Arizona Chickens

[pastrymama]

Years ago I had a neighbor who worked for the State Department of Agriculture in collecting samples of ants and bees to be lab IDed as fire ants and Africanized bees. A curent neighbor is a biology professor at AUS who specialized in social insects. Arizona bees can be assumed to be completely Africanized. Call and talk to any bee keeper or removal person; don't take my word for it, but don't assume that they aren't until you have spoke to the experts.

agreed. i called several bee removal places for that first swarm that was 30feet up in a pine in the backyard attacking the fireman. they ALL said the same thing. assume all bees in AZ are africanized. why in the world would you want to mess with that? ask any firefighter how many bee calls they have gone on or how many calls of bee attacks they have gone on(my fireman included). not exactly the way someone would want to die. but yes, it does happen.

 

[notinoz2007]

i am fascinated by all this bee talk. i wish there were more bees around my area, i just wish there wasnt the possibility of them being africanized. when we put in our pond we did seem to get a handful more, but its really not enough to pollinate much. anyway, i've taught my kids not to freak out about bees, best to just let them buzz around you and go on about their own business. is that ok here or should i encourage them to get their buns back in the house?

regarding papers in the soil. we dug a hole for our fig tree and about a foot deep we ran into a "treasure" trove of trash. there were newspapers and some paper fast food cups, also some non-degradable items. i was so shocked that the moisture never got down that far and nothing was decomposing, this stuff was completely untouched, untattered, just strange. we composted what we could and tossed the rest, and put in watering stakes for our fig so i'm sure anything still down there is finally decomposing. it was really weird tho.

azkat i'm so sorry to hear that you lost one, dont be too sad, he was a rooster, they're all roosters i am afraid mine here will get stuck too, they are really digging up a good size hole near one of the corners of the brooder, just enough to put a head through to the other side, so i fill that hole whenever i can.

mahonri, if all goes well i might be incubating in a week and if you any you think my still be fertile i would love to throw them in the incubator for you.

welcome back nurseshelley and hello to the new members

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

i am fascinated by all this bee talk. i wish there were more bees around my area, i just wish there wasnt the possibility of them being africanized. when we put in our pond we did seem to get a handful more, but its really not enough to pollinate much. anyway, i've taught my kids not to freak out about bees, best to just let them buzz around you and go on about their own business. is that ok here or should i encourage them to get their buns back in the house?

I agree with your teaching them not to freak out about the bees. The funny thing about them is they are really only aggressive when defending the resources of the hive and queen. They don't defend flower resources. So, the foraging bees you see in your yard are largely harmless. As you say, just let them buzz around you and go on about their own business. I would point out swarming behavior if you see it when the kids are around so they recognize it.

 

[notinoz2007]

thanks for the info, i didnt know that they didnt defend while foraging. fortunately for us we havent seen swarming behavior but i believe everyone should know what to look for.

 

[pastrymama]

I agree with your teaching them not to freak out about the bees. The funny thing about them is they are really only aggressive when defending the resources of the hive and queen. They don't defend flower resources. So, the foraging bees you see in your yard are largely harmless. As you say, just let them buzz around you and go on about their own business. I would point out swarming behavior if you see it when the kids are around so they recognize it.

can someone teach me not to freak out? i am allergic to bee stings and the littlest one is allergic to EVERYTHING! i would put him in a bubble if i could. really

 

[Mahonri]

Well, beehappy4ever's hubby picked up 11 more Icelandic eggs to put in their incubator (I hope-- I left them at The Feed Barn for him to pick up).

The Icelandics laid another 4 eggs today... the roo has now been gone for a week... how long will the eggs stay fertile?

 

[flower]

"regarding papers in the soil. we dug a hole for our fig tree and about a foot deep we ran into a "treasure" trove of trash. there were newspapers and some paper fast food cups, also some non-degradable items. i was so shocked that the moisture never got down that far and nothing was decomposing, this stuff was completely untouched, untattered, just strange. we composted what we could and tossed the rest, and put in watering stakes for our fig so i'm sure anything still down there is finally decomposing. it was really weird tho." quote from notinoz2007

Well yes it is impossible for water to seep through hard cement solid soil. Tons of organic material needs to be mixed into the sand to create an area where moisture can enter and be retained until it evaporates. Always add water stakes when planting trees any any plants with deep roots.

 

[notinoz2007]

pastrymama, my son thinks its his job to save us from every insect so he runs around the yard arms flailing, falling over the dog, yelling at the offender to go away. i would put him in a bubble too, lol. ps i meant no offense by the term freak out, i do realize that bees are more than just a nuisance to some people, they cause sever health issues. my kids tho can be rather dramatic when they dont need to be

 

[notinoz2007]

mahonri, from reading around byc i believe they say the eggs can remain fertile for nearly 2 weeks. i'm not positive tho.

flower, we're from the midwest where all you have to do is look at a seed and it will grow. this dirt has been an obstacle for us but we are dealing with it by composting and aerating in one area at a time.

 

[pastrymama]

pastrymama, my son thinks its his job to save us from every insect so he runs around the yard arms flailing, falling over the dog, yelling at the offender to go away. i would put him in a bubble too, lol. ps i meant no offense by the term freak out, i do realize that bees are more than just a nuisance to some people, they cause sever health issues. my kids tho can be rather dramatic when they dont need to be

i know you meant no offense, but i honestly DO freak out wether it's a bee, one of those giant shiny green/black bumbles that seem to chase you all over the yard, a mosquito, a flying grasshopper, praying mantis, ladybug(yes, even a ladybug) I DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE ANY TYPE OF INSECT. EVER! my son has these fake plastic bugs all over the house and oh, they give me the heebee jeebees. think i would rather shave my head.