Good Day

[robsdak]

i was out getting ready to mow the front yard and my neighbor comes up and says, hey come look at this, you might know what's going on. he went and was talking about hornets and wasps. we get to the bush in question and low and behold, there was a late season swarm. first thought need to run across town and get a brood box, bottom and a top. while i was gone the neighbor decided to cut my front yard. nice guy. well get back, fix a couple things and went to cut the swarm free and put it in their new home. i am a 1st yr Beek, i have helped catch a few swarms, no big deal. so i went at it, shorts, t-shirt and tenney's. the neighbor and his son watched and were amazed that i didn't get stung the first time. i tried too explain. the bees right now could give two hoots for me or them, they were just looking for a 'new place' too live. since i am the only Beek in the immediate area, they are a swarm off of my current colony. i might ave missed a 'queen cell' in 1 of my look sees. i am hoping it's off of mine, my bees are like little puppies. :) same swarm, different pictures.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0294_zps5de625ad.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0294_zps5de625ad.jpg.html)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0297_zps3fd47886.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0297_zps3fd47886.jpg.html)

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0296_zpsb9483c9b.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0296_zpsb9483c9b.jpg.html)

[eagle326]

ALRIGHT !!!
You keep growing those hives my man. Like the way you thought ahead on the spur of the moment and got the gear needed for the new queen. Ever expanding is the name of the game. And honey will be as valuable as gold in S.H.T.F. times. :D

[robsdak]

thanks. how many .22 rds you think a pint is worth? or a quart? :)

i guess i could do a thread on beekeeping. well with my limited knowledge of it.

[robsdak]

looks like a successful capture, here's their limb. :) went out too check on them, opened the lid and they were on the frames. so i removed the limb.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/robsdak/bees/100_0298_zps4b68d70b.jpg (http://s366.photobucket.com/user/robsdak/media/bees/100_0298_zps4b68d70b.jpg.html)

[helomech]

Cool, so you just cut the limb off with all those bees on it? I want to get into bees pretty bad, wife went to a class a few months ago.

Please do a thread on it.

[robsdak]

Cool, so you just cut the limb off with all those bees on it? I want to get into bees pretty bad, wife went to a class a few months ago.

Please do a thread on it.

yep. nothing too it. i wished i had taken better pictures of the whole bush. they were maybe 18 in off the ground and when i was ready to do it, i just took the pruners and trimmed around until i had it clear enough. then i tried to cut the main part and hold the limb, the neighbor helped. he is afraid of them, just bees. :) i carried them maybe 5 ft and set them in the brood box, waited another 5 min for them to settle down, put the top on and moved the box to the side of the house till morning when i can build a proper stand for them. i have dogs and i keep my other hive up off the ground. bees are easy. :)

i will do another thread for you guys. w/pictures.

[ladyhk13]

I love bees! Can't wait to be able to start.....ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Stormfeather]

nice catch!

[Sniper-T]

what is the relation of bees to wasps and hornets? if there are a plethora of bees around will that discourage the others? Right now I have found two hives, one hornets and one wasps... both about the size of volleyballs.

I am deathly allergic to these bastards, will bees help keep them away, or would it go the other way. I kill off several hives like this each year, and they always come back... will bees help, or will they drive the bees off?

[robsdak]

here the wasps seem to give the bees their space. hornets, i have no clue. i haven't seen any since i was a kid in Indiana or been bothered with them? you might be allergic to honey bees as well.... might want to either have a 'emergency plan' in place and get a full bee suit or not messing with them. maybe get tested for honey bees? the toxins are different between wasps, hornets, bees etc. my friends bees can be nasty at times! last time i went and helped him, i had on my bee jacket and gloves and got stung a total of 17 times. mean little bastards, they are. they are folks who work bees knowing they are allergic, they like bees. just be careful in what you do.

[Sniper-T]

I have been tested, and show lethal allergies to Wasps, Hornets, and Yellow Jackets, but zero allergies towards bees. :)

17 times... I wouldn't want to chance that... I would be in a full suit any time I was near them, just in case.

[robsdak]

I have been tested, and show lethal allergies to Wasps, Hornets, and Yellow Jackets, but zero allergies towards bees. :)

17 times... I wouldn't want to chance that... I would be in a full suit any time I was near them, just in case.

good deal! :cool: it wasn't that bad. :) after the first 2-3, pain is pain. :) in my thread on bees, just read the disclaimer. my girls are like 'puppies', could really care what i am doing. some fly in and land on my head, shoulder,etc. this new colony that i found, i am coming to believe they are just a 'swarm' from my original hive. i will shoot some pictures tomorrow of what's going on with them. took me a little longer to get them moved/set up than i would have liked. that's life.

now decide what you want. Langstroth, Top Bar Hive or Warre Hive.

just remember, after you get them set up and time to acclimate to the area, spend time with them. you don't always have to open up the hive or even touch it. just sit 10-15 ft away and let them hear, smell and get to know your attitude. never, never go out and do anything with them if you are PISSED OFF! they feel it.

[ladyhk13]

what is the relation of bees to wasps and hornets? if there are a plethora of bees around will that discourage the others? Right now I have found two hives, one hornets and one wasps... both about the size of volleyballs.

I am deathly allergic to these bastards, will bees help keep them away, or would it go the other way. I kill off several hives like this each year, and they always come back... will bees help, or will they drive the bees off?

I have an epi pen just for you!!!

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

To be honest she's just looking for someone to stab with an epi pen and for some reason you seem to be on the top of the list............I wonder why? Feel the rush brother, feel the rush!

[robsdak]

To be honest she's just looking for someone to stab with an epi pen and for some reason you seem to be on the top of the list............I wonder why? Feel the rush brother, feel the rush!

wow, bad woman! :) yes sir, Feel the rush Brother, Feel the rush! or so i am told. never had the pleasure.

[Sniper-T]

To be honest she's just looking for someone to stab with an epi pen and for some reason you seem to be on the top of the list............I wonder why? Feel the rush brother, feel the rush!

No worries. I used to carry an ana-kit, which was a predecessor to the epipen. basically a syringe with 2-1/2 doses of epinephine. when they expired I used them for recreational purposes! A wired up Sniper-T can kitty hunt for days on end...

[realist]

That is pretty amazing that they pick up on your mood. I never knew you had to acclimatize them to you.

[robsdak]

That is pretty amazing that they pick up on your mood. I never knew you had to acclimatize them to you.

this is just what i have seen and believe. they can distinguish between shapes and colors as well. they are no different than others in the animal kingdom. i have referred to mine as 'puppies', if your in a bad mood a dog will give you space until it feels comfortable that you feel better. if your afraid of a dog, it senses that at well.

[robsdak]

12 day update. all are well and feeding like starving children. i sat with them about 30 min, today and noticed they are out getting pollen. so it means they have made a home and plan on staying.

[ladyhk13]

That is just so freakin cool!

[Sniper-T]

That is just so freakin cool!

yep!