Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the greatest challenges to urban beekeeping is having bees near a neighbor's
swimming pool. Fences may minimize contact, but the attraction of all that chlorinated
water can be an irresistible force. Make sure your water source never dries up, and
install screens to get the bees' flight path high above any swimmers.
Bee Temperament
Gentle bees are easier and more fun to manage. Due to studied, deliberate breeding
programs, the bees you buy today are gentler than the bees available twenty years
ago. Breeders and producers have selectively bred for gentleness for decades.
Every line of bees is different though, and sometimes gentleness is more subdued.
Experience is the best teacher when it comes to judging your bees' character,
but here are some guidelines to look for when evaluating your bees for gentleness:
• Guard bees should not greet you before you get to the hive. They should stay
in the hive or at the entrance. This doesn't include bees leaving to forage.
• In even a large colony you should not have many bees in the air after 10
minutes of having the colony open. A light puff of smoke should keep all the
bees inside and between frames. There should be very few in the air when you
remove the cover and inner cover.
• Bees should remain relatively still on top bars when you remove the inner cov-
er.
• When a frame is lifted, the bees should remain calm, and should not fly away
or become agitated.
• Slow, easy movements should help you avoid any stings. Being stung should
be the exception rather than the rule.
• Bees should not run or fly out of a super when it is removed from the hive and
set aside.
• After examining a colony no bees should follow you more than a few steps
from the hive.
In addition, you have to work with your bees in such a way so they'll stay
gentle. Follow the guidelines below to keep your actions to a minimum, and to en-
gage your bees as little as possible.
