Bee Suits and Why We Don't Wear Them

Barnyard bees queen lure
This is video that went viral
• How the bees act when ...
www.barnyardbees.com order bees here.
Store# [phone]
Some people feel more comfortable wearing a bee suit, and some don't. Some bees are far more gentle than others. Like I've always said, not all bees are created equal. We are very fortunate with our Barnyard Bees. They are calm easy to work with, and highly productive. Remember us when you want to get started Beekeeping . Or if you want to have gentle stock in your yard.

[@628DirtRooster]

You did this all wrong. You should have cried a little and talked about how you've always wanted a bee suit but it was either that or food. Then you could send everyone over to Patreon to help you out.

[@FloryJohann]

yeah. a little wining and fear tactics would had been all you needed. Now you have to think of something else.

[@Anotherdaynparadise]

628DirtRooster your comment paints a good picture about yourself.

[@628DirtRooster]

Hose Martinez please elaborate.

[@ItsLaneNBama]

628DirtRooster, Jose means you are screwing it up for him,

[@jraymond1988]

I'm not going to lie, I thought Barnyard Bees and 628DirtRooster were the same guy until I saw this.

[@cloroxbleach5159]

I wore a suit just to *watch* this video 😂

[@mikemillzisalwaysbeggingfo2780]

Clorox Bleach - so funny!

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

Excellent. Bees love tuxes & ties.

[@cloroxbleach5159]

Russ Ian E. Lection-Hacker 😂

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

You cannot but Clorox Bleach in my country.

[@bledzone231]

I can pretend that I was there with him, and doing nothing. Just watching him on how he handles those bees 🐝.

[@SquirrelsForAll]

David, we purchased a package from you and honestly, the bees are just fantastic. Very gentle and hard working.

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

Wish I could find a way to get some of his bees over to Europe. I'd love to see how they are compared to the ones we've got.

[@larrygall5831]

@@russiane.lection-hacker2057 Aren't these European Honeybees? What are the restrictions? Are they different after time apart, or is it concern for the killer bees we have in the southwest? I'm sure they'd frown on those.. lol

[@mikecimerian6913]

I wouldn't be surprised if you were carrying hive pheromones on you if you have many contacts. You may be a huge worker bee as far as they are concerned.

[@Dominic-yf8gm]

Mike Cimerian thats a really cool concept

[@youngandsuccessful22]

Yea you might be right about that

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

If you carry a different hive's pheromones, the bees will not like you more.

[@mikecimerian6913]

Possibly, he does reintroduce himself to quite a few bees on their territorial threshold. I am aware that each hive has its own scent-mood. Ambeesador extraordinaire maybe :)

[@bobbobroski4253]

Bees can actually apparently visually identify you.

[@chrisbgarrett]

I have one David’s queens and it’s the most gentle in my yard. Even her daughters that are mated here are gentle. It’s not handling,size,time of year,these genetics are gentle anytime.

[@FloryJohann]

Makes me wonder if anyone actually wants such a gentle bee. How do they fend off their hive if they have an intruder for example.

[@chrisbgarrett]

Yes they act like other bees but don’t see humans as a threat.

[@Noodlepunk]

@@FloryJohann you are their defender.

[@WarpedPerception]

the only thing about your bees that make me nervous is the vertical cinder blocks holding up your hives..... im sweating looking at that..oooh

[@BlacksmithTWD]

They seem to be dug into the ground,not sure how deep they go, but if it's only half or more of what is above the ground it seems firm enough.

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

Gives me the heebee jeebies as well. Knock one over and you've got 10 pissed off colonies looking for a fight. Still, I'm sure David has given this good thought.

[@honestlynate7922]

Just look at each box and think 20 lb. Collectively he's probably got a couple hundred pounds there and it's not going to be easy to knock that over

[@thegorn]

It looks quite amateur

[@Daydragon1234]

I know. Imagine if they fell over by accident.

[@Bear-cm1vl]

12 years of handling seven hives and, despite having fairly calm bees, I could never get used to being out of suit. For me, the suit allowed me to be calmer and when the handler is calm, the bees are calmer. What still amazes me is your bees' reaction to approaching their flight line and entrance; if I walked into my girl's flight line, they would light me up, let alone stick my hand in the entrance! I'm convinced you must smell like a bee, sir! 😁

[@SuperRiverRat1]

This is spot on. I only have to linger around in their flight path long enough and a few will start buzzing around my face telling me to piss off. Come through the flight path with a lwan mower and its full kamikaze mission with bees going for my head, hands, seriously lifting bums in the air just so they can REALLY jam that sting in good. I don't muck around. I suit up every time and now I even mow the apiary area with the bee suit and gloves! No suit, not for me.

[@redbone5363]

@@SuperRiverRat1 Have you ever tried Carniolan bees? I can work mine without a suit, stand in their flight path for as long as I wish, mow, weed right against the hive and not get stung. I use to keep Italians and had the same problem you do. An apery in Utah sells them and probably others but that's where I got mine. I got rid of all my Italians and went Exclusively Carniolan. I kept Italians for 20 years but would never consider going back. Just try one hive and you will see what I mean.

