Bees

[poliphilo]

We've had wasps and hornets living at the farm but never bees, never until now.

A small bunch of them came buzzing round the eaves the day before yesterday; these, I suppose were the scouts.

And then yesterday I was sitting out on the patio, reading a book, when I heard a droning noise. I looked up and the air was full of them. Thousands of them.  I decided I'd be better off watching developments from inside.

They were settling on the side wall, just under the guttering.  There's a hole there- leading, I think, to the space between the wall and the tile cladding- and they were queuing up in orderly fashion to go inside.

This morning they seem to  have settled in nicely. They have a few sentries posted and the workers are coming and going.

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Well, that's cheering news, given what a rough time bees seem to be having worldwide at the moment. I hope yours flourish.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've been seeing lots of bees round here this year. Perhaps it represents a local revival.

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Will you get the local bee-keeper out?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know. I'm very happy for them to live here.
This is a situation I've not had to deal with before.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Worth getting to know your local bee chap or chapess just in case!

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Agreed. At some point your lot will swarm with any luck, and the local bee chap(ess) will know how and where to rehive them. Friends of mine in Suffolk have hives in their back garden, and the hives swarm reasonably regularly.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

A friend of ours down in Cornwall keeps bees and she was saying when we were down visiting in April that it'd already been a busy year for swarms- something to do with a late Spring, apparently.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful development! I am sure they will be happy there. Bees need places where they can live and multiply without being "kept" for their honey!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's rather what I feel.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, fresh honey!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But I'm afraid we'd have to demolish the wall to get at it.

[faunhaert.livejournal.com]

when a hive does the swarm thing
a beekeeper isn't always ready

if you get the right one they'd probably be very happy to find them
and might just give you honey for finding them.
its much better to let them the harvesting they have all the equipment.

and i'm happy to just have 2 bumble bees show up

you are lucky
its good to talk to the bees
they do listen and they talk to other bees

[artkouros.livejournal.com]

They'll make honey for you.