Aggressive Hives

[bwallace23350]

I have seen and read here where a lot of people have said hives get more aggressive as they get larger. Is it because there are more guard bees or what? Also should I leave the natural area where I cut the grass around them larger and will they be an issue 20 feet away in my garden?

[cao]

The term aggressive might not be the right word.  Defensive might be a better word.  And yes it is because as the hive grows it has more bees to do all the different tasks including guard duty.  It might also be that they have more stuff to protect.  Most hives will not seek out and destroy anything outside of their hive.  You might get one or two buzzing you as the hive gets larger.  I just got done mowing in front of my hives(within 3 feet) without so much as a single bee leaving the hive.  The hives range in size from a deep and two mediums to a deep and four mediums full of bees.  I have a patio an raised beds within 20 feet of them and will occasionally see one or two fly by but that's about it. 


If mine ever got aggressive enough that I couldn't walk past them then there would be a lot of splitting/requeening going on.

[bwallace23350]

Thanks. Mine are just two deeps and they never even pay me attention but I do run something of a u pick operation so was just curious. Of course the u pick stuff is much further away than 20 feet.

[Rurification]

I have a defensive hive this year.   They ignore me on the mower and as long as I'm moving.   If I stand still within 8-10 ft or so of the hive, they send guards.   That's not a big deal unless one of them head butts me and gets caught in my hair.   That brings others. [Yeah, that's fun.]  I've been pinged twice in a week just because one of the guards has had a mishap and they've panicked.    I'm watching the hive from further away these days. 

[bwallace23350]

To show my ignorance what do you mean by head butt? How and why does a bee head butt?

[Dallasbeek]

A bee flies head-first into you.  That's a warning.  If you don't react appropriately (move away), they might escalate and use the business end on you.  You'll know it when they head-butt you.

[BeeMaster2]

Quite often they will head butt you right between the eyes or on your forehead or face. If they do, move slowly. If you jerk away, too much motion will cause them to immediately use their weaponry. Most of the time, if I completely ignore them they will eventually go away.
Jim

[SlickMick]

And, I find that they are incredibly persistent and hang around for a long time

Mick

[bwallace23350]

Oh ok. I have yet to be headbutted but thanks for letting me know what it is.

[Acebird]

That's not a big deal unless one of them head butts me and gets caught in my hair. 

Might I suggest a hair net, hat, or wrap when near the hive.

I don't consider a hive aggressive unless the bees follow you for a distance when you retreat.  I have been stung for no reason mowing the lawn that is 20 ft in front of the hives on the other side of a 6 ft fence.  I walked up to the hives with veil on to inspect if one was getting cranky and they all were fine.  The only thing I can think off is there was one in the grass that had a near miss with the lawn mower and let me know it.

[bwallace23350]

send guards.   That's not a big deal unless one of them head butts me and gets caught in my hair.   

I have yet to have a bee in my hair but did have a wasp try to dive bomb me through my thick curly hair that sheds water almost and never penetrate the hair. So I say bring on the bees to the hair. It could be interesting to watch them try.

[Acebird]

Watch your ears, eyes and nose.  If they are on a mission they don't give up.  I have short hair so they either go for the  bald spot or the top of the ear.  Swatting them away is almost a guaranteed sting somewhere.

[Rurification]

Quite often they will head butt you right between the eyes or on your forehead or face. If they do, move slowly. If you jerk away, too much motion will cause them to immediately use their weaponry. Most of the time, if I completely ignore them they will eventually go away.
Jim

Jim - This is good advice.   I don't know that I'd actually be able to DO it, but it's very good advice.  :)

[Flyin Brian]

When I get "informed" that I'm too close to the hive, I usually have a bee buzzing about an inch from my ear.  I like to sit and watch them going about their business, but sometimes they don't want me there and that's how they let me know.
I have noticed when I'm wearing a darker shirt they are more apt to buzz me.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[bwallace23350]

Took one to the cheek today. I took my cousin and her boyfriend out to the hive and let them open it up to look inside. I was 10 feet away and they had let the smoker go out without me knowing and I got my first head but and face sting. No big deal very little swelling just some itching.

[Dallasbeek]

So now you know about head butts

[tjc1]

Hmm... I have  feisty hive this year for the first time. Sometimes they ignore me within 4 feet, other times I can be 15 feet away and suddenly get very persistently buzzed and followed for as much as another 30 feet. I am hoping that when the new brood starts to hatch out, they will have a more peaceful temperament!

[bwallace23350]

Yeah a headbutt and a flail. I could not remain calm after getting pegged in the head unsuspected.

[GSF]

I got at least 3, maybe 5 aggressive hives this year. I get stung 30-40 yards away. Sometimes 60 or so. The honey should be getting close to being cured, after that queen pinching or moving time. They didn't get crazy until I went through the hives. Also noted is one of them is my 'mega hive' (3 deep brood box). Tons of bees.

[bwallace23350]

What do you mean by the honey being cured and by mega box 3 deep with brood? How many boxes do you have on them?