[@redbone5363]

Try a hive of Carniolan bees and you will throw the suit away.

[@SuperRiverRat1]

@@redbone5363 Thank you I will look into it however they appear to be not so available in Australia

[@fanatamon]

@@SuperRiverRat1 same as bees go full retard on me.

[@agjino]

My father in law developed severe reaction to bee stings in his mid 50s after shrugging off stings his whole life. A friend of his, who also dealt with bees his whole life, died in his late 60s from a bee sting allergy. He had the allergy shot in his house but it was a matter of minutes from sting to death. Keep in mind that everybody is different, and our bodies change as we age.

[@fgfg633]

So true. I was a heavy shellfish/seafood eater my whole life. Unfortunately, when I turned 40 I developed a shrimp/clam allergy. It sucks ☹️

[@lostandfound5145]

That is so sad.

[@fredgorney5738]

My wife and I are new to beekeeping and found your videos when we first got our hives. They have been so helpful and informative to us I don’t know what we would have done without you taking the time to share your knowledge. Thank you for all your help and we look forward to more of your videos.

[@isellcatlitter]

so i have been riding a motorcycle for 45 years, and i have only been hit by 3 cars so far... i am not saying i am immune to the drivers on the cell phone, but every car that hit me, the driver was on their phone.

[@ralphmitchell3435]

There's a name for people who drive while on the phone ..... F-ing Moron Idiots ! Be safe. Its dangerous on a motorcycle these days.

[@philipkraft9946]

Great video! I’ve been a small time beekeeper for years and have had a few stings with no adverse reaction; however, I took a sting one day and didn’t think anything about it, took a shower etc and woke up in the middle of the night with itching hives up and down my entire body. Had no problem breathing until I called ER and they asked me, “do you have difficulty breathing”. Long story short, the ER doctor was a beekeeper too, gave me a heavy dose of meds and all ended well. He insisted that I carry an EpiPen at all times going forward, which I do. He said our body chemistry changes over time and one day a sting will not harm you, then the next day it may. I admire you for your information but this is one beekeeper who wears the suit and carries an EpiPen.

[@beekeeper8474]

It's the fact you worked with bees without getting stung. Your family members can have the same problem because of our gear.

[@searece]

They're so cute when he scoops them up in clumps on his fingers.

[@nathantatro1936]

I went to your store yesterday July 3rd for 2 queens and some info. I probably ask questions for about 20 or 30 min while I was there. and everyone I talked to was really cool I got some great advice on a top bar transfer with my wild swarm I caught. I placed my queens it went smoothly and I wanted to thank y'all for the help. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Vocu]

Heard about a beekeeper of 50 years dropped from 1 sting after being stung for 50 years, all it takes is 1 bad reaction to be life threatening no matter how many times you have been stung before.

[@TheBaconWizard]

Sounds like myth to me.

[@George_Solar]

Found another youtube suedeo-intellectual commenting absolutely waffle 🧇

[@YB-PC-BYourself]

Well, I have zero hives. I just watch the videos to learn and remove some ignorance from being uneducated about bees. Also, the videos are interesting. Lovely piece of property you have to boot. I have seen other videos on aggressive or pissy hives and no a chance I would not wear a protective suit in those conditions; not Africanized bees in any of them.

[@visionsovshiva]

I couldn't have said it better

[@rays7437]

