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Very aggressive colony.

  • 03-08-2018 11:27am
    #1
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭


    I'm a novice beekeeper, being mentored by a more experienced one. This is a hobby for me rather than a honey-focussed business. I'm in a very rural location.

    We have made the mistake of allowing a Buckfast hybrid queen to produce a generation of absolute gangsters. The bees are now unmanageable, and the hive (and a portion of my garden!) are almost off limits. I'm very careful not to get stung when I'm doing bee-jobs because I have a moderate allergy but I can't potter around my garden in a bee suit all the time.

    They're very productive and they seem very vigorous but I've completely lost my nerve with them. I had to call an ambulance for somebody on Monday as a result of their aggression, it's just not fun any more.

    What are my options in terms of 'getting rid' of them? I'd have no problem transporting them to another piece of land I have quite far from the house and abandoning them to do their thing without my interference. Would this result in local bees becoming more aggressive? Any other suggestions? I'd rather not kill them off but if it's my only option I'll have to look into it.


Comments

  • #2
    victor8600
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭victor8600


    beveragelady wrote: »
    I'd rather not kill them off but if it's my only option I'll have to look into it.

    Change the queen. I have heard that the behaviour of the colony changes within 3 days of the change.

    The plan would be:
    - remove the old queen into an Apidea or a nuc
    - get another queen
    - introduce the new queen with the usual precautions (cage with fondant etc).


  • #3
    beveragelady
    Registered Users Posts: 854 ✭✭✭beveragelady


    Thanks Victor. I have heard that changing the queen can have an effect alright. Do you think if I introduced a native Irish black bee queen things might calm down?
    I'm actually dreading having to go up to the hive again but I can't just leave them and let nature take its course. I have cats and dogs here and I'd hate them to be stung.


  • #4
    victor8600
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭victor8600


    beveragelady wrote: »
    Do you think if I introduced a native Irish black bee queen things might calm down?

    Any queen should do, as long as it gives the desired result. Native black bee queen is good because she would be less likely to produce a temperamental cross-breed queen later.


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