| Author | Content |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
10:19 AM Post #6418305
| I found a man to come and get my Bees. When we first talked I explained that they had been there for many years and were well settled...
These are a couple of pics of him opening the BOTTOM of the hive...it goes up to the roof!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
10:20 AM Post #6418312
| here... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
10:24 AM Post #6418331
| and another... 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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AYankeeCat
Fairfield County, CT
(Zone 6b)
April 16, 2009
10:26 AM Post #6418343
| He is working bare handed!? |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
10:29 AM Post #6418357
| Yes...you are seeing that correctly. Seems that I have native bees ie. non aggressive. I was out there with him without protection just feet away and not even a fly-by.
I am not sure if this is all that impressive to those in beekeeping, but I am AMAZED! |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
11:05 AM Post #6418513
| okay, so as he is making his way through the hive I am posting the pics...the combs are three layers thick. And we have not made it to the raw honey yet...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
12:29 PM Post #6418866
| Here is a link to see all of the pictures I have taken so far. We are about to start on the second box and still have not found the queen...
http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii259/tattedwithfaeries/b... |
knpeterson
Waynesville, MO
April 16, 2009
01:52 PM Post #6419150
| Wow! What a nest! I guess the bees had plenty of bee space in there. I gave my phone number to our local pest control guy so he can call me if he has anyone call about a swarm of bees and I can go get them.
Are you keeping the wax? I would! |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
03:10 PM Post #6419480
| We have just been unlucky enough to find many termites and black ants all around the hive. The keeper is unsure if the honey would be good. Seems that most of the fresh honey is uncapped.?? I am not bee savvy enough to know just what that means. On the upside, he has offered to give me a few quarts from the hive when he gets them settled at his home.
This has been a truly unique and wonderful experience. |
knpeterson
Waynesville, MO
April 16, 2009
03:18 PM Post #6419516
| Bees really are very interesting creatures. I love watching them but I know they could pose some problems if they decide to make a cozy home on the side of some elses cozy home. It is good to have bee keepers in your area that will come and remove the hive for you. Did this guy remove them for free? Some will, some won't. I do it for free, I don't want the bees killed for the cost of a can of raid because someone is afraid they can't afford removal. I figured the honey would not be any good but I think you can heat and strain the wax a few times to clean it. |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
03:25 PM Post #6419548
| I have been fortunate enough to live in a small town that is still about 50 years behind the rest of the world. So, the extraction was free (he gets 2 new boxes of bees). I am certain that he would welcome a nominal fee, but has never asked me for one.
I have been talking with quite a few people this morning and have found out that there are bee keeping "clubs" all over. Perhaps you might start by looking up beekeepers in your state and then try to narrow from there. The keeper that I used in fact is a member of one such club and he is going on a trip this weekend with his club to a "hands on" meeting to let new keepers see and learn extracting techniques. Just a thought...hope it will help!
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knpeterson
Waynesville, MO
April 16, 2009
04:27 PM Post #6419843
| We have some stuff like that in MO but nothing near me. When I told my post office to be expecting a package of bees they looked at me like I was nuts. The guy said he had worked there six years and had never seen a package of bees come through. So, not many people doing this in my area. |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 16, 2009
04:43 PM Post #6419935
| You would be extremely busy here...the keeper has 6 more hives to kick up by Sat. He THOUGHT mine was going to be a small and easy one...boy was her surprised! He is coming back out tomorrow to get the last of them...we are at 2 boxes and counting. |
knpeterson
Waynesville, MO
April 17, 2009
12:07 PM Post #6423920
| Maybe you should give bee keeping a try. You might find it better keeping them in a hive than under the siding of your house LOL! That hive was obviously a very productive hive. Was honey beginning to seep through the walls? |
LaJeanne
Cleveland, TX
April 17, 2009
02:12 PM Post #6424479
| I am HIGHLY allergic to all stinging insects, so beekeeping is not in my future.
The building they were in is my garden shed. Although he took the last of the bees this morning I have tons of comb left behind. He said we ended up with 4 queens. I am waiting for the rains to stop so that I can get out there and clean up the combs and rid myself of the "robbers".
There was wax and residue all over the openings. But the honey was up at the top. They had not capped it off so there is no honey for us.
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knpeterson
Waynesville, MO
April 17, 2009
02:21 PM Post #6424519
| Bees wax is worth more pound for pound than honey. If you googled purifying beeswax I bet you could find great ideas on how to melt it down and strain it through cloths to use for candles, lotions, etc. There are sooo many things you can use bees wax for. That was a very big hive. I bet he had a time sorting through all of those bees to find the queens. |
summerkid
Rose Lodge, OR
(Zone 8b)
April 24, 2009
11:23 AM Post #6456933
| LaJeanne, may I just express my gratitude for your sane response to the bees despite being allergic. Plus, the photos were amazing! I'm a beekeeper & have never seen anything like that. |
