Does this come under bee health ? Maybe. One of my hives was absolutely atrocious last week when I went to collect the super. At first I thought it was perhaps due to some night disturbance, as the omf was sagging slightly, so Pine Marten sprang to mind. But on reflection I have come to this conclusion. I took with me a light blue cloth to wipe down the tray I had left there to carry the super. One or two bees came to investigate as I was doing so, a short distance from the hive. Within seconds the air was full of totally angry bees intent on stinging anything they could - I detached 125 from my smock and gloves when I got home, so that wasn't counting the ones that had dislodged whilst I was taking my gear off. So what happened to make them so angry and defensive ? Well I have come to the conclusion that the one or two bees that came initially got caught in the cloth, stung the cloth, which triggered the reaction from the rest of the hive. The cloth was a microfibre cloth and I only reached that conclusion after using one today and feeling how the rough skin on my hands caught on it, perhaps then, so did the bees,and felt trapped. The cloth I used was totally peppered with stings when I retrieved it yesterday. Microfibre is definitely detrimental to bee health !
Aberdeenshire, on top of a wind-swept and exposed hill.
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And they weren't cross because you took their honey?
I don't know about the cloth ... I once had my camera in its case slung over my shoulder. The case is made of a kind of artificial, woven, waterproof fibre and the bees made a bee-line (sorry) for the camera trying to sting it to death. At the time I thought it was because the case was black - a black blob against my white bee suit - but perhaps the cloth might also have had something to do with it.
Kitta
Last edited by Mellifera Crofter; 11-09-2012 at 07:50 PM.
I've had no problems carrying a camera case around bees but my new Thornes gloves had an artificical fibre size-tag on an outside seam (the sort of stuff that tends to fray quite easily). Bees always had a go at it and I came to the conclusion that they got stuck then panic set in. There was always a frantic buzzing from one bee or another on that bit of my glove and it did seem to set off a bit of stinging even with my generally nice bees. The problem vanished when I cut off the tabs!
It can't have been that I was taking the honey as I was cleaning the tray prior to going to the hive, although they would probably have been more defensive in general. It's interesting that others have had similar experiences with different types of cloth. I do use manipulation cloths on the hive, but they are made from old worn adapted cotton tea towels and the bees can walk freely over them without getting snagged. I had never before considered the fibre content of cloths and the possibilty of snagging, but it's something I will be very careful of in the future.
Microfibre cloths have a small electric charge - which is why they attract and retain dust and why they are so effective.
Imagine you are a bee with lots of small hairs and they get charged up.. It would be akin to hair standing on end.
Bees hate electric storms and get uppity when one is close.. so in my opinion microfibre cloths are likely to have a similar effect as will anything with electrostatic charges...
It's amazing just how much static can build up on artificial fibres. I once gave the horse and myself a nasty nip when brushing her with a nylon dandy brush while wearing a fleece!
I didn't know that microfibre cloths had a small electric charge. Would I have thought of that before using it ? Probably not, as in my mind it wasn't going anywhere near them. What I do find amazing though is, because of this, I have been unintentionally been taught a very valuable lesson by the bees themselves - and they're not the ones that read the books ! Mull is so sunny Trog, that you only need a t-shirt most of the time [ but I only visit on sunny days ].
Ladies this thread has been great as I am planning making my first manipulation clothes over winter, ready for spring. I won't be taking anything near the bees that is not just plain smooth cotton.
Microfibre
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