# Newbie - Super Aggressive Hive?



## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Hi
I've had this hive for 2 years (this is the third) and it has been neglected. It was initially placed in a bad area on our property and I never did much to them. Never had enough honey for a harvest, but I have fed them if needed, and only inspected them a few times a year.

I successfully moved them a month ago and they've been doing awesome. I've also been feeding them and supplementing pollen. Today I went to split them and had a bad day... my new headgear and jacket didn't do their job and I am nursing about a dozen stings on one side of my neck. Other side has a few, forehead a few, and one actually got down my knee high boots and stung my ankle. 

I ended up just taking a whole super (I use all medium) w frames and all and moving it to the new hive. I verified there were eggs and brood. Unfortunately, I may have moved the queen too. I'm hoping that if I did there were enough eggs and brood in the supers I left. I was hurting and decided this was enough for the day.

I took a shower. Three hours later I still had bees flying around going crazy. I was working on a fence about 200' away and two bees just came up and stung my shirt (I am now very familiar w what a stinger looks like after pulling them out of my head).

Is this super aggressive behavior? Should I go in the hive in about a month and kill the queen so they make a new one?

Thanks,
Brandon


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

It is spring time and doubt you have a flow on so they are naturally aggressive protecting what stores they have. I would not worry to much yet on them being aggressive.

Use smoke, wait bit for it to effect them 10 minutes at least, put on a helmet, with veil and light colored long sleeve shirt, put pant legs over the boots to close off that area from them and go look in the colonies to see what you have as far and queen and eggs.

Once stung take some Benadryl.


How I dress when working bees.




 Al


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

When they are not happy they will find the smallest opening and get in a suit.


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Yes, they definitely found ways in the suit and I 100% believe that once that pheromone is released they keep going for that spot. My neck hurts... I noticed I kept saying 'super' in my above post, it should've been body. Long weekend.

I may need to invest in a heavier veil.

I think the biggest shock & question is that the bees were still highly aggressive hours after I finished working with them. Is this normal?


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Yes, when things are not right for them they can be aggressive for sometime, weather conditions and lack of nectar will make them aggressive to begin with, and then to tear into their home is kinda the final straw for them, can't really blame them I wouldn't want my home torn apart either.


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Are you using smoke at all???


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

For the stings I use ibuprofen (Motrin) and benedryl. The first reduces both swelling and pain and the second reduces itch

When I work bees I pull my socks over my pant legs to keep them from going up my trouser legs, and rubber bands over my cuffs, as I do not use the proper bee gloves and so there is room for the bees to get in.

I have heard that bees can smell where you have been stung and are likely to sting that spot. I do believe this as I have seen them hover over a sting.

I once had to set aside a hive box as I was not feeling well: I came back 3 days later and they had built a queen cell. I closed up the new hive and let them alone.

I got stung this spring as well: the bees were low on food and that always seems to make them cranky. My current hives are not the sweetest bees anyways, but they were actually reasonable last summer when the honey flow was on. I started working them with bare hands and just a face veil, which is what I generally do. That all changed in the Fall when the honey flow stopped: I had to go back to using a suit. This is the first year that I have even OWNED a suit: I do not usually need one. But, when my current bees are bored and have nothing to do I +DO+ need one.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If I get stung I always figure it was my fault, pinched it or something. I will have Kare smoke the area if I can't reach it my self.
Had a friend years ago when I first started could smell when you got stung. I don't know how he kept his nose so clear but he did.

 Al


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Thanks everybody. I think one big mistake that I made was to not use enough smoke. My smoker was having problems. I have bought some new smoke stuff & burlap; we will see how that goes next time.

I think there is a good enough nectar flow starting up here in eastern NC right now. Fruit trees have already bloomed, pollen allergies have been absolutely horrible for the past month, and the fields are beginning to flower with weeds. But, I never considered that as a possibility that the lack of nectar would make them ticked off. 

I'll let the queen be. lol.

Thanks!


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Okay forget this beekeeping crap. It's been 3 weeks and I went out to my garden, which is 30 feet away from the hives and I got stung 2x. Once on the arm and once IN my ear.

Do I let that queen live or should I just burn down the hives. I'm not doing this anymore if this is what it's like


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

The split you made will probably have a gentler queen. I would kill the old queen. Most hives I can walk up to within touching distance of before a bee will hover and notice that I am there. And while that is a threat that is not a sting. I would not tolerate a queen that hot.

It will take some weeks before the offspring of the new queen in the split has offspring old enough to leave the hive.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Once you get a new queen which if you raise your own of takes about 30 days for her to start laying. then another 30 days for those eggs to hatch and they start foraging.

I would not burn the hive down if I were going to quit. Sell it, depending on condition price would start about $200. for a single deep hive of bees.

 Al


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