got thumped this morning

[Deleted]

Received 4 packages in the mail this morning.  Weather is cloudy, lower 70's with a nasty front moving in.  I hived the first 3 packages no problem.  Got the fourth ready to go and noticed the queen was dead.  I know often that means there is already a queen in the package.  But, to be safe I was going to throw a frame of eggs in just in case.

 Holy heck.  I smoked one of my over wintered hives to pull out a frame and they came out in full pissy mode.  Got stung probably 30 times before I could get the top cover back on.   Needless to say the package did not get a frame of eggs this morning.  If I open it next week and find it broodless I will try again.  

Hubby is teasing me mercilessly.  2 benedryl just in case and now I am ready for a nap.  

[smokey]

That kind of weather seems to put mine on edge too. I have a hive that is a swarm I caught last year and wintered over. I walked out to look them over this morning and started getting head bumped when I was still 5 feet from the hive, Same kind of weather you're having.

These bees are very dark colored and I kind of think they might be Carni's.

[Deleted]

If I wasn't this far north,  I would swear that hive is africanized.  It is always testy, but they are my best producers and have successfully made it through 5 years without collapsing.   My dead queen package is in an oak tree swarmed about 45 feet up right now.  I think they wanted a new home.  Really is a bit frustrating when they abscond the first day.  Waving $110 bye bye.  

[smokey]

I'm sorry to hear they absconded. Package bees and swarms can be a tossup sometimes without brood to anchor them, Or locking them in the new hive with a frame or two of honey for a couple of days.

[hobbitlady]

charmd2-  Yow. So sorry you got nailed so bad. I'm a 'chicken' and tales like yours make me glad I suit up even when installing!
A large consensus of beeks on the biggest bee keeping forums actually Agree(how often does That happen????hahaha) that a small drop of lemongrass oil rubbed inside a hive will keep a new package from absconding. They just plain adore the scent and want to stay. The queen with the swarm probably was ticked off about the scent of that dead queen and the lemongrass would mask that too until they were settled....IMOP(and from reading a heck of a lot)

smokey-My Carnies are weather-wise(survived winter twice now) but I've never messed with them when a storm was moving in.They've always been real nice and tolerant unless I had to Really mess with them during an inspection.Smokey you probably know that most wild swarms arn't Really "feral" but escaped bees that were hived the year before.But have you read about the few remaining True ferals? They are Very dark bees! If yours have Those genetics you've a real survivor colony!!!

[gunmonkeyintl]

Apr 7, 2015 21:18:23 GMT hobbitlady said:

....A large consensus of beeks on the biggest bee keeping forums actually Agree(how often does That happen????hahaha) that a small drop of lemongrass oil rubbed inside a hive will keep a new package from absconding. They just plain adore the scent and want to stay...

My mentor instructed me to liberally spray down the frames (foundation-only and drawn ones) with my feeding solution of syrup w/ Honey-B-Healthy, which, of course, has lemongrass in it, before installing the package, to keep them from absconding, and to encourage them to begin drawing out the foundation.

[Deleted]

I haven't ever tried lemongrass on the empty hives that weren't set up as swarm traps.  I will try that in the future.  I had planned to give them brood until the donor hive decided against it.   They have moved on.  Hopefully somewhere they thrive and I may get a swarm back from next spring

[Deleted]

Pretty sure my abscond rehived itself into an empty top bar hive I had sitting around. It is still early for swarm season in central Mo but today walking around the back yard I noticed it had bees in it. I haven't ran a top bar yet. Picked this one up for a few bucks at an auction. It will be interesting to see how they do

[manygoatsnmore]

Apr 13, 2015 1:12:00 GMT @charmd2 said:

Pretty sure my abscond rehived itself into an empty top bar hive I had sitting around. It is still early for swarm season in central Mo but today walking around the back yard I noticed it had bees in it. I haven't ran a top bar yet. Picked this one up for a few bucks at an auction. It will be interesting to see how they do

Awesome news!  At least you didn't lose them after all.

[moldy]

Yikes! 30 stings?? I got stung with my first inspection this year - swelled up to the size of my hand (bite was on my thigh thru jeans). Talked to my doc about it, and he said to take benadryl, ice it, and rest for about 24 hours (sure, I live on a ranch - what's rest!!). I was worried I was going to have to give up my bees, but he said no, it was a local reaction, not a systemic one. I've taken pepcid before with the benadryl, too. It's also an antihistamine, just works on different receptors.

Getting my packages on the 25th - so excited!!

[Deleted]

Yeah, really 30.  Maybe a few more or less.  Almost instantaneously.  Lifted the lid and got thumped.  I have almost no reaction to stings unless they are on my ears, nose, or fingers.  Those tend to swell just enough to really hurt, or make me whiny.  Bees always make me happy

[k9]

Were you wearing a beesuit?

[Deleted]

No, just a mosquito veil. I hate suits they are uncomfy, I really hated full veils, made it hard to see. I decided to take my stings and go on with life. It made me less cranky, and in the long run has helped how calmly and carefully I approach the hives