Does anyone have thoughts on why an entire hive would empty itself & come flying out at me (during daylight without a cloud around) for 15 minutes? Literally 20,000-30,000 + bees in the air trying to find their way into my suit! This is the kind of time you'll find any holes in your beesuit or veil...which I did, AFTER the bees (10-15 gaining entrance).....They stung my chin so bad that it's actually puffing to 3 times the size, even though I normally show an immunity to stings now. I look like the Nutty Professer about now. A small bit of rolling smoke was used on the top, front & cracked the middle for a bit ....& waited 2-3 minutes. Splitting the hives only made it easier for them to take flight from the top of the frames. They stung me over & over & over again before I finally got their hive back together & ran off. Try killing bees inside your facemask when there are 1000's trying to get in. ONE good thing I learned today is that running into a bush or thicket confuses the chasing bees - with all the branches & leaves to contend with. This hive has been a problem since pulling them out of someone's shed 3 or 4 months ago. They're treated with the same care as all my others (most of which I only need a facemask to touch) and this sole hive stings me at every chance. Today I was extra careful with them as the slightest noise sets them to air. They've always ignored smoke before but today I saw how it enraged them. I was hoping to requeen today with a new Carnolian. Tomorrow I'll try again, though I have a new plan: First, I'll set out a new bottom board next to the old hive. I'll screen the entrance so bees can't escape. Ontop, I'll set two(2) new hives (with frames) under a queen exluder followed by a third new fully-framed deep. I plan to quickly move the two existing deeps (with queen & majority of bees) ontop of the three new deeps. I'll use a fume board to send the bees running down into the next deep. One at a time, I'll remove the two old deeps and then trap them with their cover. If all goes well, I should find the queen squirming on the queen exluder. After removing the queen, I should have a good shot at requeening. If this fails, I'll move them to a far corner of my out-apiary (queenless or queenright) & be done with them. These kind of bees take all the fun out of it! PS...Anyone who wants to help me after I take off the fume board & reassemble the hive is welcome to join me.... Any suggestions welcome. Matthew Westall in Castle Rock, CO