So, most of yesterday I was building a 4'x12'
shield to put in front of my bees when the mower guys come. They have
not learned that when I tell them to not go in the direction where the
mower throws grass into the bee hive it makes the bees upset. All three
of the different ones who have mowed have been afraid of bees so one
would think they would listen. Wellsir, even after I grabbed the mower a
couple of weeks ago and did two passes the correct way it still did not
register. That mowing man was amazed but the next week he went the
wrong way throwing grass into the bees and getting them all riled up.
I put up a large sheet, (10'x4' x 1") of plywood but it is way too heavy for me to manipulate so I started building a much lighter weight one made of much thinner plywood. I had just cut the new one into two 6' sections that I can put up and take down with relative ease when Herself opened the garage door and said, "I think your bees are swarming." After figuritively placing the paddles on my chest and getting my heart re-started, I rushed to the window overlooking our estate, or some would call it, our back yard.
Sure enough, a small amount of bees had gathered on a bird feeder and were preparing to find a new home. Forgetting everything that was happening I luckily found enough frames with old wax and a couple with new wax and set up a hive body. At this time of year and that small amount the bees would not have had a chance of surviving the winter. I had planned on getting them settled and sometime in the next few days I would combine them with an existing hive.
So, I did get them into the box (hive body) and they seemed to accept it as they started working - or so it seemed. That is when I went back into the house to observe them. I even had supper and was able to eat all of it but hardly ever took my eyes off the view of the yard so I could observe what the bees were or were not doing. All seemed well. Emphasis on "seemed."
As I sat eating at the dining table whilst constantly looking out the windows, thinking how lucky I was to have caught them, a new small swarm started forming on the humming bird feeder which was next to where the finch feeder was the others had used. I said something like, "Oh, golly, gee" and didn't even cry. Or not so much as to be noticed, anyway.
Patiently I waited until it appeared all who were coming had a chance to gather there. I had a small frame with way so I poured a little sugar water on it and sprinkled sugar on both sides hoping to attract these delinquent little buggers.Not so much.
After it appeared there would be no others joining them I took the feeder, with bees hanging on, over to the hive body with the others. I left them for an hour or so. Later I went back and combined the two and had no problem. I wondered if they could have been two parts of the same swarm and it appeared that was so. This was about an hour or more into the process and I had only started cleaning the garage when it all started.
I made an attempt at blowing the saw dust out and sorta straightening the rest of the mess and rushing so I could continue observing the bees. The last check I made of them was just about dark and everything appeared to be OK.
Early this morning they were gone.
(Insert wail and lamentations here.)
I put up a large sheet, (10'x4' x 1") of plywood but it is way too heavy for me to manipulate so I started building a much lighter weight one made of much thinner plywood. I had just cut the new one into two 6' sections that I can put up and take down with relative ease when Herself opened the garage door and said, "I think your bees are swarming." After figuritively placing the paddles on my chest and getting my heart re-started, I rushed to the window overlooking our estate, or some would call it, our back yard.
Sure enough, a small amount of bees had gathered on a bird feeder and were preparing to find a new home. Forgetting everything that was happening I luckily found enough frames with old wax and a couple with new wax and set up a hive body. At this time of year and that small amount the bees would not have had a chance of surviving the winter. I had planned on getting them settled and sometime in the next few days I would combine them with an existing hive.
So, I did get them into the box (hive body) and they seemed to accept it as they started working - or so it seemed. That is when I went back into the house to observe them. I even had supper and was able to eat all of it but hardly ever took my eyes off the view of the yard so I could observe what the bees were or were not doing. All seemed well. Emphasis on "seemed."
As I sat eating at the dining table whilst constantly looking out the windows, thinking how lucky I was to have caught them, a new small swarm started forming on the humming bird feeder which was next to where the finch feeder was the others had used. I said something like, "Oh, golly, gee" and didn't even cry. Or not so much as to be noticed, anyway.
Patiently I waited until it appeared all who were coming had a chance to gather there. I had a small frame with way so I poured a little sugar water on it and sprinkled sugar on both sides hoping to attract these delinquent little buggers.Not so much.
After it appeared there would be no others joining them I took the feeder, with bees hanging on, over to the hive body with the others. I left them for an hour or so. Later I went back and combined the two and had no problem. I wondered if they could have been two parts of the same swarm and it appeared that was so. This was about an hour or more into the process and I had only started cleaning the garage when it all started.
I made an attempt at blowing the saw dust out and sorta straightening the rest of the mess and rushing so I could continue observing the bees. The last check I made of them was just about dark and everything appeared to be OK.
Early this morning they were gone.
(Insert wail and lamentations here.)
