When Helping Isn't Helping (And Other Lessons From the Bees)

[Occam]

"There are a few rules of thumb that are useful guides. One is that when you are confronted with some problem in the apiary and you do not know what to do, then do nothing. Matters are seldom made worse by doing nothing and are often made much worse by inept intervention." --The How-To-Do-It book of Beekeeping, Richard Taylor

I remember when first getting into beekeeping reading this on Michael's website and thinking to myself that it was a great way to look at life in general, but especiallyin the care of bees or other livestock even. It's most definitely wise advice and has undoubtedly saved much heartache among beekeepers over the years whether they'd ever heard it or not, at least for those beekeepers that have practiced that tenet. Its easy to have a conflated view of oneself and to feel that we know best what to do. Just as unwise, but just as misguided, is the notion that we don't want to make the wrong choice so we make a choice to do something when sometimes no action is necessary.

I've been reflecting on this today in contemplating the events a couple days ago having captured a swarm and moved it into a new hive. In my inexperience I felt I needed to add frames for the new bees because there were many hundreds bearding around the entrance where they hadn't been the day before... a mere two days after moving in I might add. Concerned that somehow they'd managed to build out 5 frames (two with foundation, three foundationless) and were now outside because they needed more space I decided to add the frames the following morning.

As you may have read in another posting the event went much differently than expected. No simple popping open and putting a few frames in, although I likely shouldnt even have been doing that I now think. I'm sure I should have just stayed out and let them be. When confronted that they hadn't magically built out the frames in that 48 hour window as well as what seemed to me at the moment a surprising number of dead bees (to me) and what I supposed to be a listless nonchalance in the hive (early morning 6:45 am) my mind leapt to something far worse than what is likely true. Expectations versus reality, right?

Which lead me to open my other hive to move eggs and larvae, to infuriate my other hive, and in general create far more chaos than was warranted (none being the key here). One misguided, concerned thought wanting to be helpful leading to another misguided thought, leading to chaos and distruption for no good reason.

Without jumping to further conclusions or making assumptions I think theres a reasonable argument to be made that my hive I've had for a year didnt suddenly turn "mean" on me. I went into it a little on edge myself, and I might say with carelessness. I don't believe they were upset with me initially but in my haste I went straight to their brood nest which is propolised tighter than other parts of the hive and I'm pretty sure I rolled a lot of bees pulling a couple frames out.

The bees weren't being mean, they were teaching me, telling me that I didnt need to be in there. They were telling me that (as Iddee correctly diagnosed)  I was putting the carriage before the horse. They were telling me that if there is a problem I don't know the solution to I should do nothing. They were reminding me that slowing down and observing is more important than doing. They were guiding me to understanding that unless I know something is a problem I shouldn't assume that it is. That they dont need me but that I can learn from their wisdom if I'm wise enough to be open to instruction.

Is it possible the hive had turned mean before then? Sure. Is it possible something happened to the swarm queen and the hive is in trouble? Possible. Do I know either of these things to be true based on my experience the other morning? Not at all. Will I be more respectful and give the bees their space for the time being and let them be themselves, take care of themselves? Yes. I'll sit back, watch my bees, enjoy seeing them live their lives, and be respectful of their lives and home next time I work with them. With them and not against them, as much as possible. Hopefully learning a bit more about these wonderful givers of wisdom.

[Michael Bush]

Are you not using smoke?  Are you using too much smoke?
https://bushfarms.com/beessmoke.htm

 The most common smoking mistakes:

o    People have the smoker too hot and burn the bees with the flame thrower they are wielding
o    People use far too much smoke causing a general panic instead of simply interfering with the alarm pheromone. One puff in the door is enough. Another on the top if they look excited is ok and after that having it lit and setting nearby is usually sufficient.
o    People don't light the smoker because they think smoke upsets the bees, probably because of one of the above reasons.
o    People blow the smoke in and immediately open the hive. If you wait a minute the reaction will be completely different. If you?re doing something not too time consuming, like filling frame feeders or something, it?s a good plan to smoke the next hive before you open this one. That way the minute will be up when you open that one.
o    People don?t smoke because they have the idea that it is either bad for the bees or somehow unnatural. Their exposure is only a puff or two once every week or two. People have been smoking bees for at least 8,000 years that we have documented for one very good reason. Nothing works better at calming them.


Are you moving slowly and gracefully?  Banging the bees around will anger them.  The things you did should not have upset the bees much at all.

[BeeMaster2]

When you smoke the bees, wait 10 minutes then smoke again and wait 30 seconds. Makes a big difference.
Don?t pull a middle frame first.
Pull one next to one of the sides, then you can move the others to get the one you want. This not only reduces rolling/killing bees it also helps keep from killing the queen. Mated queens are rarely on the outer frames due to brood is not usually one them.
Jim Altmiller

[Occam]

Are you not using smoke?  Are you using too much smoke?

Are you moving slowly and gracefully?  Banging the bees around will anger them.  The things you did should not have upset the bees much at all.

Yes, I usually keep it lit and nearby, generally a couple puffs at the entrance before opening, then a small puff after/while removing the lid. No more unless necessary or occasionally to move the bees out of the way for closing them up.

As far as gracefully and slowly I don't think I was. Feeling flustered and hurried for work I think there's a good chance I rolled or injured bees causing them to be upset.

