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After your bees have started going to work in their new hive that you put them in, you will need to check in on them periodically to see how things are progressing. If you installed a package of bees, one of the first things you will be checking on as a beekeeper is to see if the queen has released from the mini queen cage that she came in. If she did, she will already be at work on one of the frames with an entourage of personal attendant worker bees. If not, you will manually release her by removing the cork on the end of the queen cage and allowing her to walk out and go to work with her family of workers. Either way, you still have to inspect and get in there.
If you are like me when I first started, just reading about it can cause the adrenaline to surge. The thought of reaching in to a colony of bees and being that close to thousands of potential stingers can be intimidating.
How can you work up the nerve to get in to your hive? Well a basic understanding of honey bee behavior is a perfect place to start. In general, honey bees are not aggressive by nature. It is true that there are some Africanized bees that are downright mean, but their european cousins are not even close in the way they behave. I found that most of my personal fears came from childhood exposure to cartoons where you’ll see the coyote running away from a cloud of angry bees. Or perhaps you’ve had a bad experience with some hornets or wasps while working in your yard. Again, when we compare honeybees to hornets we are talking apples to oranges – not even close. So we need to re-program our minds to accept the fact that honeybees are gentle for the most part and are only interested in doing their jobs. We can work with them in a way that does not make them feel threatened in a few simple steps:
Step one: Suit up – mentally. Should you wear a bee suit? Depends. If it makes you calm, then wear it. I’ve never worn one personally, but if you are scared and sweating bullets as you approach your bees then suit up. The basic rule of thumb is if you are calm, and remain calm your bees will be calm too. When we are scared we release pheromones that the bees can detect. They can smell fear. Just because they smell fear or your cologne, does not always mean they will sting you, but they’ll smell you before they even get a look at you. So prepare mentally to remain calm.
Step two: Approach the bee hive from the back. If you approach from the front guard bees will see you and may fly out to greet you by flying into you. They want to see what kind of reaction you’ll have. They may sting if they see you flail your arms and start swatting at them. That’s a dead give a way to your bees that you are indeed a threat. If you can ignore them it is better. Better still is don’t walk past the guard at all, just go behind the bee hive when you want to inspect.
Step three: Smoke. Before you use smoke listen and watch first. When you lift the cover listen to your bees. If you hear a noticeable “buzz” getting a bit louder after a few seconds, you might need to puff a little, and I do mean a little smoke. Don’t gas out your bees with a thick cloud of heavy smoke. Less is more when it comes to using your smoker. I usually do not need smoke in most cases. So if they are quietly working, you can continue to lift the cover and start working. I actually try NOT to use smoke if at all possible – but that’s my personal style. I have found that when I use smoke, a couple of gentle puffs blown across the top of the open hive is all that is necessary. I never blow lots of smoke down in between the frames. Smoke is another tool for the beekeeper. It cancels out the alarm pheromone that they may send out if they feel threatened. That’s why listening is so important when you remove the cover. If you hear the loud BUZZ, they are spreading out the alarm pheromone quickly throughout the colony. So lift the lid, puff a couple times and set the cover back down for a minute. Then start over, lift the lid and listen. Odds are they will be calmer if you set off the alarm buzz the first time you opened the cover.
Step four: Move gently and gracefully. When you take your time you can think better and relax more and your bees will often sense your calmness and remain calm themselves. Once you train yourself to stay calm, you’ll find you can reach into a hive no problem at all. When I lift frames, I put my fingers down and slowly move the bees out of the way with my fingers. Once I have the grip I want on the frame, I gently lift it. Keep in mind if you move your fingers and mush a bee, you’ll probably get stung. In most cases I get stung when I forget to look where I’m putting my fingers. Program yourself to remember to hold that frame no matter what. If you get a sting you want to hold the frame, not drop it. If you drop the frame you may exchange one upset bee for hundreds of upset bees.
Step five: If you get a sting. Puff a little smoke right on the sting. This will not make if feel any better, but it will help cover the alarm pheromone they’ve used as a marker on you. This should help prevent additional stings to the same area.
I hope these tips will help you enjoy beekeeping even more. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll find your trip to the bee yard to be so relaxing it becomes therapeutic, and you’ll look forward to visiting your colonies. If for some reason you follow these tips and you have angry bees that seem to enjoy stinging no matter what, you might need to requeen your colony. I select queens from hives with good temperament. That is important for me because I like to wear shorts and a T shirt when it gets really hot out. The thought of having to suit up head to toe would be a real deterrent for me especially when the temps get above 80 degrees F.
I am raising a limited number of queens this year in our apiary. If you would like to contact me about gentle queens feel free to visit www.enjoybeekeeping.com for more info.
28 Comments
This is not true…. (from the above article).
‘It is true that there are some Africanized bees that are downright mean, but their european cousins are not even close in the way they behave’.
