Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

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Whwoz
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Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#1

Post: # 67970Unread post Whwoz
Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:31 am

About 18 months ago we had a hive of bees here over spring and summer for fruit and vegetable pollination purposes. We were hoping to have one back this spring and summer but with COVID it didn't happen. Now due to roadworks about 20 minutes drive away, near a house where our friends have two hives, we have those hives here. It is not so much that the bees do not like dust, but that they consider the machinery a hive threat and attack the drivers 😫😯 so bees needed to be moved for duration. Not a lot flowering here, but should be sufficient in locality to keep them happy. Plenty of honey in hive too, so no real stress. Kids love having them here, which is great.

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PlainJane
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#2

Post: # 67979Unread post PlainJane
Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:13 am

How fascinating! I spend a lot of time in my garden watching bees.
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein

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MissS
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#3

Post: # 67980Unread post MissS
Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:16 am

The kids should learn a lot from watching those bees and seeing how they interact. I always enjoyed watching them and still do.
~ Patti ~

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Whwoz
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#4

Post: # 80855Unread post Whwoz
Wed Oct 19, 2022 5:48 am

Ok, we have 4 bee hives here, or rather had this morning, bee man and one son turned up about 3 pm to inspect hives, just as well as while we were talking about what needed doing, the son suddenly said what's that, I think a hive has swarmed. Closer inspection confirmed that was indeed the case, grad a bee catch box, shake bees into it, queen must have fallen in as all bees suddenly start to head into hive. All good, leave for half an hour or so, so that all bees go in box, cover and allow to settle and hive number 5 is set. This will stay for 24 hours and be picked up tomorrow night and taken elsewhere by bee man so that they don't return to previous hive. Bees that gorged on food in lead up to swarming that they can't sting.

Inspection of the 4 original hives then proceeded, very interesting process, hives not too bad for this time of year, but could have been better. A lot of queen cells found in one hive, so some places in capture box and taken elsewhere, so second bonus hive for the day, a lot of upset bees and a few stings taken by those not fully covered, I scored 3 for the day and Mrs one.

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Paulf
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#5

Post: # 80870Unread post Paulf
Wed Oct 19, 2022 10:26 am

After many years of being goosey around any stinging, flying insect, the past several years I have calmed down and have yearned for some bee hives. I have a nephew who is a bee keeper and would love for him to help set up a hive in my area.

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Whwoz
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#6

Post: # 80893Unread post Whwoz
Wed Oct 19, 2022 4:14 pm

Well worth the effort @Paulf . Just need a spot a bit out of the way where they can face South and have water readily accessible, a good solid base to sit on and ideally sloping just a little bit incase water gets in so it can run out.

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Whwoz
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#7

Post: # 80946Unread post Whwoz
Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:59 pm

Unfortunately and unknown to us, the swarm left the box during the day yesterday and when our local bee man took it home it was empty rather than occupied as we expected. Need to find that swarm today if we can.

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Whwoz
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#8

Post: # 80968Unread post Whwoz
Fri Oct 21, 2022 3:21 am

Good news on bee swarm front, they were actually in the box after all, just hunkered down and ignoreing all wake up calls.

Seven Bends
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#9

Post: # 80990Unread post Seven Bends
Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:36 am

Whwoz wrote: Fri Oct 21, 2022 3:21 am Good news on bee swarm front, they were actually in the box after all, just hunkered down and ignoreing all wake up calls.
I know that feeling; sometimes you just don't wanna get up. Hope they're enjoying their new home now.

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Whwoz
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#10

Post: # 111318Unread post Whwoz
Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:22 am

Ok time to update this thread.

With the various works that we have had done, the bees were moved off our block but have now returned. First three hives, tow of which swarmed on successive days, so that we now have five hives. One is in a single box, three doubles and a triple. Bees were inspected yesterday (6/12/23) and found to be lacking in stored nectar/pollen with low capped honey levels. Out of the 14 or 16 hives our beeman has, he has been able to rob only 5 frames his week during his inspections at a time when there should be a lot of honey. This is not a happy place to be at the moment, especially when one hive had a hive beatle trap that fits under about 1/3 of the hive nearly full of dead bees. Not sure what is going on here, may get more of an idea when I can look at them under a disceting microscope. Crossed fingers no Varroa mites.

As a result of the low stores, I have been a bit more observant, and driven around a bit looking for flowering plants. Reasonable amount of wild blackberries, some Kunzea, Leptospermum (teatrees) and few Melaleucas and not a lot else (most of these are too far from home for our bees). Where last year there were paddocks of dandylion, this year it is all long grass. Very little clover observed either due to long grass.

Suspect that all the long grass has lead to a reduction in amount of flowers readily available for bees to easily access leading to bees that are probably feeling like they are on a diet. Possibility that those bees in trap were robbers??

Anyway in discussion with owner we have come to the conclusion that we may have to supplementary feed the bees to ensure that they survive over winter. Not our prefered position to be in, adds another layer of complexity to honey sales, but better than loosing bees. May have to seriously look at importing hummingbird feeders to act as bee feeders. Are these readily available still over there or with that white stuff appearing do they disappear from shops.

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MissS
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Re: Buzzzzzzzzzzz, bees here

#11

Post: # 111327Unread post MissS
Thu Dec 07, 2023 8:17 am

@Whwoz You can still find feeders everywhere. Amazon has loads of them as do all the stores. There are several YouTube videos on how to make your own.
~ Patti ~

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