# Girls were nasty today - Harvest question also.



## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

I tried to harvest my honey today. Nice sunny day with a slight breeze. Figured it'd be a nice day; besides, it's the only day I have the babysitter come to watch the kids. I was so disappointed when I looked at the first hive. It was a little slow to get going but only had about 1/3 of each frame actually capped. I just put it all back together and went on to the next hive.

These girls were NOT nice. The top box wasn't well capped, so I put it off to the side and looked at the second box. Pretty well capped in the center, so I started taking some. First time one of the girls got inside the veil and nailed me on the cheek. Went back after the girls cooled off a bit but as soon as I got back, they started striking again. Finished off that box and started in on the third one, but THREE girls got inside the veil this time. I went for a walk and got them out. Checked the veil for tears and didn't see where they were getting in. Popped it back on and headed back. Didn't even get close when I was covered with bad attitude girls. Decided to just close up the hive for the day. Before I could even get it all put back together, FOUR more girls were in the veil!! Had to do another walk and let them chill out. Went back to the truck to finish loading up and they were all over me AGAIN. Packed and waited until they chilled out. Climbed into the truck and called it a day. 

Have to figure out how they're getting into the veil!!! And wonder why they're in such bad moods. The first hive didn't seem to mind all that much, but the other one was nasty! Still have two more hives to go...

Question for you: Do I pull all the boxes on all the hives even if they're not capped and then set them outside the hive so they'll put it in the lower two boxes? Do I leave them until it really gets cold to see if they'll have more capped and then harvest again? What do you do?


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

im a newbie so i dont have any answers--but i want to figure out how to keep them out of my veil too. i am thinking of getting a turtleneck shirt and tucking the veil inside of it.
i did use a fume cover when i harvested the little honey i got--they didnt bother me at all.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

1. Did you ck to see if there was brood, eggs, larva in the hive? The only time my girls have ever been 'hot' were when the hive has been queen-less. 

2. was your smoker too hot? Did you smoke the top and bottom of the hive and give them a few minutes to calm down? Were you calm and moving easy? Were you too nervous? 

3. If you have a hard 'helmet' w/ a veil over it --the bees may be coming in thru the vent holes... Be sure to pull you veil down over your collar and secure the tie around your waist..

If you bees are still 'hot' when you are use cool smoke, giving them time to calm down and you are not nervous (using calm movements). Try using a sugar water mixture in a spray bottle to spray the girls ---they will be happily cleaning themselves and their neighbors up they may forget about you... 

Nothing fun about having a nasty hive.. IF they are just mean---I would requeen and let them start over..


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Queen Bee said:


> 1. Did you ck to see if there was brood, eggs, larva in the hive? The only time my girls have ever been 'hot' were when the hive has been queen-less.
> 
> *Never got that far. I was still working through the upper honey supers. I did see what I thought was a queen cell in the honey super though. Thought that was wierd. But I didn't get a good look as that's when I decided to close her up for the day. *
> 
> ...


I answered your post above in bold and underlined.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

I use a fume board and BeeGo.. I would never do it any other way.. Some people don't like the smell but I don't mind it. I also spray it around the windows/door of my honey house while I am extracting.. I always wear a suit when extracting. I only pull the frames that at least 60+ % capped.. I smoke the hive, top and bottom. Give it a few min. and then pop the top and apply the fume board, wait 5min... Remove the super to a 'work bench', I remove each frame, brush the few girls on the frame off and if it suits me, I put it into a empty super--Until, I have enough capped frames to fill the super, then move it onto my truck, where it is covered w/ flat top on the bottom and on the top... Then move onto another super.. I repeat it until I have finished all the hives. 

Many times I have a hive that isn't as strong, or doesn't have enough stores and I will place the uncapped extra frames onto the weak hive.. 

I always leave a full super and 2 hive bodies on each hive. Never had but one hive starve over the winter..


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yup nasty girls are protecting their winter stores. 
In the fall I pull every thing so I don't have to go back. any thing that passes the shake test (*shake the frame when it has sat in 80F temps for at least a couple hours if nothing comes out it is OK.*) I extract it. A friend goes so far as to set up a dehumidifier in his hot room to remove moisture.
Any of mine that don't pass the shake test get set out to be cleaned out and dryed by the girls well away from the hives. I usally load them in my garden trailer cover with a tarp and take to the field where they are uncovered. I bring them back to the honey house each evening till they are all dried out so critters don't ruin them at night.


Once I get stung I smoke my self heavly to cover that scent. It does in my option draw them if I don't.
Got to keep them out of the veil thats for sure.

Get that smoker going real well before messing with the bees. Start with an empty smoker and get the bottom going real well then add fuel, if a lot of hives fill itto the top, stop what your doing every little bit and pump the bellows till smoke comes out the nozzle. If it don't stop what your doing and start the smoker all over again.

 Al


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

oh crud---is that why there was such long string on the helmet, i didnt know that. oh jeez now i feel kinda dumb.


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