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Author Topic: Aggressive bees  (Read 1906 times)

Offline Donovan J

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Aggressive bees
« on: June 13, 2019, 12:21:54 am »
Today I did a hive inspection. Beautiful brood in the top box and they built out the entire upper box. I went down to the lower box and after a few frames they started getting angry to the point they started bumping into my veil and pants. I decided to end the inspection here and shut them up and they started being normal after that. Any fixes for this so I can see the bottom box?
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2019, 12:28:27 am »
Quote from: Xerox on June 13, 2019, 12:21:54 am
Today I did a hive inspection. Beautiful brood in the top box and they built out the entire upper box. I went down to the lower box and after a few frames they started getting angry to the point they started bumping into my veil and pants. I decided to end the inspection here and shut them up and they started being normal after that. Any fixes for this so I can see the bottom box?

I will ask, did you use the Jim Altmiller method of calming rough, tough, hot bees? My bees are really calm, but after reading Jims suggestions on how to handle a hot hive. I use it anyway.  As they say, "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure." 
Phillip
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2019, 12:41:23 am »
I was taught to work my boxes in reverse order, start with the bottom box and work your way up. This way you aren?t smoking the bees down into the bottom box which makes it full and angrier.  This may help, but if the hive is predisposed to be mad, you?ll probably still need Jim?s method. What is it, smoke heavily, wait 10 minutes, smoke 30 seconds, and then start?
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2019, 12:50:40 am »
Quote from: The15thMember on June 13, 2019, 12:41:23 am
I was taught to work my boxes in reverse order, start with the bottom box and work your way up. This way you aren?t smoking the bees down into the bottom box which makes it full and angrier.  This may help, but if the hive is predisposed to be mad, you?ll probably still need Jim?s method. What is it, smoke heavily, wait 10 minutes, smoke 30 seconds, and then start?

Thats right 15thMember, smoke the top, wait 10 minutes, smoke the bottom, wait 30 seconds. What I usually do is go down the line smoking the tops, then go back to the the first hive, (starting point), and go from there, smoking the bottoms as i reach them. If too much time goes by before reaching the end hives, I may "recharge the tops of the hives that are left" and continue working my way down the line. Works great for me. I have a vented jacket but I rather not use it. However, I do us a veil, after seeing a video of a stinger (STUCK IN AN EYEBALL)! Sometimes I will catch myself not using anything but usually go back for my veil after I thinlk of the stinger in the eyeball video!! I am very appreciative of Jim for sharing this 10-30 information.

Phillip
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2019, 01:04:10 am »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline cao

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2019, 01:09:44 am »
> Any fixes for this so I can see the bottom box?

Besides the smoking thing, just start with the bottom box.  Pull the top box off and set it on your inner cover, cover with towel/inner cover or whatever.  Work your bottom box then replace top box.  Work it.  Then if they start to get mad just close it up.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2019, 06:03:40 am »
Quote from: cao on June 13, 2019, 01:09:44 am
> Any fixes for this so I can see the bottom box?

Besides the smoking thing, just start with the bottom box.  Pull the top box off and set it on your inner cover, cover with towel/inner cover or whatever.  Work your bottom box then replace top box.  Work it.  Then if they start to get mad just close it up.

For a routine inspection I suppose this would be fine, but if for some particular reason that you may want to inspect your queen while you are in the hive, this may or may not work. If the queen is in the top box and you place it back on top of the bottom, which has already been inspected, and then go through the top box, the queen could possibly go down into the bottom box which you have previously inspected, causing you to miss her?  Now if you do not need to inspect the queen, this should work fine. And, if you have a queen excluder between the top and bottom box my question will be mute.  I was also wondering if bees get their feet stuck to the towel which is placed over the top box? Thanks,
Phillip
« Last Edit: June 13, 2019, 06:22:41 am by Ben Framed »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2019, 06:46:52 am »
If you inspected  the top box OK there is nothing wrong with your bees.
Agro bees start agro, they are agro as the lid comes off and Jims method works.
But if you can inspect the top box, then what has been your smoker use during the inspection? When you took the top box off did you give them a puff to say its OK girls, just want to have a look.
If you work without gloves, bees will head butt your hands as they start to get upset, so a little puff to say settle down.
Temperature, wind, did it rain yesterday, honey flow all affect bees and their temperament on any day.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2019, 07:45:56 am »
Just to clarify, I smoke the hives from the bottom on the first, wait 10 minutes and then again in the bottom and wait 30 seconds. The bees will fan the smoke up through the hive as they try to remove it. I will add some smoke through the STB to move the bees down just before opening it. Lately I have been using a spray water bottle on the STB just before opening the top. Works real well at calming bees.
Jim Altmiller
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2019, 08:03:00 am »
Thanks Iim
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2019, 08:18:21 am »
If you went through the top box and didn't get stung the bees are not aggressive.  If you get stung in the bottom box then they are defensive not aggressive.
You could go through the top box and put a QE on the bottom and put the hive back together.  Go on to another hive and come back to this one 20 min later to go through the bottom box.  Just smoke the bees from the bottom only and pull off the top box.  Don't asphyxiate the hive.  A couple three puffs and then wait.
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Offline Donovan J

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2019, 04:50:57 pm »
Quote from: cao on June 13, 2019, 01:09:44 am
> Any fixes for this so I can see the bottom box?

Besides the smoking thing, just start with the bottom box.  Pull the top box off and set it on your inner cover, cover with towel/inner cover or whatever.  Work your bottom box then replace top box.  Work it.  Then if they start to get mad just close it up.

Okay thanks i'll use this method next week and see how well it works.
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Offline Donovan J

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Re: Aggressive bees
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2019, 04:51:24 pm »
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 13, 2019, 07:45:56 am
Just to clarify, I smoke the hives from the bottom on the first, wait 10 minutes and then again in the bottom and wait 30 seconds. The bees will fan the smoke up through the hive as they try to remove it. I will add some smoke through the STB to move the bees down just before opening it. Lately I have been using a spray water bottle on the STB just before opening the top. Works real well at calming bees.
Jim Altmiller

Alright i will use this next week.
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