Same here

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

It's got a lot to do with pain tolerance. You build tolerance up. Folks walk around everyday in pain. If they magically could transfer that pain to you instantly you'd be on the ground screaming. Same with playing with a cat. Do it a lot and get used to the claws you'll come out bleeding and it doesn't hurt much. I expect it's the same as bees. you get used to the sting and the burning. You expect it. You know the worst of it. So the sting isn't a surprise. While the next person not used to it and surprised by it acts like they've been shot. Doesn't matter one way or another. If you play with bees you are going to get stung. bee suits are sting resistant but they aren't sting proof without extra precautions. I just got my first two hives ever. I don't have a suit. Just a veil, gloves, smoker and a white sweater. Whether I wear any of it or not is a matter of what I'm doing. I found one piece of advice on a video that was priceless concerning suiting up or not. The person said if you don't know if you can take a sting on your finger without dropping the frame you are holding then you should suit up until you can. Bees are like any other livestock or pet. It's their welfare that matters. It's their welfare that get us what we want. Someone playing hero taking a sting and dropping a frame is not concerned with the welfare of the bees. But I watch videos of BB here, 628 or the FBM and they only pause for a second to scratch out the stinger. Never saw a frame drop or even so much as a jerk or flinch. That's not crazy it's called comfortable and accepting. You watch some videos of people in full head to toe protection not being stung that can't hold their cool with bees flying around outside the veil. First time I opened my hives was scary as hell. When your first experience with bees is all by yourself looking into a full 10 frame bought from a commercial bee keeper built up and ready for honey supers that is a very serious number of bees to be looking at. Only experience I had was watching a 1000 youtube videos. It's been about a month and a half now. I did two late season splits with a couple frames from each of my two 10 frames and some purchased queen cells. I went into those nucs yesterday to see if I had laying queens. I suited up because I am not yet sure I could take a sting and not flinch or drop the frame. I had laying queens in both nucs. I have some pollen patties on those nucs cause they were small splits and they had used them up. So later on yesterday I went out with no protection at all and put patties on both. Why? To lazy to suit up! Too hot to suit up! I wasn't messing in the frames. A bee sting or two won't kill me. But I got to be sure that a bee sting doesn't cause me to kill them. Best advice I can give to anyone newer or greener than I is to do what I did. Take a bunch of time grab a plastic lawn chair, a coffee and a smoke if you do that. go set that chair right beside the hive just on the edge of their flight path right near the front of the hive a foot or two and just sit there and watch. You'll have bees flying around you maybe even running into you accidentally. But just sit there. Soon they'll be landing resting and grooming on you. They truly are very cute little critters. I needed to do this because I have never been a bug fan and have a very very strong swing instinct. I needed to get past that immediate and reflexive response to get rid of that fear. The honey is great. My first splits being successful are great. But, the most rewarding part is just sitting there with a coffee and a smoke watching them do their thing. They will tech you alot by watching them. You can see how much pollen is coming in or nectar. You can see if they need supplemental or if they are doing great without even cracking a hive. You can see if they are being pestered by other robber bees or wasps, hornets. If bees are constantly being harassed they probably won't be too happy if you're always rooting through the hive also. Great genetics will give you tame bees but if they have to constantly be defending against actual intruders it won't remain that way. Rooting through a hive once a week is no more important to a new bee keeper than observing a hive once a week or more. I often see videos of folks saying they have a mean hive and immediately talk about pinching the queen. Aggression can be genetics. It can also be a response to external pressure. pinching that queen will only work if the aggression is genetic. If it's caused by anything external then you just wasted money, time and made the problem worse. 20 hives in a yard doesn't mean a skunk or other influence isn't always just after the one hive over and over and only observations can tell you that. When I was taking those small splits out of my hives I couldn't find the one queen for the life of me. It was either this channel or 628 dirt that had a video about knowing where the queen is without finding her. I had taken a frame out looked up and down twice and put it into a box. I went through every single frame twice. Then I noticed something. The hive was roaring and I mean Roaring. I opened that nuke with the one frame and they were happy as clams. She had been on the first frame I inspected and took out the entire time. If I had been paying attention to them instead of blinders on looking. I could have saved a lot of time. better late than never. I accomplished my task. I would have never seen or understood that behavior if not for these folks and their videos. Instead of criticizing these folks over stupid shit I think maybe a bit of appreciation is in order. These folks aren't crazy for not suiting up. Fact is they know more about bee behavior then most ever will. I have watched these guys work. They find an aggressive hive. Do they root through it with no suit? no they leave it alone. They go back a day or two later in optimal conditions. If it's still aggressive then they look for external causes. It's only if the aggression persists with no found external causes that they pinch a queen. Then they suit up for the task or run the gauntlet and hope for the best. I see this all the time on videos. Folks with not enough time raising bees or the time to raise bees. It goes like this: You'll have some person explain how they haven't checked their bees in three weeks cause they were on holidays at the lake or something doing an inspection video. They open the hive and bees come out a bit aggressively immediately. Do they stop or take it real easy? Hell no! They're dressed up like the Michelin man and immediately and roughly root through the hive to the last frame complaining the whole time how aggressive the bees have become and they don't understand it. Then a bit later they do a video replacing the queen. They should have put a camera videoing the hive for a couple hours after the inspection to get the bees carrying out the corpses of their fallen comrades caused by the inspection after 3 weeks of no human contact. Maybe then they might understand aggression. Bees live around 6 weeks Which means that if you only bother to look at the hives every three weeks a bee has how much human interaction? What was that interaction like for them? After 3 weeks you have a whole lot of bees in that hive that have never even had human contact which means if you are rough and kill some then to half of the hive population humans are dangerous. They are bugs but their survival depends on the ability to recognize and defend against threats. That's why these folks don't wear suits. That's why these folks can work in almost any weather conditions. It's why these folks rarely deal with aggressive hives. It's got more to do with knowing when to stop then it has to do with knowing when to go.

[@TheHonestTruth]

Rough And Wretched R.A.W. longest comment ever seen

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

It's youtube not twitter. Video's are longer than it takes to read the comment so it all good. Unless folks can't read, that is.

[@steviewander2693]

You should write a book, oh wait......

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

Can't live on twitter alone. or can you?

[@unghuugh916]

It was long, but very informative and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to write.

[@4narchi5t]

8:50 That buzzing in my ear got me. Any other headphone wearers flinch?

[@jdroo]

He got stung when he picked em up, you could hear the shake in his voice.

