lots of honey bees---NOT!

[SE18]

our lavender is in full bloom as wells as other delectables; and not a honey bee in sight. Surely the world will end this December?

who stole the bees?

The hounds used to love to chase them around.

(I'm sure someone will post they've got a swarm)

 

[addy1]

I have seen a few, not many though. I need to learn how to do a hive, all my plants are bee friendly.

 

[j.w]

Too cold here but I have seen some out on sunny days which isn't saying much.

 

[addy1]

I sent a message to the bee keeping society in frederick, told them if they wanted to put some hives on my land they are welcome to. Got a message back asking where do I live lol, so maybe I will have hives soon.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Lots of natural bees have been dying out for many reasons, its very sad, but nice to hear that your looking for bees. In Alberta here there was a report that said we lost huge amounts of bees, I think its mostly because of all the frankenfood out there, plants that were never meant to exist in nature, created in a lab .... read too much about that!
When I built my first pond in the early 90's, I used to have lots of bees, used to have a real "bee line" to the pond and if you were standing the way, they would bounce off you. I had bee hives everywhere, under the steps, in the crack of rocks by the pond, in the front porch... now there just gone mostly. There are some small type and bumble bees still, but very very few honey bees left. It's quite sad. Albert Einstein once said, "no more bees, no more trees, no more trees, no more plants, no more plants, no more animals, no more animals, no more man....

 

[addy1]

I am checking into setting up hives here.

 

[j.w]

That would be really neat addy if you could have hives. Perfect place for them w/ all your flowering plants!

 

[HARO]

That would be really neat addy if you could have hives. Perfect place for them w/ all your flowering plants!

I hear they are very itchy and can be painful, so I wouldn't wish them on MY friends! (Sorry, j.w., but I couldn't resist it!)
John

 

[j.w]

Lol............

 

[RSFish1]

My dad always kept bees as we grew up. So in May 2011 I set up my first hive. I live on the outskirts if the city in a neighborhood and only wanted to do 1 hive to bring more bees in to the garden. 1 day after the new bees arrived I got home from work and knew it did not look right. A wild swarm of bees had found the new hive. So we quickly setup a new hive and swept the wild swarm in to it. Then I had 2 hives side by side.
Fast forward. It was a mild winter and the bees and many other insects made it through in great numbers. Approximate April 20th both of my hives swarmed, broke in half, and we collected them in to 2 new hives. Sealed them up and sent them home with my Dad. Within the next 2 weeks, 3 more wild swarms of bees stopped in a tree on the edge of my property. We could reach 2 of them and swept them in to new hives. The 3rd group was just too high to reach. So 2 more hives sent home with my dad.
I have watched the bees that are coming to the ponds for water. I can see 3 other directions they are heading besides my own hives. No barefooting it in the yard this year. The only other drawback is for the smaller koi. I can't watch over them all the time. I just hope they learn somehow that bees are not a good food, even when they are in the water buzzing around. Another one found out the hard way Saturday night. I looked over just as he gulped it down. I never saw the bee resurface. And I dipped him out Sunday morning dead.

 

[j.w]

That's not good sounding about fish dieing when eating bees. Not much you can do about something like that happening.

 

[addy1]

I had horrible hives once, darn valley fever in arizona, they do itch, john, a lot. but we are talking of the buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz hives lol

I am hoping someone in the bee society will want to set up some hives and maintain them when they need to wear those space suits, I hate being stung.

 

[j.w]

Valley Fever.............never heard of that one! Sounds yucky tho. Good luck on the bee hives!

 

[RSFish1]

The good thing about bee hives is that they really do not need any upkeep unless you are collecting the honey. The front needs to be closed up when it gets cooler so there is not a lot of air flow in. Otherwise just let them live on their own. Most honey bee hives are very safe to be around. My garden is right next to mine. I mow the grass next to them and work in the garden without any issues. Now and then one will fly into you and scare you. But no stings. Many times we open the top of the hives to look in on them. No protective gear. Face 3 inches above the honey combs. Always mess with bee hives on sunny days. They are happy on sunny warm days. Cloudy days makes them unhappy. And when in doubt, a few puffs of smoke in to their entrance really makes them more easy to be around.

Everyone has heard the phrase "making a beeline". On a rare ocassion, twice now, there has been a bee make a "beeline" for someone that may not even be particularly close to the hive. And it will have just one thought in mind. Attack! One of my friends was stung about 20 foot away from the hive. And I got stung in the face about 25 feet away just standing there. Luckily that side of my face is numb from an old brain tumor. So it does happen.

 

[Ogrefcf]

I have been geting lots of bees at my pond. They stop on the water hyacinth for a drink. Fun to watch.