Kirk says:
It is difficult to answer your questions about beekeeping without a Crystal Ball (or having observed your hive directly). So the more specific your question, the better.
Example question: "I got stung by one of my bees. I have been sitting close to my hive for months and never had a problem before. Are they mean?"
Answer: No, but one of them considered you a threat and stung you.
Bees are defensive of their hive. When they are small, they are busy working to get established and they don't have time to worry about a new beekeeper. But as they grow and get stronger, they have more bees and more resources to defend.
So don't underestimate the honey bee's desire to survive. The honey bee is dedicated to the survival of her hive. She doesn't speak English, she doesn't know your name, she can't read your mind. And most of all she doesn't think like a human. So having good beekeeping skills and knowledge can keep your experience with bees pleasurable.
So when asking a question, add where you live and keep bees, what you did, how you did it, and most important, what you observed! This will help me help you. And that is what I really want to do: help everyone succeed as a beekeeper and win at it. I'm not in it for the money.
So as stupid as you may think your question is, always ask it—always. We will attempt to answer it for you all.
Kirkobeeo
Got a beekeeping question? Post it to our Yahoo group.