[@chadmatheny449]

This is my second year having bees. At the beginning of this year, after watching all the videos, I stopped wearing a suit. Haven’t been stung once. The more confident I am the calmer they seem to be. Your videos have made a huge impact on me. I can’t wait to see all the new videos.

[@davedykes8471]

Watching this a year after. I bought a nuc from you guys this year. I kept bees in the 90s , and these are definitely the gentlest bees I've ever worked with.

[@jenniemetts9647]

I had a swarm of honey bees on my front porch years ago. Not one sting when I was in the middle of them. I love honey bees. Thanks for your videos, very informative!

[@LionheartedDan]

Yeah swarming bees usually won’t sting.

[@sweetirisfarm]

*You get stung a lot and iz why you're so swole, lol! ;)*

[@nmatthew7469]

and..itchy, it's the itchyness the next day that drives me nuts

[@ITSJB2]

Christopher Hrouda first of all that’s very racist to refer that just because of a grammar mistake she hangs around uneducated blacks and second I think she means swole as the intention of her comment... now shut up

[@fullup91]

Christopher Hrouda ... swole mean buff you racist fuck.

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Nonsense, swole according to the oxford dictionary is a dialect form of swollen. The use might be more common among uneducated blacks compared to the total population, in wich case the accusation of racism is unwarrented.

[@ignorthepain]

Hey bees don't care to be man handled who knew. Who gives a crap what swole means.

[@double_digit_life.9268]

I just bought my 1st hive of bees from you. They are the gentlest little creatures! I am so glad I chose your bee farm as my starter! My daughter and I haven't gotten bee suits as of yet, and this video has encouraged me to just trust myself and my bees. Thanks for this!

[@redbone5363]

Work slow and gentle without crushing bees and you will be fine.

[@niceguy4u1000]

I am a new beekeeper, I just started about a year ago. My bees started off very nice and I could handle them and get close to their hive just as you have demonstrated. Then out of the blue they started to become very aggressive and could not get close to the hive anymore and have to suit up. Luckily I have a great mentor and the gal from the department of agriculture helped me find the queen and had to kill her. About 5 days after that, I introduced a new queen and they accepted her and now the bees are starting to calm down.

[@bduerr5082]

My dad did not use a suit for well over 10 year. He would get stung once in a while and it was never a problem, ever. Then one day he got stung and within a few minutes he was in anaphylactic shock. He almost died. He literally had an out of body experience at the hospital and saw the doctors saying he was dead. He recovered and 2 more times he got stung years later and both times he went into anaphylactic shock again. I have also had 2 neighbors have to give up beekeeping because they both started getting anaphylactic shock reactions. They got stung 4-5 times yer year for a few years and all of a sudden they were done.

[@marcosross790]

I agree, the body can only take so much. Like no one goes deaf or even have hearing problems after their first day, nor in some cases their first year. But over time their hearing will go. That is a certainty.

[@kiddiescripterkiller]

It's not getting stung so many times... It's your body changing... I went through a 10 year period where I would get hives if I leaned against, kneeled or sat on a hard surface... Or if I used power tools my hands would swell up and itch... Got tested for allergies, did the food diary... Doctors or myself couldn't figure it out what triggered it... Didn't have that problem until I turned 35... Then it just went away shortly after my 45th birthday.

[@ghoulishtheories7979]

An allergy to hard surfaces...? That honestly sounds preposterous... It could have been sawdust or a fine powder-like object that gave you the reaction.

[@kiddiescripterkiller]

@@ghoulishtheories7979 didn't say I was allergic to hard surfaces... I said I was tested for allergies to see if something was triggering the hives based on if I had any pressure applied to a small section of my body... If I leaned against a corner with my shoulder... I would get a hive shaped like the corner on my body... If I took my finger and pressed on my forearm really hard, I would get a hive in that spot... The spots would swell up and itch... Work on your reading comprehension skills...

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

I know people who never kept bees who are allergic to their sting, and I know 70 year beekeeping veterans who have no issue. You can hide your whole life in fear, or you can just do what you enjoy for as long as you enjoy it.

[@calypsodream8059]

"Bees are genetically engineered to recognize royalty." 😆 From the movie, "Jupiter Ascending."

[@keithwiehrs5308]

Great explanation David. I agree. Since I've only been keeping bees since March, I have definitely been get more confident around them. I'll especially agree that the bees I got from Barnyard Bees are calm and enjoyable to work with! Keep up the great information and videos.

[@Harbinger28567]

You are a very brave man. I couldn't scoop up bees bare handed like that. I tip my hat to you.

[@doher-beesandchickens7420]

They are calm until they turn hot, we had a hive go all hell bent for no reason, and I don't wear a suit, but I will tell you what, I paid for it. It's better to have protection, or pay the price, even if it happens once in a blue moon, it happens.

[@doher-beesandchickens7420]

Malcolm Megibben the reason was genetics - testing confirmed

[@chrisbgarrett]

Always a reason for a hive to turn. A queen mates with up to 15+ drones. If one of them was Africanized,then you will get hot hive when that genetics has its turn to pop up. Pest can irritate a hive or a dirth can as well. You need to know your bees.

