Grumpy Girls

[bernsad]

My first two hives which I've had since July are normally fairly well behaved were both quite aggresive yesterday. It was a warm, 27 deg C day, humid and overcast in the afternoon and the girls were just bombarding me. I took more stings yesterday than ever before and my wife who came home midway through the exercise caught some very colourful language. She suggested that the weather was just against me, is she on the right track?

[Krustybee]

When I first started with my hives last year I was told not to lift the lid on a day that storms were forcast as the bees get angry.  I thought my mate was having a lend of me so I tried to have an inspection one stormy day and got absolutely hammered by my normally quiet bees. So I learnt the hard way to stay away when stormy weather is about. 

[bernsad]

Yeah OK, that might explain it. So how far in advance of stormy weather would you avoid upsetting the girls?

They were also hitting me long after I had left the hive, I thought perhaps it was B.O. so I took a shower and then still took a sting to the head after that.

[OzBuzz]

Definitely not a good idea to open during electrical storms - i've opened in some fairly average weather and it does get them a little more riled up but not to the point of being bombarded... how old are your queens? are they on a flow? sometimes it can be it's time to requeen, they may be defending their stores - try opening them again on an optimum day and see how you go

[yantabulla]

Stick to warm sunny days.

Oh dear your in Melbourne

[bernsad]

You guys have got to live in Melbourne first before you bag it, I've seen plenty of crappy weather in NSW & QLD.

[squidink]

I wonder if it’s the atmospheric pressure that makes the bees grumpy. I keep snakes and they go all strange when a storm is nearing!

[Meadlover]

I have found the same - they get very cranky on stormy days!
VERY!

[Harpo]

You guys have got to live in Melbourne first before you bag it, I've seen plenty of crappy weather in NSW & QLD.

Well I grew up in Williamstown a block from the beach   

Then moved to the "Sunshine Coast" and lived there for some time 

Then married a sydney boy and am now in country NSW 

The weather as a kid didn't bother me, then Qld spoiled me and I'm now suffering here 
Down to -4 in winter... spring days were it's 28 and calm then 13 the next with gale force winds and hail!

Wish I'd joined earlier so I wouldn't have been nailed due to poor weather!