Anyone here have any bee-keeping knowledge?

Star*

call 911........call 911
Wanna come get a hive? I think I have a brandy new nest of Colettes hanging out near the shop. LOVELY! I am 100% allergic to bees - and while Colettes or Cellophanes aren't aggressive and you'd practically have to pinch them to get them to sting? Miss Pootie seems to delight in snapping at anything that buzzes.

I've called the extension office and we are to "capture" one - which we did, and bring it in. They are beautiful for sure, I'm certain I've seen the queen - she was markedly huge in contrast and was digging tunnels then backing out, digging then backing out. They didn't seem to mind I was there taking pictures. They didn't like the garden tractor which is how I found them in the first place. Had they been yellow jackets? I would be in the ER. That's what made me think Cellophane bees - that and their nest in is the ground.

UGH -
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
No clue with ground ones. Exterminator? But bees are having a hard time lately........would hate to kill them. Not sure if they can be moved without killing them though.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Well at first we thought they were honey bees - and if they were there ARE several people here that would love to have them. I.......am not one of them. lol. I am more allergic to epineprine that I am bee stings. So I have to just wing it if I'm stung.

We would never kill them....never.....ever....ever. Nothing here is killed, it's removed, or moved.....or transplanted. That's why I called the extension office. They're going to tell us how to or if they can be moved. Apparently from what I've read these guys are excellent little pollinators - Okay great - there are a TON of woods out there - NOW to get someone to come MOVE them THERE........where no one will bother them. I would leave them where they are but Pootie can't eat that many bees. She's already sweet as honey. I swear I told you - if it's 1/2 dead, crippled, dying, near death - or broken leg, wing, on it's last legs? It comes here - I have a picture of 13 buzzards sitting in the tree above our driveway - It's like WHY OUR HOUSE? And then some jerk shot one - and if we catch him? I feel for him. I really, really do. DNR wants to talk to him too. The sign over BUZZ Ards grave says - The only thing we shoot around here is the breeze - Animal Abusers BEWARE.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
All I know is that amateurs get big problems and professionals can handle the hives. OMG...don't put yourself in harms way.
I've had a few contacts with bee keepers and it is a specialized area, my friend. DDD
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
IIIIIIIII am not going to attempt to do ANYTHING but photograph from afar. I just wanted to know if these were 'meatasaurasuses' and thus woud be irradicated by DF with a can of night time raid, gasoline, a match, some more raid - like the wasps that stung him and Dude several times two years ago OR if they were gentle, kindly pollinating bees that needed to be left alone and moved by a pro. Thanks Hazoi and D3 for the advice - but when you are allergic to bees, and even more allergic to the antidote for bee stings? You don't play with fire! You just photograph. Actually, one of the really cool things that I did do in EMDR therapy was talk through my fear of bees. It was pretty cool - because when people fear - their temperature goes up, when that happens the body releases sweat. The bees are attracted to sweat and motion. Usually your first reaction to a buzzing bee is swat at in or move fast. Since I have no defense and a 50/50 chance? I asked if there was something we could work on with fear (I had fear of bridges and we worked through that) so why not bees? It actually worked pretty well. I'm not ignorant and it's not like I'm out standing in the middle of the hive - but I'm not running and swatting either. DF thinks it's wild.

Also - with the wasps - We TOLD them - they had 2 days to move, vacate, scram - and then we were coming to take down their nests. In the mean time we left them alone. They purposely came after Dude and DF in the opposite side of the yard and then? It was war. We have a friend that owns a pest control supply place and I promise the stuff that was sprayed? We won't have wasps back for years. We picked the dead ones up because of the poison but wow - the red and yellow ones are NASTY, aggressive and now not welcome at the ranch.
 

graceupongrace

New Member
I have to just wing it if I'm stung.

Pun intended, I'm sure!

Star*, We had a hive a couple of years ago. The bees were really cool to watch, but they were the Africanized version, and I figured it wouldn't be so cool if one of the neighborhood kids accidentally hit the hive with a baseball or other projectile. So the exterminators came and vacuumed it up.
 

rlsnights

New Member
Are these your bees?

http://flatbushgardener.blogspot.com/2008/05/andrenids-mining-bees.html

Unless you have mistaken ground nesting wasps for bees, then these bees are indeed gentle and may be there to harvest a specific plant pollen in your area.

The easiest thing to try that I know of is simply to make it unpleasant for them to nest where they are by making it damp. They like dry usually sandy spots. If you keep your entire yard area damp for a while they should vacate the nesting area in favor of someplace dry.