[@doher-beesandchickens7420]

So, if your hive goes queen-less, they raise a new queen and mates with said drone, Chris, how would you know your bees? It is nature ;)

[@chrisbgarrett]

M D ,I’m in an Africanized area and NW San Antonio on edge of the hill country. There aren’t many bees in a box nearby. I’ve seen some of my bee sizes also change from normal cell to small cell and shortly after the temperament changes. Africans are small cell around here. I decided to buy mated queens from the north this year and requeen my angry hives from last year. So far so good.

[@Frankstar22]

the same happend to me. and now im wearing my suit again :D and guess what - i dont care at all ... and i dont give a f if anyone does

[@frogkic]

You have balls of steel, that’s what you’re showing -respect for sure

[@psychotropnilachtan8869]

Bricks and wooden planks, what a hi-tech setup. It looks like first windstorm is going to blow it away

[@Alleellaa]

I really enjoy your videos. You seem like a very kind person. I'm gonna go check out the video you referenced now!! Thank you for saving the bees and educating us!! ☺️

[@GarrettTruesdale]

4:51 "whether it's a full bee suit, whether it's nothin" Imagining goin in butt naked

[@toddachten2224]

I rarely wear a vail but I do know when I should wear it. My wife is meaner than my bees! 😂

[@mekan0001]

you need a wife suit.

[@carmelrose6327]

Your crazy ....lol!!!

[@lostandfound5145]

@@mekan0001 what does a wife suit look like? Holding a broom in one hand and a toddler in the other and look like you’re helping? 😂 wife immune

[@mekan0001]

@@lostandfound5145 Haha, made my day.

[@mekan0001]

@@lostandfound5145 I think looking like we are helping is a good first step towards ACTUALLY helping. That takes years and years of doing more harm than good before we learn though.

[@philmatwat]

My great grandfather and his sons raised Bees. They had a pollinate Business long time ago. My uncle told me they never used bees suits or gloves. Just like you. It’s Nice to know their are still people that still does this method.

[@kankrivantas5536]

Also bees can recognize people! So they know he's not going to hurt them because he always comes by and takes care of them and feeds them :)

[@VoIPPortland]

As a teen I had a crawfishing business and ran 100+ traps. First year got pinched dozens of times, maybe hundreds. Year 2 - 6? Not once. You develop a feel for them.

[@cattailsunrise7176]

Literally gets stung at 3:56 and doesn't even mention it. Why?

[@stabbityjoe7588]

cuz it happens so often

[@antonychigurh8939]

RIP to the bee that gave his life for this man's video 🥺

[@BeesBikinis]

You sometimes don't even realize or feel it after a while.

[@jeffcarnes7015]

Enjoy your channel, an your sharing is helping this new beekeeper. Thank you

[@henerymag]

I never considered keeping bees but I love watching the little guys flying around and working. Your videos are very informative and have answered a lot of questions I've had. It's all very interesting. Cheers from Quebec, Canada

[@AldoSchmedack]

Such nice bees!

[@kenmancini6088]

You can develop a bee allergy in mid-life. Mine seemed to come the next time I got stung (by a wasp) a couple of years after a yellow jacket attack.

[@alexromanov5761]

Well, you may have znot been allergic to the yellow jacket, only the wasp.

[@mlboone3028]

I bought two hives from you this year and I can say they are not mean at all they are calm and so far have never stung me

[@goosegooser1588]

Bet your neighbours are just thrilled with joy over your ‘ little’ bee garden. I’m impressed.

[@BeeToZFL]

Lol...David. i have 10 frames Honey colonies along with 3 and 5 frame colonies for splits. They can all be calm or mean. Just depends. Mean only when mites were high. If they are healthy, they are calm and nice. As far as suit vs no suit (or PPE), it all depends on your confidence level and knowing your bees. There are times all open them up at dusk with nothing on without any issues. Good video. Good points. Thanks for putting out the info!

[@chrisbgarrett]

Nectar,and pollen are a big deal as well

[@SolidusSnapes]

how can you work with the weight of your balls holding you down. those things are made of steel.

[@silvernblack3759]

Appreciate the info. I've always wondered why some wear suits and some don't.

[@FMichael1970]

You're like the 'Godfather'...The 'Don of Bees'...Really enjoy your work, and videos - I'm learning more than I ever knew about bees!

[@stenprostyle9121]

YALL DONT NEED TO TEACH ME HOW TO BEE A BEE KEEPER I HAVE WATCHED THE BEE MOVIE

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

Fine. Bee that way.

[@CraziChris]

You just shrekt him

[@prmcollin]

I wonder if the bees have a collective familiarity with you that has been bred into them over the years. Your smell, your voice, your habits...you may actually have a calming influence on them because of how you’ve helped them thrive. Great videos!

[@timanderson9466]

I watched a lot of your vids and this answered the burning questions.

