I don't mind sharing, but only have limited experience with BeeWeaver bees
as I only ordered 4 packages.  These were delivered Spring2011 so my "data"
is already a couple years old.  I should also add that that was my second
year keeping bees (at least since I was a kid with my Dad before varroa).
The weather was miserable and I botched the install somewhat (should have
waited), but they survived my "management" anyway.  They started out fine,
not too fiesty, but that was when they were small.  Of the 4 hives I had
one that took off well, one that didn't, and one that usurped the last one
(different story, but see Wyatt Magnum's article in Bee Journal a while
back, damnedest thing to watch you bees killing each other and nothing you
can do about it).  By late summer the hives were getting testy and we were
getting greeted in the garden (our garden is a little over 2acres and the
bees are at the back of it so usually 50-100 yards away).  I only had one
of the 4 beeweavers overwinter, the two hives never recovered well from the
usurption.  The Spring of 2012 was extremely early and the hive took off
like mad and just got meaner.  They ended up swarming and I split down the
remainder into 3 nucs as they still had a huge population and tons of swarm
cells.  I've only played with a dozen or so swarms on my own, but this is
the only one that ever stung me while in bivowac (not a squished bee, left
the cluster to sting me during perfect weather the day after swarming).
The reswarmed after my capture; my wife said good riddance.

I still have one daughter hive from them that hasn't been combined or
requeened.  They do not seek me out in the garden even rototilling fairly
close I only get a few riled up, but I can't hardly inspect them.  If
anyone has any ideas here I'd appreciate it.  I've tried several times in
the middle of clover flow here under practically perfect weather.  I smoked
them, waited a couple minutes, carefully popped the lid and managed to get
stung on the hands three times without pulling a single frame.  I tried
gloves after that and they left stingers in the gloves and then found my
legs.  At this point I toss on supers and ignore them and they leave me
alone.  It should be interesting this fall when I pull them off I guess.  I
thought someone posted about training people to work with african bees
without gloves... I'd be interested to see if there are any recommended
techniques beyond moving slowly and carefully.


If they weren't near the house they might be acceptable, they did survive
without treatments (when they weren't busy killing each other), they should
have been productive if they hadn't swarmed.  I wholeheartedly respect and
admire what they are trying down there, but they were not the bees for me.
There's tons of postings on BeeSource on Beeweavers, it's a mixed bag, but
there's enough hotness reports I won't be ordering them again, they weren't
any fun and that's better than half the reason I keep bees.  Maybe just bad
luck on my part <shrug>, I'm trying Russians now, they are building up
nicely on my new clover field.  I'd rather keep gentle bees and deal with
dangerous acid, it's more predictable.

Jeremy
West Michigan

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