Here on Spain’s Costa Del Sol we have Apis Mellifera Iberiensis
The movements are fast and rather nervous. Quick defensive reaction, nervousness, propensity to swarm. One or two sentry bees, are always at the entrance of the hive. If the colony is disturbed, the sentries are dispatching alarm for at least 24 hours to attack anything that resembles a threat. They may attacking anything that seems threatening for at least 24 hours. Just walking near the hive is dangerous.
The local apicultor has some 700 colonies, around the hills and mountains here, in apiaries of 20 hives. I have been with him on management and stores collecting runs. The abeja are vicious no matter how carefully you handle them. We get into the pick-up truck afterwards and have to drive as fast as possible for 2 or 3 kilometres along the track to get away from the following mob.
In the UK I had Bulgarian bees and they were so placid when handled carefully, I could do so with no protection whatsoever. I rarely used a smoker, mostly just a fine mist spray bottle of plain water kept handy.
I understand everyone is different when it comes to beekeeping but you are really taking a chance not wering a veil. If and when you ever get stung in the eye you will lose it no questions asked. I have had bees for years now and swithched from full suit to just an inspedors jacket, more comfortable and less binding. Like you I like a good temperment hive and have many of them. A few years ago had the chance to acquire a hive of German bees, was surprised at their temperment right off the bat, not really nasty mean just more than the Italains I was used too. Now have learned how to get into that hive by talking to them as I approach the hive, a few taps on the side lets them know I am her to open it up girls so lets behave and it works out for me and my bees. Anothe trick you might try is baby powder on your hands and wrists, for some reason it keeps them off of you, don’t know why but it works for me and a few others around me.
Lots of good tips and demonstration of a good attitude. He is right. It is pretty scary at first.
I think Richard is right on with his comments. I wouldn’t encourage newbies to not use a veil, however the author was going overboard a bit to make a point. Like him, I’ve been beekeeping a long time and we learn to “speak the language” as it were. It was pretty clear that those bees were not aggressive and he could take that risk. Since bee colonies are “super-organisms” and are quite fluent, once you learn what that colony is saying, seldom do you run into any surprises. Go slowly, LISTEN, watch and learn to master the language. We all learn from different folks.
I’m guessing that the author doesn’t have much experience with “Africanized Honey Bees” (AHB). He paints an accurate picture for low confidence new beekeepers. They are not a wonderful species for a new beekeeper to learn on, however…one CAN learn how to work them successfully. They were, after all, deliberately imported into South America to improve productivity. South and Central American beekeepers have been working with them as they slowly migrated north…..BUT… they are not like Italian honey bees!
I doubt any of us prefer to work with aggressive or defensive bees however, the behavior is pretty easy to understand … most of us would fight when strangers try to steal the resources from our family. The right gear sometimes makes it easier to be gentle and understanding in dealing with the response.
Don’t know what country you live in, but Africanized honeybees are illegal to have in the US, unless you live in some braindead state like Mexifornia where they would protect the “killer bees” over the community.
Africanized honeybees were not imported to South America, the African Honeybee was. The African bee was bred to the European honeybee in an effort to hybridize a more productive bee. Their release was due to a hurricane that destroyed the building they were housed in. Beekeepers in south and central America destroy hives that show overly aggressive (africanized) behavior. You’re passing on wrong information.
Great article! Good tips. I rarely use a smoker when I work my hives. I try to pay attention to hive disposition and will leave them alone if they are in a nasty mood.
Awesome articles! Please keep them coming!
Thank I really want to start
I think all new beekeepers should wear at least and inspectors jacket and definitely a veil.
I work with feral bees my self, and their temperament can change with the size of the colony so I always suit up. I’ve yet to be stung, so I plan to keep on suiting up. I used to have to wear gloves in my trade, so I’m fine with the thick gloves, but I’ve heard that wearing something simple like the thin, latex, painter’s gloves will keep your hands safe – they lack the smell of ‘animal flesh’ so the bees won’t sting. I haven’t tried it myself but once I remember to buy some at my next trip to the hardware store, I plan on a trial run with them.
Bees will still sting through latex or rubber or leather or cloth if it is soft enough. Usually just the tip passes through enough to touch your skin, even penetrate slightly and the venom irritate a little. Movement of the material moves the point of contact. The biggest problem I had was with Spanish bees (very feisty) and not wearing anything under my full suit (due to the heat). I had multiple tiny points of irritation across my shoulders where the material was fairly tight. I always wear under-garments now.
I would like to wear very thin leather gloves but I’m aware I may transmit disease between hives or apiaries. I’ve been trying to get disposable latex gloves of a XXXX size to go over them.
I work nothing but feral bees. Been doing so for 40 years. I am the local hive remover in my area. There are many little tricks to use when working bees, like spaying them with sugar water instead of using smoke. I rarely suit up with ferals and although I get stung often, the stings no longer bother me (no soreness, swelling, or redness). I always suggest to new ‘keepers to carry a piece of onion that can be rubbed on the site of a sting to neutralize the venom.