[@onlylima]

Wow you have true dedication a hero someone who's name should never be forgotten bees are so important for our ecosystem ✊🏾💯💛🌺🐝

[@wyldeman]

What do you do about mowing?

[@MuskratOutdoors]

This is only our second year with bees, but we have never worn a suit or gloves, but I do wear the head net most of the time. We have 10 frame hives, I have to ask, why are yours so small? It doesn't look like you stack 2 high, don't they get crowded pretty fast? We split one this spring to keep them from swarming, but there was so many they swarmed anyway. Probably could have split into several hives instead of just two. Most of the time when I get stung, it's because I squeezed one I didn't see. Every once in awhile, last fall especially, they are ornery!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

OK, that makes sense .. Do you sell the bees as starter nucs then? Thank you for getting back with me! I'm subscribed and been watching your videos for some time trying to figure this out!

[@chrisbgarrett]

Muskrat Outdoors ,old queens will swarm,either last fall or last year. You need to search “Artificial swarming “ that’s best way to not lose bees. Farming honey is way different than farming bees. Get early replacement queens for honey operations. Don’t give any queen a name. Won’t hurt as much when you pinch them.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Thank you. We checked our bees today. The hive that swarmed, still has no sign of eggs but two queen cells have hatched. We didn't see any queen, so hopefully she will make it back from the breeding flight. Both splits are doing well, eggs, larva and capped brood. There aren't many bees in the hive that swarmed. It was almost a month ago now, so we robbed a frame of capped brood minus the bees from another hive, hoping to keep them going. My thinking was that after a month, these bees might be getting too old if she makes it back to raise more. I'm not sure if that is sound reasoning or not, but that is what we did. I'm afraid we might loose this hive. It was doing so well too......

[@billgoobinhoffer4705]

You obviously know what you’re doing so I wouldn’t care what anybody on KZbin has to say. I enjoy your videos. I learn a lot from you and other beekeepers. I am learning how to be a beekeeper. I’ve read one textbook. I plan on starting next year! Thanks for the information!

[@StoutShako]

You're like the AntsCanada of beekeeping. Love it! You do you, sir!

[@Hanky_Bannist8r]

So is there a difference between bee's that are interacted with daily vs say a wild hive ? I would assume so but you mentioned genetics and that threw me off.

[@buggsy5]

I haven't noticed any major differences in the US, but most feral hives are at least partly interbred from our domestic stocks.

[@derekbest9703]

Serious question. When you mow the grass around that many hives, do they get agitated or do they not really care?

[@knightaaron7]

Derek Best. Yes they fing hate the motar vibrarions bee it mower or weedwacker lol i have to wear extra padding when doing entances. I love being in my suit im confedent and having the hood off but its like a suit of armor why not and ill go weeks without being stung

[@turkeycreekhomestead]

Everyone's bees are different.. I have 4 hives and I run my zeroturn all around them and then I weed eat under them. My bees don't buzz me or even acknowledge I'm there. But one of my mentors only mows with his suit on because his bees hate the mowers so much.

[@derekbest9703]

ty

[@derekbest9703]

ty

[@chriskennedy7534]

I'm a new keeper, built up to 3 hives over last 2 years, and I was determined early on to just wear a veil, was told you go slow, respect them if your bare, versus going in bull at a gate if you think your all covered up. You sure do have a full yard. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrJackwork]

On the whole, I am always amazed at how docile and tolerant my bees are (even "wild" swarm hives).

[@taraakins8273]

I have one hive. I fell in love with watching my husband with his "dad's" bees and I finally was able to get some after those being gone for years . I've never messed with bees before but I only follow one main rule when i tend them. I don't wear dark colors. The other day I was in a white floral sun dress and they seemed to not mind me at all. I've yet to be stung but I know I will..I hope they get my bad hand!! I am looking into getting a netted hat though. Pink is nice XD oh and I "sing" to them. I'm not sure why I started that but day one there I was in a very low monotone hum going.".heeeeey beeees..doooont stiiiing meeeee beeees" lol

[@Tamburello_1994]

Barnyard Bees? Looks more Backyard Bees if anything... I think you're awesome. Liked and subbed for great content.

[@carmelrose6327]

Hats offf to you David you are the Bee King

[@davidhaught84]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!!!

[@alexpostevka1216]

I am a rookie to bee keeping. I just bought 2 nuces bout a week ago and I'm learning every single day but I have found your videos very very helpful.

[@Nexus-ub4hs]

I think the bees can sense your spirit, they know you love them

[@snowieherrera7710]

Hey David, just a suggestion for those who want to get into beekeeping and don’t know if they have a severe allergy to honey bees. My husband and I asked our Dr. before we started our hives to allow us to have our blood tested. We did and we both have a mild reaction to the honey bee sting. Since we got our “girls” we found out they occasionally will get a little cantankerous and sting us. Usually happens when it is cloudy or if we have to go in the hives when it is raining. They are Italian and if I play opera they are happier.🤪. Thanks for your videos. Appreciate your knowledge. Bless you

[@George-nx5lo]

ANYONE will become allergic if you do not get stung at least once a month. If. you have a family, every family member has to be stung once a month. This is extremely important as you see, if you don't you can die very very easily. Your children and wife are even greater risk. 1 in 100 people are allergic, but 1 in 10 beekeepers families are allergic....