When you smoke the bees, wait 10 minutes then smoke again and wait 30 seconds. Makes a big difference.
Don?t pull a middle frame first.
Pull one next to one of the sides, then you can move the others to get the one you want. This not only reduces rolling/killing bees it also helps keep from killing the queen. Mated queens are rarely on the outer frames due to brood is not usually one them.
Jim Altmiller

This is another mistake. I usually start at one side away from the brood nest and work over to it, and for some reason went straight in this time, or nearly so.

I'll definitely keep in mind the smoke-rest-smoke as well

[yes2matt]

There's lots of factors leading to "upset" bees. Setting sun, falling barometer, waning nectar flow, too much CO2, too much vibration in the air or on the ground or I suspect in the radio/electromagnetic "atmosphere". They pick up your personal energy and respond to it, at least I imagine they do. Being frantic, rushed, angry, frustrated, irresolute, .. these moods the bees will correct. Especially a good decisive organized effective bee colony has no time for a blundering bear.

When I learned to drive a ten-speed tractor (truck) my instructor instilled a teaching. "Smooth is fast."  I would say that for especially the hands-on-hive-open inspection part of beekeeping,  this applies. If you can have your necessary equipment ready on hand, and your workspace around the hive set up to maintain a smooth steady motion throughout the inspection,  not only will the bees be happier, but you'll be happier and faster too.  Eventually you'll have a sort of pattern/ ritual that you do most things the same way every time.

But you're gonna roll bees. And you're gonna get stung. And hopefully not many times, but still you're gonna get chased out the yard. Then you will band up your ankles and wrists,  glove if you got em, get some good smoke going and go fix it. Then try again in a couple days. 

How else you gonna learn, tho?

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[Michael Bush]

>Eventually you'll have a sort of pattern/ ritual that you do most things the same way every time.

I try to teach my students and apprentices this.  If you have a "system" and follow it it solves many problems.  Everything from "which way did this frame go?" to "where is the queen now?" and it's also a time saver because you don't have to think so much about what you are doing if you always do it the same way.  Not to say you don't have several different methods for some things based on the current goal, like find the queen, or just insure there is a queen, or just see if they need another box.  But knowing the goal and having a system for that goal makes things go faster because it eliminates all that indecision.

[Bill Murray]

There's lots of factors leading to "upset" bees. Setting sun, falling barometer, waning nectar flow, too much CO2, too much vibration in the air or on the ground or I suspect in the radio/electromagnetic "atmosphere". They pick up your personal energy and respond to it, at least I imagine they do. Being frantic, rushed, angry, frustrated, irresolute,

Matt gives good advice here Also the smooth is fast, fast is slow is just as important as above.

Bees get upset under the conditions listed plus breathing on them wearing the wrong deodorant/aftershave, using the wrong shampoo/laundry detergent. Remember what smells good to you might be really offensive to them.

I had to quit using brute deodorant, I have a friend that used coal tar shampoo, and another that wore the worst cologne I ever smelled. And wonder why the bees are mad.

As for the 10 min rule, if it takes that do it. In my opinion a couple seconds is fine. if not other issue.

Smash a bee smoke that area, as stated have a POA going in. I wont say stick to it because situations change, and you need to change accordingly.

[yes2matt]

You can think what you want about this little bit of spirituality,  but I'm learning to set my intention as part of my setup (lighting the smoker, setting up my spare boxes and frames, etc.)  I said today, for example, "I'd like to have the queens out of seven (production) hives into queen castles."  And what that does is, among other possible things external to me, at least internal to me set my priorities for the work. Because beekeeping can be distracted work (oooh look at those beetle igloos ...).  I have to limit the scope of a visit or I'll not be successful.

 And also it lets me get out the necessary equipment, in this case two 4x queen castles, sixteen replacement frames, shims and covers.  And set them out close to where I'll be working, oriented and positioned for the actual motion of moving a queenright frame and an extra frame into the castle (take the lids off now not when you are holding a frame of bees) and putting a spare frame into the hive. With no banging or leaving a hive open to chase random equipment.  And also, when I do the task, I'm done. This isn't a full inspection,  we're not sightseeing. Put it back together, close it up, move on.

And sure 'nuff, I got four queens into castles, one hive too weak, one hive couldn't find her so split 5/5.  In just over an hour including setup and cleanup.

And also that last hive chased me out of the yard. Partly because the barometer is falling, partly because the flow is starting to wane, partly because I haven't used shampoo for several days.

I love my jacket with the zip all the way round veil. I wish it was longer so I wouldn't get tagged on the waist. Yow.

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[Occam]

I appreciate the input from all of you immensely. I can definitely see th value in having ritual/method/pattern, call it what you will, to beekeeping. It's something I'm learning to develop in my apiary. I use it frequently at work and other aspects of life. Learning to come to the correct solution without having to think takes time in any endeavor but pays big dividends. In my experience it takes a deliberate process of forethought, preparation, doing, reflecting, and finally adjusting/adapting based on results. I appreciate the inputs given to further that end.

On a side note, I don't use shampoo/conditioner or soap myself. Baking soda solution does a wonderful job of cleaning followed up with apple cider vinegar solution to rest you skin pH. Cleans and eliminates odor. This extends to deodorant as well using just baking soda powder instead.