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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: NC Beekeepers Orange County <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Mean Bees
  • Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:11:05 -0400

Mary Lou,

Where did you get your bees? There is at least one big package supplier who operates out of Africanized bee territory. This time of year it is reasonable to expect your bees to be as gentle as lambs, unless, like Jeff says, you are messing with them during a thunderstorm or doing something else to aggravate them. Also, something else could be aggravating them that you don't know about --- skunks, teenagers, robber bees, etc. --- so they are ultra sensitive by the time you show up. But if you can rule all that out, you are left with the fact that bees are like people: some are sweet and some are worthless. Life is too short to tolerate mean bees --- put a new queen in your colony. Try to get one from somebody who includes gentleness in their breeding goals.

Randall


Jeff Bollinger wrote:
49F73D5E.5000909 AT email.unc.edu" type="cite">
My bees have a reputation for being "mean", but there are so many
factors to account for their "attitude".  Weather is probably the
biggest.  I once went out in full suit right before a big
electrical/thunderstorm and they lit me up all over my ankles!  I think
they can feel the static in the air and sense instability in the atmosphere.

I have also been out when it was really cloudy/overcast and experienced
the same thing.

Other thing is smoke - I learned (after last year's excellent field day)
that I was WAY oversmoking the bees.  Be sure you're not filling the
hive with smoke - just a little every now and then is enough to keep
them calm-ish.  Too much and they will get angry.

Its also a good thing NOT to stand in front of the hive entrance unless
there's a really good reason.  I stand to the side or behind the hives
when putting on feed or working inside the hive.

If you're just putting on a feeder like a boardman/front feeder, you can
do it quickly and not worry about getting stung unless you're making a
big racket.  For the internal style feeders, if you have to pull off the
cover and start moving things around there's definitely a higher chance
of getting stung.  This is just one of the many reasons I exclusively
use the front feeders (then again I have never had more than 3 hives at
once).

Jeff


Lewis Cauble wrote:
  
Mary Lou,
It's hard to say from here if your bees are overly aggressive.  It  
might be helpful if you could tell us what type of feeder you are  
using, where the bees came from, how large the hive is, and when the  
hive was established.

It's no fun dealing with aggressive bees.  Simply re-queening with a  
gentle queen should adjust the attitude of the hive.

Lewis


On Apr 27, 2009, at 9:24 PM, Mary Lou Bethune wrote:

    
I am new to owing a hive and I am wondering if it is normal to get  
stung
every( and several) time one goes to feed the bees?   WE have the  
hood and
gloves and cover up totally but still get stung( we just learned  
that they
can sting through stretch pants).
Thanks
Mary Lou Bethune


      
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