Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
x2.

I encourage bees around my place because they help pollinate stuff in my garden. I try to keep flowering plants that they like, and I maintain a pond so they have water for cooling in the summer. A bee colony in an out-of-the-way place where no one goes including chickens is probably not a problem. A bee colony next to a coop, house or pathway is a potential problem.

Some friends of mine had a large feral bee colony under their shed. For years the bees were benign. Then they started getting more aggressive, bumping anyone who was standing by the shed and stinging (one at a time) if the bumped person did not move away immediately. Africanized bees may not give the warnings that non-Africanized bees will give. My friends had the hive removed before anyone got seriously hurt.

You can listen to the bees near their hive and tell if they are upset or not. Once you've heard the angry buzz of a colony getting ready to attack you won't forget it.

 

[pipemum]

Oh, oh, I have a garden box on top of part of my coop! Worked great this year. It was covered by shade cloth for the summer. Grew squash, basil, and watermelon. Shaded the chickens run, it was made from 2x4 scraps so if it doesn't last, no biggie. I painted inside and out w a million coats, so it will lasy at least a few years. Just cleared this weekend for lettuce, radishes, and some winter herbs.
Before

After, ahould be seeing spouts soon.

I did have a big ant problem in that box. Their aphids sucked most of the squash flowers dry and wrinkly.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

You can listen to the bees near their hive and tell if they are upset or not. Once you've heard the angry buzz of a colony getting ready to attack you won't forget it.

So true! Tends to stick with you even more when you've been chased by swarm a couple times. We also do all we can to attract bees.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I rarely even see a large colony. Maybe 4 times in the last 10 years. I just skirt around them. Bees really like our African Sumac tree when it blooms. The coop is under it. I've never spotted a nest around my yard though.

One of my coworkers was friends with that climber who was stung to death earlier this year. The guy was setting new routes on a climb when he was attacked. Bummer deal.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

pipemum, Interesting! Is it hard to keep the soil in the box moist? That looks like good rich soil.

We FINALLY got around to planting the garden today. I can't believe I'm nearly two months late on it this year.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

One of my coworkers was friends with that climber who was stung to death earlier this year. The guy was setting new routes on a climb when he was attacked. Bummer deal.

Yes, that was a tragedy. I wasn't friends with him, but I knew him from the climbing gym.

I've not seen a bee colony in town, they must be here because I keep hearing about people having to pay to have them removed. My friend the bee keeper keeps telling me I need to get into the bee removal business. He said that there are about 10,000 calls a year to remove bees here inside Tucson.

 

[MagicChicken]

I rarely even see a large colony. Maybe 4 times in the last 10 years. I just skirt around them. Bees really like our African Sumac tree when it blooms. The coop is under it. I've never spotted a nest around my yard though.

One of my coworkers was friends with that climber who was stung to death earlier this year. The guy was setting new routes on a climb when he was attacked. Bummer deal.

If you are seeing a large mass of visible bees with no hive structure it is probably a swarm looking for a new place to establish a colony. Swarms are not usually dangerous, and they tend to move elsewhere before the bee removal folks can even get there. Actual colonies are usually hidden - inside the walls of a building, or in a cavity inside a tree, or in one friend's case inside the box containing her irrigation valves. The Africanized bees tend to like closed spaces with very small openings - like the tiny hole in the irrigation valve box cover.

Sometimes you will find a hive with combs hanging down in an exposed location. I once saw a hive with exposed combs hanging off the eaves of a house. The owner said he would go break off pieces of comb in the morning for breakfast. Ummm... yeah, ok. That is the colony that taught me the sound of angry bees getting ready to attack. I'm guessing they were on to his comb-stealing gambit and did not like people nearby at all. At any rate they came after me and I ran for my car (which was closer than the door of the house). That's when I got my other lesson - even if you have your keys in your hand, it's impossible to get the door unlocked when you are panicked and being stung by a colony of angry bees. It was an interesting day.

 

[flower]

a few bird pictures

An older hen, my Cream Brabanter

This silly thing is having a hard time with the cold weather. A tenny, tiny, frizzle Naked Neck
This is Sissy. I noticed that she was lethargic and not eating or drinking two days ago. Since I saw no infestation or injury or even feather damage, I forced her beak open and fed her some yogurt mixed with apple cider, kept her inside one night and fed her more today including watered down apple cider and she is back on her perch tonight acting normal. Almost forgot I cleaned a little bit of gunk from her nostrils.
Another silly frizzle.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: How about a crucible full of molten aluminum? 8" pipe about 10" long full! That should reach them!

Of course there is the 12 hours of careful digging afterwards...

 

[kpgoldstar]

Is anyone going to or participating in the upcoming coop tour in November?

What and where is this?