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triscleeire Nurse Bee
Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Ireland - East Clare
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:49 pm Post subject: Do bees hold a grudge? |
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I got very aggressive black Irish bees. I am generally fine with this as the colony appears to be exceptionally strong and healthy.
After inspections individual bees attack any passer by within a 100m radius without obvious reason.
Once 2 bees were actually waiting for me at the front door 100m from the hive on the other side of the house and stung me 2 days after the inspection.
Do bees generally hold a grudge and retaliate for unwanted hive inspections? |
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zaunreiter Moderator Bee

Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 3097 Location: Germany, NorthWest
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AugustC Silver Bee

Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 613 Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Depends on the colony. I have had bees that seem to have no memory of incursion and others they are defensive for upto two weeks afterwards. |
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zaunreiter Moderator Bee

Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 3097 Location: Germany, NorthWest
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, especially the black bees.  |
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Heartstone Guard Bee
Joined: 02 Sep 2012 Posts: 65 Location: CO Sligo, Ireland
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe some black bees do not sting but Irish black bees most definitely DO sting. They are a lot more aggressive then Buckfast bees. I have had both. Currently I have only black bees and they are not very aggressive with me unless I upset them by over smoking, inspecting too long or shaking the hive. They also get aggressive if they have no queen or virgin queens and you inspect them.
The reason I tried Buckfasts was due to my first hive of Irish black bees being very, very aggressive. On one occasion I got stung over 20 times through my jeans, gloves and bee suite.
The Buckfasts did not do very well for me, they all died. So I went back to blacks from another source and so far they have been great.
There is a colony of Irish Blacks in Waterford I believe that are said not to be aggressive.
Lots of bee keeping politics around black / buckfast bees in Ireland that I try to stay out of. Personally I just keep bees and at the moment they are all Irish Blacks. |
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