My reason for working ferals? Because they are far hardier, smaller than the domestics, and are not bothered by pests as much as the docile domestics.
when do you start feeding sugar water in the fall last year my bees starved
If you are inspecting your hives properly you should notice if they are low on reserves. If they are low, provide them sugar water prior to winter and they will turn it to honey for the winter. If you have strong hives with plenty of extra, take a frame or two of honey and share it with a hive that is low.
Also, you can feed bees ANY TIME OF THE YEAR if they are not finding enough nectar, evident if they are not producing enough honey.
Suit up my friends! When you start with beekeeping do yourself a favor, just like everything else life is a learning lesson. The new beekeeper will make mistakes like we all do . The environment where your bees are, the temperature, the humidity, something that is stressing your hive, and you are human. My hives are in the mountains of Virginia. Subjected to weather swings, Beatles, Moths, Ants and last but not least Bear ! But I do have a little help the copperheads and rattlesnakes keep the rodent problem down.It’s not about you, its finding a way to keep the girls happy and calm.Keeping bees is a rewarding adventure, you need not make it a bad experience . Perhaps you are perfect and will never make a mistake, but if you are not then suit up” bee “calm and enjoy your girls.
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as an active small beekeeper’ I find these good ideas
i try to get stung at least once a week-for my sore back
certainly i find small numbers of stings -nothing special–15 or 20 very little reaction
im fortunate
However, im told that epi pens won’t work if someone is on beta blockers
this was confirmed talking to a druggist
Well done. Great article. Thanks.
Thank you for a very well written article. I have been keeping bees for 6+ years, have achieved Masterbeekeeper through the University of Montana’s program, and was one of four that set up the Upper Snake River Beekeepers in Idaho Falls, ID. And still have a LOT to learn. This article reminded me of some things we need too continue to do while working with our bees. Very helpful.
Ken
Great video, thank you! Question though, why did you put the burr comb back in the hive?? Will they recycle that? Thank you
The year 2016 we had 2 hives and one died in July. The DNR in Indiana sent me a lady and showed me why they died. They starved to death. We immediately started sugar feeding the other hive.. then in October I made a 18 pound sugar cake and put on top. I will probably do this each winter just to help. They didnt eat it all but I want to make sure they make it. They made it thru the winter fine. Then they swarmed in early May. We were able to retrieve the swarm and put in the other boxes after we cleaned up and they are being fed a little sugar water for now. Rainy and cold up here.
Thanks for these tips. I agree with you about the smoke. I think it’s possible to overuse it and, further, if you assume it’s your main tool to calm the bees, you may not pay enough attention to the rest of your behaviour. I notice big differences in bee response depending on who is with me. A nervous observer invariably means the bees are more alarmed and reactive. For this reason, although it can be awkward lifting heavy boxes, I prefer to work with the bees by myself.
Thanks for writing such a great article. I’m very new to beekeeping and have learned so much ober the last few months. I have my hive in my garden so have spent a lot of time watching them.
The most useful thing I found for a hive inspection was figuring out when the bees are most active. My bunch are a feisty lot so when the highest amount are out foraging the hive is at its friendliest. This is probably obvious to the experienced among you!
This was a really good reminder for me, thank you! I’ve never been stung by my bees or any honey bees but if I do get stung while inspecting my hive I will make sure to smoke the stinger. Thank you again for this great website.
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Different bee genetics, make a difference. I’ve never bought any package bees. I’ve only caught swarms, of feral bees. Last year, things went South, and all my colonies died off, before winter. Mainly queenless.
This spring, my traps we’re empty. So, I posted an ad on Craigslist. I had one call, from another beekeeper. He said he had just watched, one if his nucs swarm, and I could have them. Easy catch, on a branch, weighed down to the ground. The bees, we’re so gentle, I used no suit. Just snipped the branch, and stuck them in a bucket. He told me, these were Carnolinian’s. They are super easy going. Nothing like my local ferals. I picked up another colony, on a cut-out. Yeah! Huge difference. I’ll keep the suit on for that one.
On the matter of suits. If you are just starting out. DO NOT buy a cotton suit. Yes, they are cheaper. But, I had a cotton suit, for 3 years, and got stung when it became a “wetsuit”, and stuck to me. They are like wearing your own private sauna. I have, since, bought a ventilated suit, that is 2 layers of mesh, with a grid in between. The air flows right through. It’s also thick enough, that the bees can’t sting you. I have yet, to be stung in this one. That being said, tomorrow I’ll probably be hammered. They are a bit more expensive, but well worth the investment. I did that cut-out, in it, wearing only my underwear.
very informative, y second season of beekeeping and the calmness and how to approach was very informative