A BEE thread....for those interested in beekeeping.

[katsdar]

That is a bee swarm, so the bees left where they were with the queen and are looking for a new home. Call a local bee keeper, they can catch them.

No need to be concerned, if they are sending out scouts to find a new home, and are the most docile you will see honey bees.

Here helped you out!

http://www.bees-on-the-net.com/georgia-swarm-removal/

Pic one that's close to you and give them a call.

Thanks have someone coming out about 5/6 ish

 

[katsdar]

ok the bees went from here to here




I think they are staying what do you think? and is there a way to get the honey? anything I should know about them? I plan to leave them alone and figure they will pollinate my garden this year!!!

 

[3goodeggs]

That looks like a good place for them.
Congratulations on the new family members!

 

[katsdar]

So now that I have been told they will be aggressive, what should I worry about? Lawn mower bothering them? and I was told that I won't be able to get the honey, can't tap into the tree?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So now that I have been told they will be aggressive, what should I worry about? Lawn mower bothering them? and I was told that I won't be able to get the honey, can't tap into the tree?

Swarms are usually docile. Bees try to save their stinger for protection of the hive, brood and stores. I cut the grass right up against my hives. Just don't provoke them. Unless you're hassling the hive, you won't get stung unless you step on one or get one caught in clothing.
You'd have to cut the tree down to get the honey.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I hope I didn't screw up my one and only hive yesterday. It came through winter very strong with 2 deep brood bodies. I went in a couple weeks ago and they were making queen cells with queen larvae in them. I wanted to split the hive then but decided to wait till I had another hive set up better and it was cool so I closed it back up. It has been too cold to do anything with it since then. Every day this week when it would get up to about 55F it looked like they were swarming. I set up 2 swarm traps but haven't caught anything yet.
So when it got warm enough yesterday, I opened up, took 3 frames of bees out and put them in another hive. 1 frame was just bees with a little honey, 2 frames had capped brood and one of those had capped queen cells. I filled the rest of the body with frames of drawn comb. I moved it about 100 ft. so it is next to the house where it catches the morning sun. I put it on another deep body with 5 frames of drawn comb. I put a syrup feeder on top. Then I cut some honeysuckle branches and piled them in front of the entrance. That way they can't just fly out. They have to reorient themselves to their surroundings. That way they imprint on the new location. I'm not sure how many of the bees were scouts and foragers but we'll see if there are enough bees to make a new hive.
I'm getting another package of bees in about 12 days.
Hopefully this new hive will survive/thrive.

Then I'll have 3 hives in time for the clover that's just about to start blooming.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

These people are messed up.

 

[BusyBlonde]

What will you do about your moisture issues to prevent another loss next winter?  Better yet, what did you have in place this winter for ventilation that you feel is not working well enough to disperse the moisture? 

The hive I lost had a traditional wood top covered in tin. There were signs on the top that it must have had imperfect corners that allowed water to seep in. The one that survived had a plastic composite top that did not allow moisture to come through the top. I live in NC, so we don't get prolonged cold weather. I have screened bottom boards that allow good ventilation. I use mouse guards that prevent rodents from getting in but don't restrict airflow at the entry. This is my second winter with bees, always learning!

 

[BusyBlonde]

So now that I have been told they will be aggressive, what should I worry about?  Lawn mower bothering them? and I was told that I won't be able to get the honey, can't tap into the tree?

You probably won't be able to get the honey, if they moved into the tree. But they will pollinate your flowers, and if you have a garden it will likely do better than in previous years as long as you have adequate water.

As for aggressive, all colonies are different. I have traditional Langstroth hives, and mow within 3 feet of them (they are on a platform) - I have never been stung while mowing or doing my chicken chores near the hives. All colonies have their own personalities, so I can't speak for yours. I don't find most honey bees aggressive unless I am interfering with the hive.

 

[Bugseye]

Just catching up to the thread, sorry for stepping out. Yes, Beekissed, it was a hit to lose my girls. I wondered if leaving sugar water in there over the winter was the wrong way to go. They were wrapped in construction-type plastic--maybe not enough ventilation, though I had thought about it. It was very cold this winter, but I envisioned them in there all clustered together and keeping warm. Another beekeeper told me not to worry about the mold, that the next bees would clean it up; but that concerns me. I'm on hold for now.

 

[Lapeerian]

Just catching up to the thread, sorry for stepping out. Yes, Beekissed, it was a hit to lose my girls. I wondered if leaving sugar water in there over the winter was the wrong way to go. They were wrapped in construction-type plastic--maybe not enough ventilation, though I had thought about it. It was very cold this winter, but I envisioned them in there all clustered together and keeping warm. Another beekeeper told me not to worry about the mold, that the next bees would clean it up; but that concerns me. I'm on hold for now.

I don't remember your original post, but going on this information here are my thoughts:
Leaving sugar water in the hive over winter increased the humidity in the hive, chilling the bees. Same as our chickens needing good ventilation to remove excess humidity to prevent frost bite. Plastic wrapping the hive only reduced the ventilation further. If they had enough honey stores, supplemental feeding during mid-winter should not be needed. If it was a late swarm that was lacking, feeding is understandable. But remember that excess feeding of sugar can be a cause of dysentery: they consume the sucrose and then can not eliminate in cleansing flights as it is too cold to leave the hive. As for the mold, a dip in bleach water solution would be my course of action.