It's Spring and the bees are swarming

[Mike Henderson]

I have a small swarm of European bees which stopped at my place yesterday, in their search for a home. I called the local bee rescue but they want to be paid to come get them. When I was a kid, my dad used to pickup swarms just to get a new hive (for free).

Trying to be a good host, I put out some old honey in the small saucer you see in the first picture. I wouldn't mind them settling at my place but I don't think I have any cavities that would interest them for a home.

Mike

[Mitchell Andrus]

Bees, one of the true marvels of nature. Fascinating to study, at a distance of course.
.

[Brian Effinger]

Wow, I had no idea bees did that.
I guess it is true - you really do learn something new every day.

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm amazed that they won't come get them, here the fruit growers are worried to death about the lack of bees.

[Joe Shinall]

Hate bees. Got stung in the a$$ when I was little. I averaged 3 bee stings a year for many years. Driving to Atlanta from my house last summer. 4 hour drive. Left the house and almost 3 hours in the trip, without stopping, got stung in the damn stomach. Don't know how they do it, but they find me I'm tellin ya!

[Paul Atkins]

I had a hive when I was 14 and learned all sorts of things. Always wanted a 'wild' swarm to catch. The guy next door has 13 hives now so I'm not lacking for bees. I have to have honey every day for my oatmeal, tea, toast --- I have become interested in solitary bees like the mason bees. I have a couple of boards with holes that are used every year. Bzzzzzz

[Belinda Barfield]

I had a hive when I was 14 and learned all sorts of things. Always wanted a 'wild' swarm to catch. The guy next door has 13 hives now so I'm not lacking for bees. I have to have honey every day for my oatmeal, tea, toast --- I have become interested in solitary bees like the mason bees. I have a couple of boards with holes that are used every year. Bzzzzzz

Paul, are mason bees the same as carpenter bees, or different? I have carpenter bees that live in soffitt of my condo. They look a lot like bumble bees.

[Lee Schierer]

I'll take them, mine didn't make it through the winter. We won't see swarms here for another 4-6 weeks.

[Mike Cutler]

Mike

That's $75.00, and five weeks ahead in production hanging in that bush. I can't believe no local beekeeper would come and get them. I would have had them out by nitefall.
If you'd like to try a low cost beekeeping system, look up Tanzanian Top Bar Hive. You could bang one out in a morning.

Belinda

Carpenter bees and Mason bees are not the same. One is the largest bee in the US, the other is the smallest. While Mason bees do make individual cell tubes, they tend to live very close together, unlike the Carpenter bee's.

[Michael Schapansky]

I had my first bee hive the year before last. I've always been respectful of the little guys (girls) not wanting to get them noticing me in any unpleasant way. You buy them in a "package" of about 11000 bees and a queen for a hundred dollars. Then you take your package which is a screened box about 12"x 5 x 6 and whack it on the ground and empty the bees into your hive. That is an experience. Unfortunately I didn't know enough about them and let them starve to death over their second winter here. I'll get to relive the whole experience April 3rd when I go pick up my next package. BTW, we got greatly increased production from our vegetable garden, fruit trees and my wife's gourds from having bees.

[wells conklin]

I too am surprised they wouldn't come and get a free swarm. Then again, if there are presently diseased bees in your area, that could be a reason. Even then, one would think if there were concern over disease, that they would want to quarentine -- or destroy -- a questionable swarm, not ignore it. Anyway, as a hobbyist, I never turned down an easy free swarm, and we never lost a hive to disease. And we gathered a lot of honey too!