Once, I tried to replace a mostly empty jar that they bees were feeding on. They didn't like me trying to knock them from their food source, and since I was unprotected, I left as soon as they made it known they didn't appreciate it. I still go out with no veil or sleeves, and even in dark colors, but I don't replace a jar if they are feeding on it.
Sometimes when I am sitting there, a bee will buzz around as to tell me she doesn't like me sitting there. She buzzes louder and hovers close and around me, back and forth so as to make it difficult for me if I was to strike her. The more irritated she is, the closer she will get, and/or louder. After about 5 minutes, she gets tired. At that point, there are two options. Either to land and sting, and die. Or to go elsewhere to get some rest. I obviously am not too much threat, because she always goes away. The other hundreds of bees about 3 feet away didn't mind.
I stung last week, got jumped actually. Earlier on Saturday, I had taken a honey frame and pulled some propolis. Then I tried a different method of creating a propolis trap before I left. I left the inner bottom slightly propped with a tiny branch from the ground, about 1/8th of an inch. Just enough of a gap that the bees would use more propolis to fill it. I went away when I was done and all was cool.
5 hours later, I saw that the weather had changed and it was about to downpour. The telescope cover was above the inner cover, but I thought some rain would get in the gap I created. I went out to remove the tiny sticks and close the gap to protect the bees. When I got to the hive, unprotected and in dark colors, I saw that the inner and outer cover had shifted back, just slightly. 'OK, I thought that was straight when I left it.' I lifted slightly, too much. The bees started coming through the crack. I lowered slightly. 'no, no, go back' Then I raised again hoping they would realize the danger of being crushed and go back. But no, they decided to come out. A few bees got out. I didn't want to crush them. They immediately started attacking me. There was no warning. It was an all out attack.
About 10 were out of the crack and they were pissed. I closed the inner cover back on them after removing two of the makeshift shims, and crushed the rest of the bees when they started in on me. I ran. They were getting into my hair. I swung my hand wildly at my hair, hitting myself in the head even, trying to knock them away. But they were holding on to my hair.
By the time I made it to the door, I had been stung at least twice. Once in the side of my head, and once on my bicep. There may have been another light sting on my head. The sting on my bicep started one blister over the sting. I dropped a drop of home made propolis tincture on it and it immediately knocked the blister down. I actually watched it for a few minutes before I added the drop. An area about the size of a half dollar coin toughened and turned red around the sting. I wider area than that was slightly red and weakened, but the half dollar area of skin was starting to die under the angry bee venom.
I'll live. Not like my skin is rotting off. That was 4 days ago and I know some skin cells died, but it will heal naturally and will be fine. The lymph node under my ear actually swelled up a little, and even hurt a tad. The other one on the other side of my head was only bothered slightly. Proximity to the sting. Still slightly swollen, but less now. Maybe I should go to the doctor? Probably won't, but thought about going just to get a prescription for an epi-pen just in case someone else gets stung around my hive. I'd only use it if they were obviously allergic and unable to breathe due a bee sting. So I may go for two reasons, which is worth while.
I don't ever remember being stung. I'm sure I was stung as a kid. Mom is allergic to bee stings. But I wasn't really sure if I was. I'm not, by the way. Some may think it was stupid to go uncovered, but I wasn't worried. I've escaped death a few times before, and just am not worried.
The bees are neat to watch. They stand at the landing board, hold on tight, and run their wings hard to move the air through their hive. They circulate from the top of the hive where the open top cover is over the inner cover, and from the lower landing board. They will stand one in front of the other for efficiency and to tighten up space. After all, there are still dozens of bees coming and going, so the fanning is done on this side, and the traffic is on the other side of the landing board.
I've seen bees buzz ants off. Wild to see a small bee, become relatively huge to a small black and. Walk right up to the and and kind walk/kick right over it. Buzz for a second, and essentially move the and an inch away all at once. The ant takes off, and the bee goes back to her business.
There are of course, dead bees in front of the hive. I have heard that they will take the dead out of the hive if necessary, but that generally bees don't die in the hive. They leave to do so. One day I took some of the dead bees and dropped it on the bottom board by the entrance. Within 1 second, some of the traffic starts checking the bee. As soon as 2 to 5 bees review and confirm that it's dead, one grabs the dead bee and starts crawling away with it. Have dragging, and half hovering for all it's wings are worth, the dead bee is carried 1 to 2 foot in front of the hive. Until the bee can't carry it any further, then lets go and flies away.
I found a sickly looking drone and dropped him in front of the entrance. He was dragged out. He tried to crawl into the hive, but the ladies hauled his butt away as if he were dead. Took two or three ladies to haul his big butt away, but they wouldn't let him in the hive.
On other days, I see plenty of drones going in and out as they please. But they may have been reacting to me taking some honey the day before. I made a mistake in shaking the bees from the honey frame outside the hive. The bees hit the ground and huddled together in the leaves on the ground there. They didn't know what to do, or to fly off and go in the hive. So I grabbed the bees and leaves and put it in front of the hive. Yes, I was in white, gloved, and veiled. I didn't get all of the bees, and left after finishing up.
The next day, after the rain, I found some ghost white bee carcases on the ground. The ants where starting to eat. The bees died there. I don't know if they turned white as a result of the rain, if the ants attacked and killed them, or what. But I strongly suspect that the honey tenders and nurse bees are generally so young that they don't know how to fly, or where to go if they end up outside the hive. They are 'inside bees', and don't know how to live outside the hive yet. So they stayed there and died. The bodies looked full, but white. I suspect that is the protein degrading. Lesson learned.
I also think that the day I got stung, the forager bees had come back because they knew it was going to rain too. When they found the crevice and knew the rain was coming, they were anxiously working to seal the crack I created as a propolis trap. They also lost some honey that they work so hard for. They were angry and protecting their hive when I came along, thus they ran me off.
It is possible that the neighbor hit the top cover with his soccer ball, and that's why the cover shifted. That would make the bees angry for sure. I have a hard time imagining that the bees had some how shifted the top in trying to address the crevice I created, but is it possible???
Oh well. Just trying to catch up on the many things I've learned in the last 10 weeks. Wow, they have made gallons of honey in just 10 weeks. I estimate that I've taken 2 gallons total, and they have a couple more that I left. I'll have to explain my first honey extraction another time. Good night.
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