[@zedmeinhardt3404]

​@@George-nx5lo I know it's been a while since this comment, but I enjoyed what appears to be a joke? 😂

[@royalmess3433]

You are my favorite! Non beeks cannot understand!!!

[@KrumpN08]

Thank you for what you do!! 🖤

[@templedown]

me: I'll try to do what David does... Bees: EEEHHHHHHH OOOOOO EEHHHHH!!!! Me: ow. ow. ow. OWWWWWWW. ;)

[@seriouslysydney524]

A larger hive is going to be more aggressive. Smaller hives like these have less to defend. I started with a small swarm and I could handle them without suiting up, no problem. By the end of the year, I had to watch out and suit up.

[@z40akimb07]

Sydney Groat watch 5:45

[@chrisbgarrett]

Yes but,can be said. I know what you are saying. But I took in a couple swarms last year and ended up with 2 Africanized type this year

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

It's not the hive size, it's the seasons. End of summer the droughts occur, so bees have trouble finding food and robbing increases. As a result they get more defensive. Lower temperatures also make them more irritated when you open the hive.

[@mikeries8549]

Thru the magic of editing this channel will never show anything negative. It's an ad for his bee business.

[@3minutestill]

I can honestly say you are not the only beekeeper that handles bees in a gentle yet confident manner. It's because of how you handle your bees that I feel like I could handle them too! Lol ofcourse this doesn't mean I'm going straight into keeping. I just feel confident enough to go to a bee farm and learn more(if I ever get the chance to do so) and see if this is what I really wanna do later on in my life.

[@jlhomestead954]

I totally agree with you. I have worked with Bees for 45 years and I have never worn a Bee Suit. I do have a hat and veil if I ever need it but most of the time I never need one. Sometimes my Bees will get little aggressive, and I know when to back off.

[@Cardigor]

Aren't you worried that all those stings will make you develop an anaphylactic allergy? I'm taught at a swedish beekeeping course that it can happen at sting 2 or sting 256 or whenever after the first sting.

[@Cardigor]

Yeah that's in the "whenever" part then so I'm guessing you're not. Well good luck to you. I enjoy your videos. Thanks

[@chrisbgarrett]

You will build immunity as you get stung more. Sting still hurts at beginning it you freak out less and reactions go away

[@duncanwright7027]

Chris Garrett not fully true, you can build up so much poison that just one sting takes you over the edge and people have died after years with no reaction.

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

Aren't you worried that you might get run over? It could happen when you cross a road for the 2nd time, or when you cross a road for the 256th time, or whenever after the first time you cross a road.

[@duncanwright7027]

@@russiane.lection-hacker2057 I havent noticed anyone saying don't worry, if you get run over 10 times, the 11th won't hurt you, so a bit of a rubbish comment really.

[@PDavis-iq7bj]

Beautiful bee yard 🐝

[@RudyMogavero]

Everything you said, spot on. My experience, little as it is, anyway lined up exactly with want you said. Another thing is how you treat them. Calm, cool, and collected and the bed generally stay the same. Good video.

[@icewendigo2320]

You are in a position to breed over the next years bees that sting less and less than average, this is very valuable for anyone that seeks a less agressive breed of bees to start a hive. You could systematically identify hives that have stung you less, then make more of those with their genetics, and from those identify those that sting even less, and so on

[@krazykracken1159]

I just woke up from a dream where I was inspecting my agressive hive, and they were in my nose and mouth and face. Good thing it was a dream!

[@leatherDarkhorse]

Krazy Kracken not the bees ahhhhhhh not the bees

[@chrisbgarrett]

Those are great hives to make splits from. Kill the queen,wait a week. Scratch the queen cells away,wait a day,give them a good frame of eggs from a gentle hive and wait 10days. Cut cells if you can,and split the hive. Those angry bees do a great job of protecting from robbing and I feel that they protect the virgin queen on her mating. Key for angry hives is to give them hope. eggs=hope. I do 2 frame splits early,and 4 frame splits once flow is over like now. Been working

[@supercool1312]

2 seconds later: why are my bees stinging me?

[@beemanminnesota7683]

the key is confidence. Honeybees communicate by pheromones and when a person is afraid they also put out a pheromone called adrenaline which trigger bees to attack. That's why a new beekeeper will get stung and the seasoned beekeeper may not get stung. When I worked over 100 hives per day I always wore a suit because I had not time to mess around, I was always concentrated on max honey production.

[@salmanahjum-mathee9055]

Full respect to you for being able to have the confidence to handle bees and work with them while not wearing a bee suit

[@menosbbgirl]

Judging from the thumbnail...ummm I think you look just fine without one on!!! 😻😜☺️ Yes, I just embarrassed myself by saying that but oh well!😹

[@109strcastle]

I think that they probably know you, and like you, due to the fact that every time they see you their environment improves somehow. Maybe you feed them, or clean them, or whatever you do to take care of them, they come to understand and trust you, and probably even like it when you arrive.

