Rurh-roe, the natives are getting restless. Pictures, and dial-up warning.

[denbot]

My wild bee hive has been well behaved since they co-opted my VW camper stove stored in my backyard. Earlier today I was trying to clean up the area near the hive and my patio today and I was met with a few aggressive bees. One got stuck in my hair and Alley had to use the kitty brush to get her out with no harm to her or me.

Bees use pheromones to communicate and I'm guessing that my hair adornment secreted some attack scents because there were quite a number of bees flying in circles around the front of the hive, and if they got close they would bump me.

The bees that are transitioning from "house keeping" bees to foraging bees do daily orientation flights around mid-day. I don't know if I was getting in the way of orientation flights, or if the girls are getting crowded which makes them testy, and swarm. I put together a Langstrom Hive the week before last, and Alley and Mini-Alley painted it last week. I am trying to reach an experienced beekeeper to come over and help me move the girls in to their new condo this weekend. When I do I will post pictures and videos, possibly from the ER..

Here is a video from a couple of weeks ago:

Here is their new digs:

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Wait Wut]

1. You're braver than I.

I'm damned near addicted to honey, but TERRIFIED of bees. Good luck!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear denbot!

Cool pics, and fascinating story!

I hope you can get them into their permanent home...

Good luck!

I hope you won't end up in the ER!

[nolabear]

3. I love bees even though I'm allergic.

Honeybees aren't too awful. And they're so wonderfully hive-smart. Fascinating critters.

[Denninmi]

4. Your hive stand set up looks vulnerable to the wind.

I'd lose the milk crate or use some kind of bungee cords to secure the thing down.

Also, I'd get them out of the stove ASAP -- they are building new comb in there and filling it with brood, and you will no doubt lose some of that when you move them.

Good luck, if I were in your geographic vicinity I'd volunteer to come help you move them.

[denbot]

6. The main wind pattern is from the west.

The wall behind the hive is on the western side of the yard. Several elms combine to form a huge canopy over our back yard, and the wall itself is 6' tall with and additional 2' wooden screen on top of that. Behind us is a 2 story McMansion that takes up most of that property, and would serve as an excellent wind block, even without 8' of fencing. Our house is to the east and while only 1 story blocks the rare offshore wind flows. The milk carton will be sitting in a shallow tub with a few inches of water to discourge ant raids.

The north side is where my garage is situated, with a little gated potting shed area build behind it. The camper stove is just outside of the potting shed gate, and until today I was going to place the new hive where the stove now sits.

My bees fly in from over the house and patio cover along the north side of the yard to enter the hive. I have a worm composter in the potting shed which was never a problem approaching before. If they are getting touchy about me or my kid taking our veggie scraps to the potting shed the time to resolve it is now.

I opened a huge flyway in the canopy of the elm in the middle of the back yard today to get the bees to change their flight path from the north side of my back yard to hopefully the center of the backyard where the new hive is now.

The "flow" season is just getting going so moving the hive right now will give the girls enough time to repair the damage to the comb from cutting it out and tying it in the frames. Hopefully I won't lose too much brood. Fortunately the people that I'm working with (www.backwardsbeekeepers.com) are pretty good at "cutouts".

[mwdem]

5. Cool! Every year we have honey bees

come and drink from our water fountain on our patio. Someone has hives in our neighborhood. It's nice to see them thriving!

[sarge43]

7. denbot, my husband, 8th year of beekeeping, gives you a thumbsup

He recommends you contact Backward Beekeepers. They're based in the LA area and are doing remarkable work capturing and reestablishing swarm and feral hives.

http://www.backwardbeekeepers.com

[sarge43]

8. Sorry, I didn't see your post about the Backwards

You're set. They're the best help available.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. I love Hunniezzzzzzz!

Love the part about having to comb one out of your hair--with no harm to her or you!!! Wonderful!!

I had a swarm take up residence in the wall of my house a couple years ago.

Had the beekeepers come and advise me. Apparently, it was too close to winter for them to be coaxed out, so I left them. Manymany got stuck in between a window pane and storm window, which made me very sad...and while it was still warm, lots of 'em got into my house. I would carry them outside at night, when they were less active. No problem...sometimes, I even carried them on my hands. They're loveable!