# Help Very aggresive honeybees!!!



## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I know, back in JUne I was complaining that the guy I rent bees from had not yet shown up with my hives but now I am begging him to take them back where they came from. Our bee guy dropped off three hives. Two of the hives were docile as usual and looked just like every other colony he ever brought but the third hive is terribly aggressive. Hubby and I have been stung several dozen times even though we are working 100 feet from the hive. Tonight I was 200 feet from the hives and 6 bees chased me all the way to the house. Hubby was working closer to the hives maybe 75 feet away and got stung 4 times.All we were doing is picking cucumbers. Yesterday I was sitting in my truck with the window rolled down and got stung twice on the arm. My arm is still swelling. I am taking benadril.
I am thinking about getting a net and catching some of these terrorist bees. This particular hive looks different from the other two. The bee guy says they are all Italian queens but these bees look much darker and they travel in packs. Always 5-6 bees and they aim for the face. The bee guy acknowleges they are more agressive. They got under his vail last time he was here . I have never been afraid of bees . Usually I can walk right up to the hives. There is something wrong with these bees. All of the hives have swarmed in the last three weeks. Bee guy has not added any supers. He says it is too late to do it now that bees have swarmed.
Linda


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## Conniperous (Mar 17, 2009)

Could you tell your bee guy your troubles and ask him to "re-queen" the hive if possible before winter? It may help calm the bees down.

Sorry to hear about all your stings!


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

I would tell beeguy to move them immediately. There is no reason to keep mean bees. Tell him to take them home and requeen them, or you will fill the entrance with sevin dust. Give him a set number of days. Then do it.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

In my very, very limited experience, I've seen the hives get a bit touchy this time of year but not to the extent that you are describing. Mostly after the hives have been disturbed during the honey harvest. Any chance a critter (i.e skunk) has been harassing the hives?


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

These bees have been chasing and stinging us since they first arrived in June. I called him last night and got a machine. Several times he said he needed to requeen the hive and bring supers for the the other two hives but he never did either. Two of the hives have swarmed and I think that the weird hive is about to swarm too. We have two of the bees from yesterday's attack. I am going to send them to Cornell for a look see. My shoulder where I was stung twice yesterday is a raised welt about 5 inches across. I think this is now becoming a dangerous issue for me health wise.
Linda


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

Ok the bee guy said he would come and pick up his bees yesterday but he was a no show.
A friend came over to deliver cabbage to us and he got stung twice even though he was at least 70 feet away from the hive. I got buzzed picking beans 150 feet from the hive but not stung thank God. This has got to end. Are Russian queens aggressive? Last year he had Russian queens and no one was attacked . This year Italian queens and everyone who comes here is being stung what gives?
Linda


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

Iddee said:


> I would tell beeguy to move them immediately. There is no reason to keep mean bees. Tell him to take them home and requeen them, or you will fill the entrance with sevin dust. Give him a set number of days. Then do it.


I'm a beekeeper. I don't like the idea of poisoning a hive, but for your family to be the target of his agressive bees is completely irresponsible on his part.

Follow Iddee's advice.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I will call him one more time. I think this aggressiveness is all his fault for not properly caring for the bees. If he had requeened back in July like he said he was going to and if he had put some supers on like he said he was going to. The hives may not have had to swarm three weeks ago. This morning there was a strong oder of honey coming from the hives. I feel sorry for the bees. He is killing them with his poor management.
Next year I will try to find another beekeeper to rent bees from.
LInda


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

mommagoose, could you get your own hive going? then you could manage it yourself and never have to rent again.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I really do not have the time to care for bees. Also now I believe I am becoming sensitive to stings. The last 4 became infected and swelled quite a bit. Bees seem to be a very expensive hobby and i already have too many of those 
Linda


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

>I think this aggressiveness is all his fault for not properly caring for the bees.

I disagree that it's his fault they are aggressive, however it is his responsibility to deal with it. They are his bees and they are not acceptable.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

mommagoose_99 said:


> I really do not have the time to care for bees. Also now I believe I am becoming sensitive to stings. The last 4 became infected and swelled quite a bit. Bees seem to be a very expensive hobby and i already have too many of those
> Linda


Ibuprofin helps with that: it is an anti inflammatory and with less swelling there is less pain.

I find that an allergy pill helps also. Benedryl is the most effective I suppose, but it makes me sleepy so I use claritin.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

mommagoose_99 said:


> I will call him one more time. I think this aggressiveness is all his fault for not properly caring for the bees. If he had requeened back in July like he said he was going to and if he had put some supers on like he said he was going to. The hives may not have had to swarm three weeks ago. This morning there was a strong oder of honey coming from the hives. I feel sorry for the bees. He is killing them with his poor management.
> Next year I will try to find another beekeeper to rent bees from.
> LInda


They swarmed?

The old queen usually goes with the swarm. That means the bees have requeened themselves and that soon the bees will be calmer. 

Swarming relieves overcrowding. As long as there is a fall honey flow the bees will have resolved the current problem themselves.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

The bee guy finally showed up up and took his bees but not before they got him three times. Of course he blames us. He says we do not have enough forage for the bees. I thought 10 acres of wild flowers would be plenty. We have red clover wild asters plenty of wild radish etc etc any thing you would find in a meadow. I still think the problem was that the huge hives were living in one tiny little box with no room to make honey. It was late August and he never added any supers. He only visited 3 times all summer and every time he said he needed to add supers and never did.
Linda


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We have 35 colonies sitting on our 10 acres. I am not so stupid as to think that the bees only forage on that ten acres either.
our bees are gentil enough you can mow and weed whack around the stands with no problems. You can also sit down beside the hives and drink your morning tea, or evening what ever and watch them coming and goings. I personally am amazed at the amount of different colored pollen they are bring in.

 Al


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