Tips for handling bees by Randy Oliver

Randy describes how to enter the bees’ sanctuary respectfully and perform hive inspections with minimal stinging. This lecture gives tips from a beekeeper with lifetime of experience working bees barehanded, and generally without any protective gear whatsoever. How the bees perceive you. How to understand what initiates the honey bee defence response, and how to avoid triggering it. What “upsets” bees, and what doesn’t.

[@olddave4833]

there is no doubt that Randy Oliver knows more about bees than most people but that being said, Bees are still a wild bug and no one knows what they are going to do or what they are thinking. My belief is that anyone who opens hive should wear all the protection that they can .I have many times over the past 40 years went into the bee yard with no protection and done dumb things and always paid for it by getting stung many times. Just look at what i think are the best bee keepers and people that i tell to watch if they want to learn many things. most of the northern bee keepers as I am from the north and they do what works for me the best. the Bee whisperer, Bob Binnie. the Norfolk honey company. just to name a few, I don't bother watching people who go in with a tee shirt and brag about how tame their bees are and take a few stings to show how macho they are.

[@livingadamman7994]

Yeah I agree but I don't think Randy does that, he just shows the picture of wearing shorts to illustrate selective breeding, and understanding the bees can make said possible. I don't use a suit at times of the season and off season, but I suit up with veil down if I'm doing work over many different hives as I have a fair bot of variety of temperament, I just keep gloves nearby. I can rob some of my hives in a pair of shorts like Randy on super hot days, others are all over me if I lightly disturb them. Randy gives more detail and overview than any others and I am always captivated when he speaks.

[@14623carolanne]

Thank you Randy! Have watched this twice now. I was not even using my smoker correctly. I dont have a mentor so just going in willie nillie. I am as careful as i can be. Now I have a much better understanding and foundation to build on. I can hear my frames scratching when I pull them out now. Just going to keep practicing!

[@framcesmoore]

This was really great I have never seen a prestation on anything but mites and treatment that Randy has done so this was just great Thank you for sharing it.

[@Thecrobeeman]

I have been wearing those for the last ten years. Almost exclusively. The best show... toes protection and all

[@lynnannandbenji]

I unfortunately must wear a full suit & gloves. I didn't becone "more immune" to bee venom. I developed anaphalyxix response in my 3rd year. I now suit up & carry epi pens. I refuse to give up beekeeping. It's my Zen Zone.

[@Manuherikiabeekeeping]

Gak! Eek!😅 That's rough😬 but it's not insurmountable, just take precautions and great to hear you're still moving forward with beekeeping 👋🐝

[@kylejennings819]

I guess that makes it an ep-bee pen 😂❤

[@reneefarber7806]

priceless very very good intro into respectful beekeeping - thank you a lot Randy :)

[@davidpotts3844]

Great presentation, Randy.

[@altaylor293]

Really interesting and useful presentation. Thank you for sharing.

[@morrishomesteadgirls]

Great Presentation ❤

[@pjalcasarin]

Greetings from Mana Malita Philippines

[@blackberry5908]

If you don't look at each frame how do you remove the queen cells they make during swarm season ?

[@Manuherikiabeekeeping]

I don't agree with the gloves off veil off approach. I was trained with gloves and a veil and i don't squash bees, and i find the Queen with no issues (usually)😂. This is where the proper quiet use of smoke and gently handling frames comes in. You never know what you will find when you open a hive, i have seen one of my mentors recieve 200+ stings from a hive that was perfectly fine a week previous. The only time i wont wear gloves is if im be going to be handling the Queen and ive Been in the hive that day but they are always close to hand because changes in weather can provoke a foul reaction. Smooth gentle movements aren't always possible for example three weeks ago i was checking a hobbyists hives that hadn't been opened since January it was the end of May. Everything was glued down hard because the hive hadn't been checked for five months, especially the plastic Queen excluder which i don't use myself for this very reason. Bang, got a wallop in the eyeball. Pulling a sting out of an eye 🐝⚡ is a different experience 😂 i got stung because i had to use force to free the excluder, it was stuck to every frame with heavy propolis and a crap fitting veil that was borrowed, because I didn't have mine with me at the time and a weather front was moving in that evening. If you're ok not wearing a veil, great, more power to you. It doesn't mean youre a poor beekeeper if you choose too though.

[@wilmafeuerstein434]

Fully agree with you, safety is first. I handle my queens with rubber gloves on with no problems so far. It's all patience and very careful handling. First and last time handling bees without gloves, I was stung directly intravenous in a vein at the back of my hand. In seconds I felt dizzy and had to rush down to my house as quickly as I could. My blood pressure dropped immediately after being stung in the vein. I never never never work my bees without gloves.

[@Manuherikiabeekeeping]

@@wilmafeuerstein434 I don't know where this idea of if you can't beekeep without gear on your not a proper beekeeper came along. I much admire Randy for his idea's mostly, but not that one. Nothing stops beekeeping in its tracks like a wallop in the eyeball 🐝😆

[@researcherAmateur]

I don't know. Maybe if you had them all your life after your grandpa and father before you. Before you could see all those unnecessary gadgets on still non existing internet. 50 years experience could help a little. Or even the pictures you see on this video. Maybe if you ever stop being scared of them will help and you will omit different pheromones so they don't see you as something strange in their hive. Just some ideas

[@Manuherikiabeekeeping]

@@researcherAmateur I've been beekeeping since I was 14, I'm now 54. I think I might have a little experience with bee's. I'm also not a fool with it, I respect my bee's, and I treat them with respect. I'm careful not fearful. I assure you opening a queenless hive of British- Italian hybrids without protection is a rapid way to have a hospital holiday.

[@Manuherikiabeekeeping]

@@researcherAmateur Kamon Reynolds has a video of a "hot" hive "meanest bee's I have had in years" have a look. he normally doesn't wear a veil or gloves in his yards, he is definitely wearing both in this video.

[@schammond8993]

My husband did not build up immunity. He went in the other direction Unfortunatley. 2 stings got him tbe first time. Off to urgent care. 2nd time one sting did the trick. He hates the epi pen so he's banned from the bee yard. Note: Both times he was wearing 5 mil vinyl gloves. Throat and whole body broke out in hives and swelling. No Beekeeping for him, not worth the risk.

[@kevinhoward4245]

Always wear protection You never know what mood the girls are in.

[@seansrabbitry]

Good lecture. But a lot of this won't work in my country where all our honey bees are africanized. You would get stung to death without protective gear. I have some hives that you can't get within 10 ft without bees head bumping you. Lol

[@davidmaloney2724]

Also depends where you keep bees. I have a full suit on in Ireland and my bees almost never attack me I have bees in France and they never attack me. I notice a queenless hive in Ireland will always attack but not in France. I had one that was so bad that I could not see from so many bees on my veil. I would be dead if I had no suit. In hot weather bees become very calm and plus mostly at that time they are foraging. Otherwise very good information by the speaker

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Maybe but more likely differing genetics.