The bee keeper diaries

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Groves

Here's the full capture and install of a swarm issued by my hive.

https://www.facebook.com/grovesthegr...1251775474479/

That was very cool.

I'm completely stunned that you did that with noting more than a hat with mesh, -- short sleeves no less. WTF? You carried the hive around and then dumped it into the box with practically no protective gear.

Is that typical? Why the heck aren't they stinging the crap out of you for messing with their hive??

[Groves]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Is that typical? Why the heck aren't they stinging the crap out of you for messing with their hive??

Iowanian already answered, but I’ll chime in.

A place where bees build comb/raise babies/store honey is called a hive. The group of bees living in the hive is called a colony. A group of bees that have loaded up on food in their stomach and shooed the old or new queen out to sit while they go find new digs is called a swarm.

Bees protect hives, but swarms don’t protect anything. That’s the main reason I just wear a veil, and don’t really need that even.

A few years ago the swarms from my hive gathered 12ft high in a cherry tree. I put a step ladder in the bed of my truck and climbed it to ship off the branch.

It went well enough, but one of my sons had the job of steadying the ladder. I was as gentle as possible with the cluster, but a clump or two did fall.

The boy talks like it was a lowlight of life, but I can tell it was a proud moment for him. He continued to steady the ladder even though a few hundred bees fell on his bare head/chest/arms.


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