Honey Bee Queen Getting Balled in My Hand

I found this cluster of bees under one of my mating nucs. Sometimes bees will abscond from a mating nuc and I thought this was one of those tiny swarm clusters caused by a colony of bees absconding from a mating nuc but it was not. The bees were too tightly clustered and they were agitated and loud squealing was heard from deep inside.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• queen
• balling
• getting
• balled
• in
• hand

[Fredster411]

I normally do not walk through my apiary with gloves on. If I had had them on, I probably would have taken them off in order to do what I did here. I found a cluster of bees on the ground beneath a mating nuc. I wanted to pick them up off the ground to investigate them and the only way to do this was with the dexterity of bare hands. I have held clusters of bees in my hands before and have never gotten stung so that's where my confidence came from to do this - ss long as I don't squeeze any.

[Fredster411]

There is no morality in the insect world. They communicate with and respond to chemical stimuli in predetermined ways that have evolved over millions of years to enhance their survival. A queen returning from her mating flight accidentally flew into the wrong mating nuc and was attacked by the resident workers there. She did not smell right and was treated as an foreign invader. This would almost never happen in nature because we have created an unnatural situation by having many mating nucs.

[Fredster411]

These are not drones. These are female worker bees and they do have the ability to sting. There are too many people watching this video that think the word "balled" is a reference to a sexual act. This is NOT a sexual act. This is an attempt to kill what is perceived to be a foreign queen. The term "balled" in the honeybee world, is when a group of bees completely surround another bee or enemy insect, and attempt to chew away at the individual while generating heat with their wing muscles.

[Fredster411]

I must not be if I never got stung, If I had, it's not a major event for a beekeeper, and frankly, well worth the experience.

[magprob]

Absolutely amazing! Now I know what to do when I find a ball around my hives. It appears you saved one of your queens. Or, did she die later? Thank you for that.

[Fredster411]

@magprob - She definitely flew off. Whether she died later or found another hive to enter is not known. I think her days were numbered one way or the other.

[takeshitapart]

Wow, anyone who has the guts to move around, squeeze, pull and shake a fistful of angry bees is amazing. You sir are the new Chuck Norris

[thexblackxxxmombax]

what a hard ass!

[the2222full]

whoa look out we got a badass over here!

[fineshooter]

looks more like a virgin queen after she mated and got lost from your nuc

Don

the fatbeeman

[tludolph18]

@meowzy99 The bees on that queen were workers, they are perfectly capable of stinging. However, the workers are more interested in killing the queen hence they pay no attention to the guy. A queen and drone usually mate like some 20 ft in the air. This is definetly not any mating.

[TomValedro]

why not wear gloves?

[MrDesa4]

The hoodlums of the insect worl ladies and gentlemen

[missmeandsuch]

I held my breath the entire video...