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which are hardier, brood up better and produce more honey. Unfortunately with the introduction of the Africanized bees in the late 1980s about 70% of the feral hives in Southern California have some degree of Africanization. If the bees are 1 % Africanized they can be very docile if they are 100% Africanized they will sting from some distance from the hive. Feral hives should only be kept by more experienced beekeepers with some buffer zone from their neighbors just in case they become defensive. A hive will not show its true temperament until it is larger in size. Being able to recognize Africanized genetics when the hive is small and docile is critical. There are three signs: 1. The bees run on the frame instead of sitting still. 2. The bees fly off the frames. 3. The bees start singing the beekeeper. Only more experienced beekeepers will be able to recognize these signs and take the appropriate measures to requeen the hive with a non Africanized queen. Since the queen determines the genetics for the entire hive by requeening in approximately 60 days (the life span of a bee from egg to death) the entire genetic makeup of the hive can be changed. If caught early, the hive can be made docile before it gets large enough to be mean. If you are not and experienced beekeeper do not take a chance on getting someone stung and losing your apiary, by keeping bees which are not gentle. NO good comes from keeping defensive bees. You will not only get in trouble but it will make it more difficult for others to keep bees when you give the beekeeping industry a black eye. So if a hive of yours becomes too defensive, move it to a non urban area or exterminate it. It is just not worth keeping a defensive hive in an urban setting. 3. Hive type — Beekeeping and hive maintenance can only be done with a removable frame hive. Bees should only be kept in removable frame hives to allow inspection for size, brood, food, disease and queen. Two common examples of removable frame hives are the Langstroth hive and a Top Bar hive. Hives should not be kept in trees, walls, attics or meter boxes where they cannot be managed. Hives in those places can be removed live or exterminated by a bee removal company. 4. When should you inspect a hive? — The best time to inspect a hive is on a nice sunny day when no one else is around if possible. Some bees will be flying around while you are inspecting. Use common sense. If your neighbors are in the backyard having a BBQ or their little kids are playing on the opposite side of the fence don't open up a hive. When it is sunny a good fraction of the hive will be out foraging for food and water verses all crowded in the hive. There will be fewer bees in the hive to disturb and less chance of the hive getting excited. Bees can also be sensitive to vibrations and exhaust so when machinery is being operated nearby such as lawn mowers avoid opening up the hive. When opening and manipulating frames use smoke to keep the bees as calm as possible. Work as quickly as possible to have the hive opened the lease amount of time. Open hives can entice robbing thus stirring up the hive. Be a thoughtful conscientious neighbor. 5. If you are going to keep bees on a property not owned by yourself get permission from the property owner before placing any hive. 6. Placement of the bee hives — Hives should be placed in a location where they will not become a public nuisance. Be a good neighbor and be cognitive as to where the bees will be flying and avoid locations where people will walk into their flight path. Hives should not be placed where the bees will cross sidewalks, roads or other public right of ways. Bees need just a short distance in front of their hive to go in and out. Having a hedge or wall that is 6' or more high that the bees will have to go over gets them up and into the sky almost unnoticed. Hives are best placed in the full sun and pointing east to south if possible. However if other constraints require the hive be pointed another direction or in the shade that will be okay too just not optimal. For those keeping feral hives a larger buffer zone from the neighbor as explained above should be kept. The quickest way to lose your ability to keep bees is by having them in an undesirable location where neighbors are getting stung. Keep this in mind as you select a location. 7. Fire — Beekeepers use a smoker to calm bees before and while going through a bee hive. Occasionally a spark will come out of a smoker (particularly if there is not enough fuel in the smoker). The apiary area should be cleared of flammable material such as weeds, leaves or pine needles to ward off the possibility of starting a fire. 8. Lights and bees — Like many other insects bees are attracted to lights. Your hive location should be in a dark location when the sun goes down. Avoid placing a hive where a light will attract the bees creating a nuisance and a pile of dead bees in the morning. 9. Color of hive — Hives can be painted any color however if the hive is in the sun lighter colors work best as the hive will absorb less heat and the bees will be able to keep the hive cool in the summer months thus reducing the tendency to swarm.