I'm not sure if it applies to this type of bee, but regular honey bees have flight paths in and out of the hive that are pretty rigid and predictable. If you stay out of their flight paths and you aren't wearing perfume they like or have plants they like where you are working they will leave you alone.

If there seems to be a flight path toward your work area/home you can try changing their path by putting up something to block the path. Placing a tall section of fence - at least 8' tall - where it will interfere with their flight path may get you the results you want without forcing the bees to move. Typically this will make them either choose a different route entirely or cause them to fly straight up and out so they aren't flying at person (or animal) height in the yard.

Patricia

Who knew having lived with a you-name-it-she-had-it roommate would pay off some day. I can tell you about Galapagos turtles in heat and Komondork dogs too.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Those wasps you mentioned Star are nasty lil buggers. I had one fly up the leg of my jeans once.......me just minding my own business......omg! Stung me 3 times before I could shake it out. (natural reaction I though husband had somehow caught my pant leg on fire) I still have the scars on my leg and that was..........wow like 12 yrs ago.

We always had to be careful of Nichole and bees..........didn't matter what type, wasps are an instant trip to the ER.......and not just for the shots. Bees love the girl. Ok, so anything that stings loves the girl. Even skeeters love her........and she gets huge welts from them too. Next visit to ob/fam doctor she's asking for an epi pen. So far her reactions are delayed.........with 105 temp, breathing issues, massive hives, and some nasty swelling. A healthy dose of benedryl or 3 is often enough. But like doctor says......you never know which one will be the one you stop breathing with. Several times we've just barely gotten her to the ER in time. ugh

Me......I better never become allergic to the darn things. I've got your problem.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Star the link is for the American Beekeeping Federation, lists how to get in touch with someone who knows how to move them. The only ground digging things like that I'm familiar with are yellow jackets and guinea wasps, both of which have nasty attitudes, and doesn't sound like yours.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Star, this might sound silly but take a look at the website for your state and see if they have an official beekeeper! I was looking through a list of all the civil service positions for the State of Tennessee and we actually have positions for some State beekeeping office! I have no idea what an official state beekeeper actually does, but if you have one, they might be able to help, even if it's just to identify the species.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
rlsnights - never thought about keeping the ground wet - but you know what? These little buggers are SO smart it's just amazing to watch them. They actually built part of their nest next to our shop under the lean to part (roofed porch) UNDER the wooden deck that sits on the ground, under the ground. We've observed them coming in and out from under that deck. Wouldn't be a problem to water the deck, but getting them OUT is going to 'bee' the tricky part.

We did look up the official bee guy. He referred us to the local extension office, so we're going there with our little unhappy captive this afternoon. If it comes down to having to move them? UGH...Like I said it's not that we don't welcome them and their pollination efforts - but the fact that the pups are snapping at them and THEY are going to get stung IS. Or that I 'could' get stung - you just never know. Killing them really is the last resort and not a top list option. Especially with the problem SC is having with lack of bees.

I would be delighted to know that my identification is correct - I think this is a Colettes daviesanus, but possibly an Andrena. I'm not wanting to kill this little fella so I can't see if the recurrent vein is sinous or straight. (doesnt that sound so scientific?) lol. Lots of big talk for is that line on his wing go this way or that way? Then again it could be a Plasterers hylaeus, but I'm thinking Colettes - he's a little more fuzzy, but very young. At least I think it's a he - litlte bugger is so fast and ADHD. Bees really aren't my 'thing' I'm a butterfly, moth and beetle person. But this has been fun.

Galapagos turtles? HOW TUBULAR......like totally cool. Years ago we used to show dogs and Komondor's I don't even think were being shown largely. Cool looking dogs though. Did you really call it a KomondorK? lol Or is that how it's spelled and I've missed it all these years.

Everyone, thank you so much for your help. I did take some pictures, but they aren't that great - I'll do my best to get them up loaded soon so you can see what the buzz is all about. They're back out there today busy little bees. And Pickles is here on my desk in the jar still very angry. I named him Pickles because we caught him in a Claussen jar.
 

rlsnights

New Member
Komondor is right.

Let's see, shall I blame this error on my late night humor (you know ... Komon - "dork") or the need to balance the visual aesthetic (begins with K ends with K) or the late hour and my recent illness (home sick yesterday with the gastroenteritis aka stomach flu) or a porous, leaky - some might even say honeycombed - recall for details like whether it's Komondor or Komondor"k"...

