Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

Did you manage to encourage them into a new hive? Your guys sting so I'd be a little leery of such a large swarm.

Nope, they went off down the valley. These do sting but they are extremely mellow.
I was cutting saplings up in the woods one day and had taken a fleecy type jacket off and hung it on a branch. When I went to put the jacket back on I could hear this buzzing but couldn't see any bees. It took a while before I worked out the buzzing was coming from one of the jacket arms. When I took the jacket off; which I admit happened in a bit of a rush, three bees flew out. I didn't get stung. I've had lots land on me and not sting. Bear in mind if they sting they die so it really is a last line of defense for them.
When the guy who does the bees spins out the honey from the frames there are often a couple of hundred bees in the kitchen but they just want to go home.

 

[Shadrach]

I am honoured by receiving your approval (I need a "bowing" emoji)

When you had the pictures up before the one that had two bits of wood kind of twisted around each other really caught my eye. I know it won't come cheap, there is a lot of work in them, and posting to Australia from anywhere is really expensive. I will start saving my pennies in anticipation. ☺

In the mean time, do you suppose you can post a photo or two of your work again? (begging hands...not clapping )

I can post some more pictures. I'll put them on the lamps thread.
The lamp you mention took about two months to finish. It was the base that caused the majority of the problems. The black on the base is slate paste worked into a cut out and polished flat. It took ages. I had someone offer my £500 for it and I turned them down. It's probably fair to say it isn't for sale. I have a couple that I would find difficult to sell, the lamp mentioned above and the first lamp I made.

 

[BY Bob]

Nope. It's a way of measuring how much honey has been produced. If the hive gets overcrowded, the bees swarm. Weight is a good indicator of when you need to start a new hive &/or harvest your honey.

I knew it would be interesting. Thanks.

 

[BY Bob]

That's really cool. Thanks for sharing with us. They are very cute little bees.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm doing yours at the moment. I've scrapped two so far.
It's not unusual. You take a bit of a cut somewhere and wallop; a crack or some defect appears....
I think I scrap about a third of those I start.

I knew it would be hard work but I didn't expect that high a failure rate. I truly appreciate what you are doing. Thank you.

 

[RoyalChick]

Nope, they went off down the valley. These do sting but they are extremely mellow.
I was cutting saplings up in the woods one day and had taken a fleecy type jacket off and hung it on a branch. When I went to put the jacket back on I could hear this buzzing but couldn't see any bees. It took a while before I worked out the buzzing was coming from one of the jacket arms. When I took the jacket off; which I admit happened in a bit of a rush, three bees flew out. I didn't get stung. I've had lots land on me and not sting. Bear in mind if they sting they die so it really is a last line of defense for them.
When the guy who does the bees spins out the honey from the frames there are often a couple of hundred bees in the kitchen but they just want to go home.

That is a wonderful story. I have similar experience with the bees that if you don't move too rapidly they are quite chill. I thought the ones that hang out on the garlic chives would stop me harvesting chives, weeding etc. But as long as I move slowly they just make room for me. Sometimes they walk over my arm and sometimes they buzz past my face and I feel the soft tickle of their wings - but they are far too busy with the chive flowers to sting me. I feel sort of honored to be part of their community when I am out with them!

 

[Shadrach]

I knew it would be hard work but I didn't expect that high a failure rate. I truly appreciate what you are doing. Thank you.

While it's very kind of you to write this, the horrible truth is it's quite normal. If I was using properly seasoned wood I would get fewer defects. Top quality properly seasoned hardwood is seriously expensive now and part of the buzz I get from the lamps is that they are made from chunks of firewood which have just been tossed in a pile to dry out.

 

[Shadrach]

That is a wonderful story. I have similar experience with the bees that if you don't move too rapidly they are quite chill. I thought the ones that hang out on the garlic chives would stop me harvesting chives, weeding etc. But as long as I move slowly they just make room for me. Sometimes they walk over my arm and sometimes they buzz past my face and I feel the soft tickle of their wings - but they are far too busy with the chive flowers to sting me. I feel sort of honored to be part of their community when I am out with them!

Yup, I get the feeling. Having hives here I get to meet a lot of bees out on the land. They never bother me. I have a couple busily filling some holes in the tool rack at my work bench outside and I'm banging and bashing around them.

 

[Ribh]

That's really cool. Thanks for sharing with us. They are very cute little bees.

Thanks, Bob. They are very different to Shad's honey bees. I can't usually see them with the naked eye, they're that tiny.

 

[Ribh]

Yup, I get the feeling. Having hives here I get to meet a lot of bees out on the land. They never bother me. I have a couple busily filling some holes in the tool rack at my work bench outside and I'm banging and bashing around them.

For many years we had a zig~zag wattle outside the living room window. All the bees loved it when it flowered & it was always thick with bees. They never bothered us & no~one was ever stung. It was the clover down @ the farm that got people stung. Half the island goes barefoot.