An evening well spent

[bakerjw]

So a week ago, I put out a pair of swarm traps under a pair of 10 frame supers. Bee hive stuff.
Lo and behold, on Wednesday a swarm of a few thousand+ bees decided to take up residence in one of them. The last 16 months have really sucked all around so this was a rare victory.
Tonight I had to move the swarm trap from the high brick pillar that it was on to the eventual hive location and earlier I spent some time watching the little workers flying into and out of their new home. They fly right past the yard of white clover that we've not mowed just for them to places unknown. I've read where bees can fly from 2 to 8 miles from their hives.
Seeing some of them arrive back home with huge bundles of pollen on their back legs was so cool. I am sure that they are building comb and hopefully enough so that the queen is starting to lay new larvae.
All of the cares of the world don't matter one bit to a bee colony. They just work and do what they've done for ages. I can stand a couple of feet from the hive and they leave me be to enjoy them.
Sometimes it is the simple things.

Until I pulled some wood out of a pile where there is a yellow jacket nest. Now how in the world do they see well enough in the dark to sting you???

[Gtrubicon]

I have long admired the skill set for keeping bees. They make the world go round. They are a very vital part of our world. I am deathly allergic to them, I have multiple Eppi pens that are involved in anything I do. I love reading about the bee keepers here on this site, it seem they do it as a hobby, not as a living. They are doing good work in my opinion.

[richhodg66]

I have a friend who keeps bees, we get honey from him now and then. Been meaning to ask him about bees wax.

It's always been an interesting activity, but I really doubt I'd ever get into it.

[ryanmattes]

It is relaxing, isn't it. The low hum of them doing what they do. What really amazes me is that you can dump an orphaned swarm into a box, stick a queen they want to kill in there in a cage with a candy stopper, and within a few days they're just humming along, business as usual, like they've always been there.

One of the barn cats likes to hang out with me when I'm checking the hives.

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[memtb]

I’m in the process of making a couple of splits right now! One is complete, and was awaiting some more boxes/frames/ top cover (which I should have already had) and this cold front (wind, rain, snow) to move out .....then make second split! memtb

[bakerjw]

I texted my son tonight to see if he wanted to skype and see our bees. Normally our granddaughter is involved as she loves her John Dad. His phone is hosed so we didn't get to chat with her. It is what it is.
While chatting with him, I placed my hand on the landing ramp of our new hive and colony. Most of the returning bees just hovered past but one daring bee landed on my hand. It was hit or miss for a few seconds but it finally crossed over my hand and climbed into the hive. A sting would have killed the bee and hurt me. I'm not out aggravating my new found charges but only attempting to get comfortable with them and perhaps get the colony used to people being nearby.
Made for a great evening.

[rockrat]

Friend of mine has bees. He keeps after me to send him some sugar to feed his bees. He has two large hives and has split his hives so they won't swarm. He kept splitting them this year, and now has 10 smaller hives along with his two big ones. Really mild mannered bees. Has tried to give me a hive and bees , but I am also quite allergic to them. Would like to have them, but it is what it is..
The last three days he said he has had three swarms land in the neighbors tree (branches hanging over in his yard--thats where the bees landed). He kept one swarm. The others left. He can stick his hand 6 inches from the opening of the hive box of the new bunch and the bees just ignore him.

[Ural Driver]

I have one hive and am working on a painting second box. Once the paint sets for a couple of weeks I will split my present colony.