So many choices, so little time. You choose. :winnersmiley:

All I know is my roommate called and asked if she could bring a dog home. I said I guess so if I don't have to take care of it. And I arrived home to find a pony dressed in a floor length mop occupying the (entire) couch. You would think I would have learned something from that experience and said NO when she called about bringing home the turtles. And their shed. And their king size waterbed. "Just for the winter" she said.

Star* you have obviously spent a lot of time watching these bees. :stalker:

Exactly why are you asking for help when you already know that it's genus will be determined by whether it's wing vein is crooked or straight???? :bigsmile:

Here I thought I was the only person who collected minutiae like some people collect dust bunnies. Oops that would be me on both counts.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Star, if it has a stinger, it's a girl. Girls do all the work. Males are only good for making more bees, then they die.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
FWIW? If it was me? I'd use a can opener on the bee-and-wasp spray and POUR it on the nest. No spraying for me.

I'm like Hound's Nichole. ZZING - FWOOP! WWOO-WOOO-WWWOOOOO---GASP! (OK, sting, swell up, sirens, try to breathe.)
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
I didn't make it to the extension office today with Pickles. I had to go to the sick persons doctor. I've been ill for three weeks, and finally broke down because I am SO cranky, and SO sick I just couldn't take it any more. I have bronchitis bordering on pneumonia. LOVELY. I got an inhaler and some antibiotics. me an Pickles will travel tomorrow to the bee guy. Correction - Me and a new Pickles will travel to the bee guy. Df let him go -

Witz - you actually gave me the information I wanted to know. Soooooo I'm going to have to PAY someone to move these non-honey making boogers? NICE......I fear Step2's solution will be in the works unless someone volunteers to do it for free. Guess I'll give the state bee guy a call like Donna said (AGAIN) and tell him it's HIM or RAID. We'll see how much he really "LOVES" bees.

rls - I love to learn - and my first bug collection (age 12) was donated to a campsite conservation museum. Yup - it was that awesome. (blowing my own horn) but it was really cool and huge. I haven't collected bugs for a long time but I learned a lot when I was young. Guess when you don't take an immediate interest in drugs, and boys? You have hobbies. My Mom kept us VERY busy. To get time alone? I grabbed a net and a jar - and took off. lol
 

rlsnights

New Member
Um yeah - I'd have left you alone too.

My daughter screams when she encounters any bug-like object.

I nearly fell off my chair laughing the day she came home blazing mad because she'd discovered a cricket in her notebook when she opened it at school during class. Guess she and a couple girlfriends made a scene (standing on chairs, screaming, general hysteria) when it jumped out of the notebook into her lap. The (female)teacher was less than thrilled.

Sadly, my daughter lives in a home regularly invaded by crickets in the winter and spring. The wetter the more the crickets. No matter what we do they get into everything. And we make a survey of the pool at least twice a day for frogs.

Too bad you don't live here - sounds like you would have a great time. Our 1/3 acre urban home is adjacent to a 34 acre park that only has 8 acres developed and the rest is left wild. Next to that is a golf course and next to that is a small plane airport. So we have our own wildlife sanctuary in our backyard. 3 sets of nesting hawks including 2 Swainson's (rare/endangered), song birds coming and going on migration, woodpeckers, coons, several kinds of frogs, waterfowl in the winter when we have standing water.

Heaven if you're a birder - which we're not but I suspect once we have the kids out of the house our free $$ will go toward binoculars, etc. and we will start our life lists.

Patricia
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I had to do a bug collection for uni. Tricky, when you live in various places and have to carefully transport your insects on their pinboards in various stags of setting the wings and legs.

We also studied insects in other ways. I learned to anaesthetise them with carbon dioxide to briefly immobilise them. Don't overdo it, though.

I hope you can get some answers, Star. In the lab where I once worked, there was a very tall chimney that serviced about three floors of a very old building. Bees built a nest in the top of the chimney and nobody could ever get to the nest. My lab was on the bottom floor and we would increasingly find bees trying to get out the windows, even though the chimney had been boarded up. So every time the boss wanted to get rid of the nest, it was gassed. But they never cleaned out the honey, so of course the empty nest with its load of honey would get re-colonised.
husband now works in the building next door, and his colleague, a qualified apiarist as well as chemist, was called in finally to remove the nest AND the honey. They got the bees out alive and gave them a new home. The hive was fully cleaned out and last I heard, no recurrence of the problem.

So if they decide to poison the nest, send someone in afterwards (when all the bees are gone) and remove any honey or other pollen store.

Marg
 
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