Bees, bees, bees!

[Egghead_Jr]

Where are you located? When honey bees work livestock feed they are searching for a powdery source of protein to feed to their larva. It is rather late now for honey bees to go into gang buster mode and start raising mega amounts of young brood. But if natural pollen is in short supply then anything is possible.

Trying to capture a wild hive at this time of year is a death sentence for a bee colony because they will be unable to adequately prepare their new digs for winter before bad weather hits.

He's in Arizona,

Yeah, it's a death count if harvesting wild this time of year in the north of North America. And I agree that something is up as to them being attracted that heavily to feed mash as they'd not even start a new brood in a dearth. I think it's a local hive that's using his mash feed as brood feed due to being so close.

The neighbors hives that disapeared are likely very near and even in the walls of someones shed.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Seriously,

Their mismanagement is your gain unless it's your neighbors garage or attic or shed they found refuge in. Meaning the neighbor that originally had hives. Any other neighbor would likely be fine with you getting rid of them for minor cosmetic cost to their structures.

Let's face it, many walls in the south are not insulated so any cosmetic wall ((4 to 6 inch studs) is a prime area for bees to put up a home. An attic space is also prime but likely what you'll find is a garage that a person has an interior wall for shelving or the like so a void between sheathings for the bees to put a home. I've seen only by video this type thing and they can be massive.

You'd have to unscrew a panel and if a hive there will pull much of the hive with it as it's propolised in. Delicate removal of panel if preprepared for transfer then rescrew panel. Some damage but home owners will be more elated to "have that gone!" then upset by minimal cosmetic.

I know this hive is very close to you. Might even be in your own garage or attic space. Follow them!

 

[Mutt Farm]

Posting to follow. My pops was an avid bee keeper. We're in bee crises here in Ca due to the drought and other factors. Water companies are offering rebates to folks for tearing out flowers and grass. Joe, keep us posted if you start a hive.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

This last thing. Yeah I'm bee envy and like working colonies to get to know them as individual hives.

I'm going out on a limb here to say that your "neighbor that got bees and they disapeared" is this. I'll deduce they got package bees. I'm all good with that but the bees then have no "home". There is no guarantee that they will stay in the structure you gave them as your "perfect" hive. If they've not built house they will move on. New bee keepers are very prone to fidgeting with things as they are new and think they should fidget. If the bees have no vested interest they will get annoyed or rather fear of constant intrusion so move the colony before it's even established.

If you've brood in comb they've done work on and some comb with honey stores....they will rebuild.

 

[BBQJOE]

. Might even be in your own garage or attic space. Follow them!

There's some hives close by that's for sure. I haven't a clue as to where, but it's not in any of my buildings.
My closest neighbor is 2 miles away, and he's only got a motor home, so I doubt they're coming from there.
And I have no clue as how to follow a bee home, and I don't know what I'd do if I found it.

I did see a video somewhere about this new hive that was going to be put on the market.
You don't have to open it or upset the bees. There's a faucet on the back of the raised hive, you turn it on, and the honey comes flowing.
I'd consider something like that, but I don't want to get into regular hives and bee suits and all. Besides, I'm not crazy about honey anyways.

I did make a mead once using honey, but I wasn't real crazy about that either.

I may just put a tray of mash out somewhere for them if they need/like it that much, I don't mind helping them out.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Wait a faucet that kinda ruins my fun... I keep hearing honey comb like the best thing ever but if it makes the bees happier i guess.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Hey Country Back Rib,

No, don't even think of that viral thing about turning a faucet to get honey and no maintenance. That is a rube. Yes it has a facebook and utube following and over 8 million donated to cause but flat out I'll say it does not work.

Feed the donate to me machine or do what we've done since we started cultivating bees.

Almost forgot to add that we've been cultivating bees for honey since the first cuniform texts (sctrachings in clay) of written history. No, no Austrailian with a hive that magically spouts honey will change that. With my knowledge I know it would work for a garden (english style) hive but you still have to maintain the hive...if left wild then you'd never get another pour of honey.

 

[BBQJOE]

Hey Country Back Rib,

No, don't even think of that viral thing about turning a faucet to get honey and no maintenance. That is a rube. Yes it has a facebook and utube following and over 8 million donated to cause but flat out I'll say it does not work.

Feed the donate to me machine or do what we've done since we started cultivating bees.

Almost forgot to add that we've been cultivating bees for honey since the first cuniform texts (sctrachings in clay) of written history. No, no Austrailian with a hive that magically spouts honey will change that. With my knowledge I know it would work for a garden (english style) hive but you still have to maintain the hive...if left wild then you'd never get another pour of honey.

As I said, I just saw a video. I can't imagine how it would work, but it sure would be cool though if it did.
I'm sure these aren't my neighbors, we've been here 20 years and have always had bees around.
I just put out some mash for them over by one of the gardens.

Also I use the term neighbor loosely. He only comes up to his place about once or twice a month for the weekend. He's planning a house, and thinks he's gonna grow a pecan orchard. The big picture changes every time I talk to him.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

BBQJoe,

No offence intended on ad-lib name.



You'll find them. Take note of direction. When you've time go there and see where they are going...it's your place at this moment or straight at the crow flies in another. You'll figure it out.

 

[BBQJOE]

BBQJoe,

No offence intended on ad-lib name.

None taken.