OT: Bees, lots and lots of bees

[jacksonpt]

I've got a small pine tree (~6') in my back yard. Yesterday I noticed there was a section of the tree, about 2' in length, that was PACKED with bees (the mass of bees is probably 1' in diameter at it's widest point). I believe they are honey bees, but I'm not 100% sure.

I'd rather not kill them, but I've got 2 small kids and 2 dogs (one dog is allergic to bees). Any suggestions on what I should do?

 

[Phyxius]

Father in law here in NC had the same thing. He found a local beekeeper who came and removed them for him free of charge. You may want to check around and see if you have any there and see if they can help you. Or call the nearest agriculture office and see if they have any suggestions.

BTW- the pic of those bees make them look huge.......are they that big?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

you might contact
Dr. Nicholas Calderone
Cornell University, Dept. of Entomology, Comstock Hall
Ithaca NY 14850
607 254 7417
nwc4@cornell.edu

regarding these bees

 

[drbronx]

That is fascinating Jackson. I've never seen that before. As you may know, honey bees have been mysteriously disappearing. Theories abound as to why this is happening but their is as yet no consensus. It is of huge concern for ovious reasons. But perhaps this offers a clue.... they like your house. I hope you can find a solution without having to kill them.

Gary M.: Thanks for stopping by our humble forum. We certainly welcome our No. Tier comrades to chime in.

 

[SFBiol]

Hi:
This is my first official visit to this site, and while I'm no longer an official reefkeeper, I'm still interested in the field.

Then I saw this post, and I can tell you that looks like a swarm. It's basically when in the late spring, the hive that has overwintered is becoming overpopulated, some of the colonies split off to form new ones thru swarming. The queen and a major proportion of the original colony will break off from the orignal hive, and cluster on an object, like your tree, while scouts search for a more appropriate site to create a new home.

Usually if there's alot of activity around your house, for example, they will not build a nest there. You shouldn't need to spray.

Good luck and great photos!

Sue F.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

For goodness sakes- don't kill those bees, Jackson.
If for no other reason, those bees are very valuable.
I'm sure you've heard of 'colony collapse' with bee colonies all over the world.
Oftentimes, whole colonies will fly off and vacate their previous site without a trace.
I urge you to contact an appropriate bee authority in your area and I'm sure someone will remove the bees from your property free of charge.

 

[jacksonpt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10022407#post10022407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SFBiol
Then I saw this post, and I can tell you that looks like a swarm. It's basically when in the late spring, the hive that has overwintered is becoming overpopulated, some of the colonies split off to form new ones thru swarming. The queen and a major proportion of the original colony will break off from the orignal hive, and cluster on an object, like your tree, while scouts search for a more appropriate site to create a new home.

Usually if there's alot of activity around your house, for example, they will not build a nest there. You shouldn't need to spray.

Thanks Sue. I spent some time googling the topic last night and read much of what you just said, however it's nice to hear it from a former bee keeper (i.e., someone who knows what their talking about).

As of this morning, it looks like the swarm is moving on as it's about 1/3 of the size it was Friday night. It's kind of unfortunate because I'd love to see how swarm/hive "develops", but with 2 kids and 2 dogs, it's really not a good place for a hive.

 

[razzmatazz]

Man wish we were just a little closer sure could use some more bees here. Hubby would snach them up for you. LOL send them my way. Gotta love those honey bees.