[@bertellijustin6376]

They ain’t people silly. It’s genetics. Calm gentle bees + an immunity to the venom + experience.

[@keithdevillier1459]

I've watched many videos read a lot but everytime I come straight back to you you explain in detail really truly enjoy your videos Keith Devillier South Louisiana

[@atomicplaygirl66]

I want to thank you esp for this video. I am watching mainly to desensitize myself from bee/wasp phobia. Starting w your gentle h bees and will work up to videos of wasps and hornets. After about a month, this is my very first time watching where my heart didn't race and I didn't become nauseous. That is real progress for me. I am learning so much and am beginning to admire and respect these hard workers.

[@atomicplaygirl66]

@@davidhaught84 Well even w my phobia I always get my neighbor to catch and release for me when they show up in my house......while I hide in the bathroom. Ha! Can't stand to see people kill insects just because. Even bees. Thank you for your comment! I just noticed how colorful your setup is. Reminds me of French Quarter in New Orleans.

[@PhillyDjHook]

I wear a suit and I still get stung on my butt. My wife ask me, why do I be cutting the cheeks out? I tell her *Bee* 🐝 cause, I wanna *Bee* 🐝 free. (I'm a big Prince fan 💜)

[@londonbeekeeper4852]

I am also beekeeper

[@o.osuq-madiq2008]

Liar

[@izzy_ondomink]

Cool.

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

That's what they all say.

[@tomtom-vg7ru]

A big thank you from france!

[@Arcae95]

You are a mans man. Ive grown to consider bees to be gentle and cute. And the you this man of a man comes out and holds them and its gold

[@russiane.lection-hacker2057]

I never even wore a veil... until during a swarm catch one bee flew right into my ear. Man, the noise that makes! Took weeks for my hearing to recover.

[@mechanicalmonster2115]

Firstly, I love your vids! Secondly, I am a 4th gen apiary worker. My grandfather and father still runs their own yards. I can say proudly that I have worked bees... barefoot, in shorts, sleeveless shirts, with the only protection being a veil. You are so right, it really comes down to confidence! Too many people out in the world, just don't get that.

[@austinsavage5962]

This is probably the only man in existence thats this humble about picking up a swarm of bees

[@johnnybigpotato2404]

Sir. I genuinely appreciate your videos above and beyond what you can imagine. I do not want to get weird or anything but keep in mind. This is still a colony of women!!! :) I have every bit of confidence that they know your voice and your smell. You have carefully, over time developed a unique relationship with these bees that few beekeepers will ever attain. For this, I SALUTE YOU! :) I HIGHLY recommend NO ONE ELSE TRY THIS!!! ... until you have developed a genuinely personal relationship with your bees. Much Love Bro. Keep it coming!

[@climbingthemountain26.]

I believe the reason you don't get stung by your bees, is because they know you. They're not stupid and they know your scent, they know you care for them and they're not frightened of you. It's as simple as that. Also, I'd say, if you wear a bee suit, don't have a black visor/netting, over your face. White netting or any other colour than black, as you know they hate the colour black and will naturally go into attack mode.

[@beemanminnesota7683]

Your kind of close, your right when the bees knows a persons scent or lack of one, if the bees detected adrenaline they would sting, that's why the person that swats at a bee usually gets more of the same or stung. Bees communicate by pheromones and that is the reason beekeepers use smoke before entering the hive to block pheromone scent and cause the bees to suck up honey in case of fire. full bees are less likely to sting also attack pheromones are blocked by smoke. You can always tell if your going to get stung, when a bee hits ya and leaves a banana scent on your skin, that scent is an attack pheromone. I have two hives in my garden and today a walked up and looked in one without a smoker or any protection, the trick is no fear and move slowly.

[@shegocrazy]

True. They don't like dark colours (esp black) and they don't like perfumed aromas. In theory you shouldn't even use shampoo on your hair if you intend to check your bees.

[@johnhuhn621]

Thanks you for your video. It all boils down to one thing.....C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E.....which comes with experience. Thanks again.

[@petedavidson6931]

Your so neutral in your opinion, “ do what you feel comfortable with “. Based on your farm I’d agree with millions you know what your doing. Thank You Very Much for sharing your knowledge.

[@pulverize3]

I like your style and your attitude

[@overlycreative1]

Happy 4th David, Nothing like a little TLC on the yard before the BBQ that is sure to be part of your day. Thumbs up for great information.

[@randyc5650]

What is being grown in your area that can support all of those bees?

[@juans6639]

I remember my grandfather who had 27 hives in the very early 1950's. He ONLY wore overalls, long sleeve shirt and would walk right up to the hives like you, (He used a smoker) to calm them down before he started working on the hives. This came to an end when a flood wiped all his bee hives in 1954. Fond memories, Good video.