[GSF]

cured = capped. If they cap it, it's cured 

[GSF]

Sorry, I missed your other question. I am experiencing with the concept of a "mega hive" meaning 3 brood boxes. On one I have 3 8f deep brood chamber and 4 or 5 deeps/1 medium for honey supers. The other is close to this size and the rest are not much different from the rest except aggressive. So I'm also wondering if size equals aggressiveness.

[bwallace23350]

Oh wow those are massive. I am just hoping to get one medium for a super on top of my two deeps by the end of this year.

[Ben Framed]

A bee flies head-first into you.  That's a warning.  If you don't react appropriately (move away), they might escalate and use the business end on you.  You'll know it when they head-butt you.

So now you know about head butts

Quite often they will head butt you right between the eyes or on your forehead or face. If they do, move slowly. If you jerk away, too much motion will cause them to immediately use their weaponry. Most of the time, if I completely ignore them they will eventually go away.
Jim

[Bob Wilson]

I needed to weed eat under the hives this past summer, but I was too lazy to put on a veil, and too cautious to weed eat without one.
But at last our first frost is arriving and grass cutting is over.

[Occam]

My hives have never cared about me mowing or using a string trimmer around them, at least so far. Granted one is a horizontal hive that faces the fence and there's no trimming going on right in front, but my Lang doesn't seem to care either. That may change at any given time, perhaps I've been lucky so far.

[The15thMember]

I always give a veil to whoever wants to weedwhack (or "whipsnip", I like how the Aussies say it better lately ), just to be safe, but I've never had a hive get upset about it either.  We don't mow, so I can't speak to that.     

[BeeMaster2]

I do the mowing and weed eating in front of Our hives. As long as I don?t hit the hives with any exhaust, grass or engine exhaust, and I go real slow in front of the hives, they don?t bother me.
Once I was using a newly purchased riding mower and I went past my bees on a trailer and they were all over my head stinging me.
I didn?t realize it but this mower shot the grass up into the air on the right side of the mower. Those bees would not let me mow any where I that field for several hours. Finally I put my bee jacket on to finish the job.
Jim Altmiller

[Lesgold]

Mowing in front of hives is OK if there is a flow on, very early on in the morning or late in the evening. If there is a dearth on, WW3 generally takes place and battle armour needs to be worn. Winter mowing is a bit easier as the bees tend to be on holidays in a warmer climate.

[BeeMaster2]

When I was just starting beekeeping, my buddy and I went to see an old beekeeper that had 70 hives in his front yard. As we walked up, we immediately noticed that his entire face was swollen. We didn?t say anything at first because this was the first time we met. He looked like he had been in the rink with Mohammad Ali. After we talked at length about the bees we finally ask about his face. He was mowing the yard that morning as he done hundreds of times but suddenly it started raining rain real hard as he passed several hives. The bees poured out of the hives and tore him up.
You don?t want to bee mowing up again your hives in the rain.
Jim Altmiller

[beesnweeds]

Its not the mowing or the weed eating its the alarm pheromones.   When the heavy grass below or around the entrance has crawling bees in it whether they are loaded with forage or dying from age or illness they will release an alarm pheromone when injured from mowing or weed eating which triggers the colony to take action.  Bees can be crawling several feet from the entrance.  I just trim up on cool late evenings.

[Ben Framed]

Its not the mowing or the weed eating its the alarm pheromones.   When the heavy grass below or around the entrance has crawling bees in it whether they are loaded with forage or dying from age or illness they will release an alarm pheromone when injured from mowing or weed eating which triggers the colony to take action.  Bees can be crawling several feet from the entrance.  I just trim up on cool late evenings.

Thanks Beesnweeds! Thumbs Up!

Phillip

[Lesgold]

As was stated in an earlier post, directing grass clippings away from the hive sure does help. Also mower and whipper sniper petrol fumes, noise and vibration tend to get the girls in a passionate mood.

[Ben Framed]

I have a mulching plate on my mower, ( a plate with does not allow the ejection of clippings), that I can engage upon demand which seems to help a lot...

Phillip

[Lesgold]

I wonder if there is a difference between how the bees react to petrol and diesel engines. If I mow with a petrol mower, they seem to be more aggressive than when the diesel tractor is being used. That is just a casual observation and may not be fully correct. I do know that the bees were a bit more playful the couple of times that a petrol zero turn was used to clean up near hives.

[Ben Framed]

Les, whether using a diesel mower or gas I have seen no difference. Until a couple years ago I was using and older Kubota model TG 1860 yard tractor, diesel driven mower. Some cutting days they seem to ignore me while other cutting days I might see some aggravation. I had no mulching plate on that mower.

[Terri Yaki]

Les, whether using a diesel mower or gas I have seen no difference. Until a couple years ago I was using and older Kubota model TG 1860 yard tractor, diesel driven mower. Some cutting days they seem to ignore me while other cutting days I might see some aggravation. I had no mulching plate on that mower.

Time of the month?   

[Ben Framed]

 

[Lesgold]

Put it down to good luck then.🤪🤪🤪🤪

[Ben Framed]

 

[Bill Murray]

Just my opinion, I have had multiple people tell me I have mean bees. But bees smell things we dont. Just saying.