my veil. Each time I moved toward the hive with my hive tool to loosen a frame more bees shot out directly at my face. I have never had a hive behave like this before. I closed up quickly. These bees do not bother anyone in our backyard which is 50 feet away and dont bother me when I'm within feet of the hive working on other things. They only did this when the hive was open. I did a split of this hive a month ago during the original inspection and introduced a new queen to the split and it doesnt act like this.
Is this a hot hive or is there something else going on?
Is this a hot hive or is there something else going on?
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sounds like an Africanized hive, something your bee inspector can help you get your bees tested for. Don't know where you are so I don't know if AHB are near youI have been beekeeping for 6 years and currently have 6 hives, 3 that overwintered and which have been gentle since I had them and 2 swarms of my own bees that I caught a month ago and 1 split I did a month ago. 3 weeks ago I did full inspections for the first time since last fall. 5 of the hives were slightly annoyed at me, which I put off on the weather barely being 60 and windy. By slightly annoyed I mean a few bees flying around yelling at me and occasionally landing on my jacket. The other hive, which is from a swarm I caught last year, many bees flew out and bombarded my jacket and tried to sting me immediately upon opening the hive and each time a made a movement in the hive, like easing a frame out to examine it. I had step away several times. The bees followed me 150 feet from the hive, pelting me. I had to wait about 10 minutes for them to finally go away before I could go in the house. This past weekend I opened this hive to check stores in the top super and they flew at me like they were shot from a gun and pelted my veil. Each time I moved toward the hive with my hive tool to loosen a frame more bees shot out directly at my face. I have never had a hive behave like this before. I closed up quickly. These bees do not bother anyone in our backyard which is 50 feet away and dont bother me when I'm within feet of the hive working on other things. They only did this when the hive was open. I did a split of this hive a month ago during the original inspection and introduced a new queen to the split and it doesnt act like this.
Is this a hot hive or is there something else going on?
I have seen hives do this and calm down when re-located.
Are they queen-right?
If they are not under stress I'd re-queen the hive.
Make a new Queen from one of you nice colonies?
Are they queen-right?
If they are not under stress I'd re-queen the hive.
Make a new Queen from one of you nice colonies?
if ants or a predator are messing with the hive they become more aggressive too. fix the problem might calm them down
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