this is our first year with bees so we don't know what to expect. when we got them we didn't have to wear gloves or any thing just to get close to them. know we have to suit up get the smoker going at full speed and wear gloves. they will sting over and over at us and some times get us if we aren't carful. what should we do? we open up the hive once about every other week. is it just the time of year or what?they are Italian bees.

-- lindsey in sorthern il (l_shamhart@hotmail.com), August 06, 2001

Answers

is therea honey flow going? is there something trying to get them at night? skunk, coon, possom ect? Is the queen in good shape? Needd to check these things

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), August 06, 2001.

I'm kind of new at this too. I started with a hive last year and it died off over the winter, so I got another one this spring. I was told that the queen sets the temperment for the hive. An old timer told me that once he had a very mean hive that would chase him across his property. He replaced the queen with a Buckfast queen and in two or three weeks it was a different hive in how gentle the bees now were. Also an other old timer told me that bees feeding on buckwheat get mean about 2:00PM when the buckwheat flowers close up for the day. Bees don't like it when the kitchen closes. Also, the bees should have some stores of honey and now have something to protect. They didn't have much to protect earlier in the year. Hope this helps.

-- Phil D Farmer (philko@yourinter.net), August 06, 2001.

The above posts are right. There are a number of factors that determine the mood of the colony, but mostly it is the queen. I have never requeened this time of year. If you can put up with them until winter then plan on requeening the hive in the spring. Aggressiveness cuts both ways. It makes them hard to work with, but they tend to produce more honey.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), August 06, 2001.

it is hot! I get mean when it is this hot! I know the bees do too!

Yes Buckwheat does make them meaner...lots of work for little rewards!

be glad they are not africanized....have to destroy all infected colonies...sadly. There is no living with them!!! I don't care what 'they' say.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), August 06, 2001.

I have kept a few hives for a number of years. I think another reason for the aggresiveness is that your are in between flowers blooming for their nectar/pollen collecting. All the dry weather we are having has definetly shortened the honey flow season and as more field bees are at the hive, you will see more aggression. Why are you opening the hive weekly? Too much manipulation makes them aggressive as well. Do they have a water source near? We are fortunate to be by a brook, but otherwise I would keep a water source available for them with this weather. Where are you?

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), August 07, 2001.