How to deal with a mean hive

[CoolBees]

Looking for suggestions.

3 weeks ago, I got into a mean hive. This is from a swarm that moved into an empty box in February.

I was doing inspections, and some splits. Moving down the line of hives. This hive had grown to 6 boxes tall (8-frame mediums) in a short time. They had more honey & more bees than my other hives. Naturally I wanted splits from this productive queen. I smoked the hive well, waited 5 or 10 mins. Smoke them again, and waited another minute. Then opened the hive. By the time I had reverse stacked the boxes (I always inspect a hive from the bottom up), I was covered in angry bees. One got into my jacket and up to my face. I tore the veil trying to kill it. Ran into the garage to let things cool down.

Changed clothes & jacket. Taped everything down tight,  and went back to finish the job. I placed each box with its own lid and bottom, in another location. Left 1 box at the old location. I was covered in bee stingers

Went back out that night and moved the last box to a new location, 60' away. .

I inspected the individual boxes on the 22nd of april. Found the box with the queen, and killed her. The other hives had QC's.

My thoughts were - to let them requeen, and hope things would calm down. Now I'm second guessing ... right now, if I walk within 20' of the hives, I get attacked by 1 or 2 bees. If I walk closer, I get 20 or more angry bees, almost instantly. 4 people have been stung (besides me) in the last 3 weeks, around here.

I'm not used to this from "my bees". Now I'm thinking of killing the new queen in each of the original boxes, and adding each box to a calmer hive. In 6 to 9 weeks, things should have calmed down.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[.30WCF]

Dispatch the whole lot of them. I don?t see how a hive is worth all that. Once you get the reputation of mean bees by the neighbors, it will be hard to shake.


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[BeeMaster2]

I would also requeen all of them if you can get queens. 
One good thing is that the meanness of a hive is usually based on the genetics of the male. If you don?t have a lot of Africanized bees in your area.
Make sure when you smoke these hive to wait the full 10 minutes.

Jim Altmiller

[Oldbeavo]

I am with Jim
Somewhere near to you are some other angry bees that the swarm came from.
To requeen the angry boxes can be an effort in dealing with the bees while finding the queen to squish her.
I find angry hive hard to requeen as the nasty bees tend to kill the new queen most of the time. Maybe if you lock her in the hive for a while it would help.
My thought on requeening is to introduce some quiet genetics into the area. drones from the nasty hive will have migrated to your other hives and neighboring hives.
Something i haven't tried yet but was told to me by a Bulgarian bee keeper, If you put a piece of old black brood comb in your smoker it will have a more calming effect on fizzy bees.

[Acebird]

Dispatch the whole lot of them. I don?t see how a hive is worth all that. Once you get the reputation of mean bees by the neighbors, it will be hard to shake.

Couldn't agree more. Pull the honey set aside with bee escape.  Next morning soap and rinse after they are dead.  Your suit needs to be washed and smoked or you will have trouble with all your hives peppered with stingers.

[CoolBees]

Thank you for the reponses. It's not fun when you can't walk thru the Apiary peacefully. As a side note, I went out to check 2 Out-yards, just to be around gentle bees for a while (and to make sure I wasnt the source of the problem - soap, diet, clothing, etc). Everything was mellow & quiet.

I'll be dispatching this group directly.

[Brian MCquilkin]

I am with Jim
I find angry hive hard to requeen as the nasty bees tend to kill the new queen most of the time. Maybe if you lock her in the hive for a while it would help.

I have success re-queening a hot hive by placing the new queen in a push-in cage over capped emerging brood and a little nectar or honey if possible, the bees that hatch inside the cage don't know that it's not their queen and attend to her. The queen will start laying up the empty cells after bees hatch and all is good. 

[TheHoneyPump]

Sorry to hear you have had to deal with a mean one. Yes, you are doing the right things. If not, then neighbours become less friendly and your other hives become mean as well as the genetics drift in over time. 
As you open and prep the hive parts to deal with the bees a spray bottle, 1 gal garden sprayer, of cold water will damp and clamp them to the hive and frames as you open and take a apart. Do not depend on smoke, go for the water. The cold water keeps them from flying and makes them clumpy. Using straight water in the sprayer, the equipment will dry and can be reused.   
For terminating the bees; after they are wet from the sprayer shake them and scoop them all into a tub of cold soapy water to dispatch them. Giggle and cackle like a wicked witch as you stir them in. Heheheheheheehahahahhahaaaaaa!

Your other option is to move the hive to an uninhabited out-yard area. Run them for the season and get them to produce honey for you. At end of the season do not put any time or money into treatments or winter preps. Instead, terminate the hive in the fall. (By water method). Then pickup the equipment and take it home. 

[CoolBees]

.. Giggle and cackle like a wicked witch as you stir them in. Heheheheheheehahahahhahaaaaaa!

No turkeys are going to come near me when I'm laughing this loud!  ... thanks for the laugh, and the good advice HP.

Funny you bring this up - I have a brand new sprayer in the box, in my truck, circa yesterday @ Home Depot ... purchased with a different purpose in mind .... buuut ... I think it's 1st use will be with straight water.  I'm about done with "unfriendly ladies".

[AustinB]

.. Giggle and cackle like a wicked witch as you stir them in. Heheheheheheehahahahhahaaaaaa!

No turkeys are going to come near me when I'm laughing this loud!  ... thanks for the laugh, and the good advice HP.

This year no turkeys are coming near me if I'm quiet or loud 

[CoolBees]

This year no turkeys are coming near me if I'm quiet or loud 

Thats the way it goes.
2014 thru 2018 - I limited out on turkeys every year.
2019 - I could buy a turkey. Never saw one.
2020 - same location(s) - we were covered in big Toms
This year - I've pulled 2 arrows, and therefore missed both Toms.

... 3 of us had a good day last year ...