Mine also took a turn last week and zapped me on the nose…I was a bit taken
aback but have got a bit lax about wearing a bee suit. Not now! Thank goodness
you all mentioned centrizine, as I quickly grabbed one, after my husband
removed the sting in seconds. Lesson learned! this week they seem to have
returned to their old behaviour.
Jan
Jan Benson
On 11 Jul 2021, at 8:08 PM, Gilliane Sills <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Dear Dawn
I had the same experience with my bees about a month ago - and I must admit
being very shaken by it! The bees had been happy for me to be around the
hive for the previous three years and it was a real shock to find that
suddenly I (and my husband) were being chased all the way down the garden in
to the house and being stung even though by that time we were well away from
the hive. It was only ever an isolated bee - not much help at the time, I
admit! - and it sounds as though that's the case for you too. I can't tell
you what caused the change (I thought for mine it might have been the June
gap in nectar and pollen, causing stress for them, but I don't really know),
but it was only temporary - the bees are again tolerant of me being around.
The shrubs nearby have grown up quite a bit, which means they don't see me
around the garden any more and maybe that helps. Mine are also much more
tolerant of the mower than Paul's bees - they don't seem to mind even when
I'm cutting around the hive itself.
Good luck - I hope they settle down soon...
Gilliane
On 11/07/2021 15:08, Oxnatbees wrote:
Hi Dawn,
You are absolutely right, bees are notoriously edgy in unsettled weather and
just before thunderstorms.
Lawnmowers create a lot of engine vibration, and it's around the same
frequencies that bees use for communication when they do their waggle dance
on comb. Comb is tuned to transmit these frequencies... And hives are like
big drums... So the vibration is very noticeable inside the hive. If it's a
petrol mower pumping out fumes, it's particularly annoying to them.
Also, swarms change character after they've got young to defend.
I always wear a veil when mowing my back lawn and switch to a full suit near
the hives.
I can't say why you were stung whn you were not mowing... if it was AFTER
you had mowed, I would say they were still on guard. But it was before. Were
you wearing perfume?
Paul
On Sat, 10 Jul 2021, 18:06 Dawn Gosling, <magikmum49@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
My bees have seemed to have changed personality. I could always walk up to
them and sit near them, but the other day I got stung on my face whilst
talking to family sitting in a normal area of the garden,. The following
day I got stung on my face again whilst mowing the lawn - not an unusual
practice . Does this weather make the bees as grumpy as us???
Dawn
--
from Gilliane Sills
The Map House
Vernon Avenue
Oxford
OX2 9AU
01865 721644
