Mean Bees

My Bees Hate Me!

Is it just me? I bet that, at some point, you've asked yourself that question. Join the club!

Honestly, if you've been keeping bees for any length of time, you've dealt with a mean hive or two. Could it be you? Well … maybe. I know that's hard to swallow, but it could be true!

Our bees have pretty good memories. They remember the guy or gal in the big white suit. You're the one who shows up, tears their house apart, and then leaves. I'd remember that too!

Bees become defensive for several reasons, and knowing what causes it can help you prevent it before it starts.

Beekeeper

Going in too often: Once a week is fine for a new beekeeper during the first few weeks. After that, try backing off to every other week or inspect only when there's a reason. Your bees will appreciate the extra peace and quiet.

That bee suit: It may not just be dirty—it could be covered in alarm pheromone. Every sting leaves behind a scent that tells other bees to attack. Washing your bee suit regularly removes embedded stingers and the lingering alarm pheromone.

Use your smoker: Before opening the hive, give a few puffs at the entrance. Crack the lid and add another couple of puffs under the cover. If the bees start getting worked up during the inspection, don't hesitate to give them a little more smoke. Staying ahead of their mood will almost always make inspections much smoother.

Technique matters: Good beekeeping is all about finesse. Learn to use your hive tool efficiently, remove frames smoothly, and handle them gently. Avoid banging equipment together, bumping frames, talking loudly, or acting like a bull in a china shop. Work with calm, fluid movements, but don't linger. Check for eggs and larvae to confirm you're queen-right, verify they have adequate resources, look for pest problems, then close the hive and move on.

Nature

Summer dearth: Hot, hungry bees are rarely happy bees. During a nectar dearth, keep inspections to a minimum. Feeding syrup and pollen supplements when needed gives them something to work with and can help keep them from consuming their stored reserves while encouraging continued brood rearing.

Predators: If normally gentle colonies suddenly become defensive, look for signs of nighttime visitors. A game camera can quickly identify raccoons, skunks, or other pests. A light sprinkling of cayenne pepper around the hives may discourage some predators. If necessary, use a live trap and relocate the offenders so your bees can finally get some peace.

Robbing: Stop robbing immediately. Reduce the entrance or install a robbing screen. If robbing continues, throw a wet sheet over the hive until morning. Still not enough? Turn on a sprinkler over the hive to simulate a rainstorm. One of these methods usually ends the attack. Once it's over, leave them bee! Robbed colonies have been through a stressful ordeal and need several days to recover.

Weather and seasonal changes: Bees can become noticeably more defensive before storms or during seasonal transitions. Just as people can feel changing weather in an old knee or elbow, bees respond to changes in barometric pressure too.

Queen

One of the most common causes of aggressive bees is queen problems. Whether the colony is queenless or has inherited poor genetics, the queen—or the lack of one—can completely change a colony's temperament.

Hear a loud, unhappy roar before you even remove the lid? There's a good chance you've lost your queen.

Temperament can also change surprisingly fast after a colony requeens itself. Within one brood cycle (about 21 days), a colony headed by a locally mated queen may become much more defensive. Since you never know which drones she mated with, there are no guarantees. Keeping young, high-quality VSH queens and requeening regularly goes a long way toward maintaining gentle, productive colonies.

Environmental

Too many hives in one location: Too many bees competing for limited forage often leads to hungry, defensive colonies. As your apiary grows, consider spreading hives among multiple locations.

Too much sun—or not enough: Bees appreciate a balance. Afternoon shade helps during the heat of summer, while plenty of sunshine is beneficial during fall and winter. Choose hive locations that provide the best of both whenever possible.

Living with Mean Bees

You may decide to tolerate a mean hive for a while. Join the club! We've had colonies with terrible attitudes that consistently produced exceptional honey crops and built incredible populations. If you do keep them, wear full protective gear and inspect those colonies last so they don't stir up the rest of the beeyard before you've finished your work.

That said, we rarely keep mean bees for long. There's no reason to settle. With good management and quality queens, you really can have colonies that are both gentle and productive.

By: Chari Elam

James and Chari Elam

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