The bees are back

[orezok]

Last year I only saw about a dozen bees all summer. Just now I went to look at my peach trees which are in blossom and they are covered in bees. YEAH! :thumbsup:

 

[BRMyers]

That is great to here.

 

[saxnbees]

If they are honey bees, be careful. Unless a bee keeper moved into the area, they are probably from a feral hive somewhere nearby. Wild honey bees in your part of the country are usually Africanized which are much more protective of their hive than their European counterparts that bee keepers use. If you find a hive in a wall, hollow tree, or somewhere else, do not approach it. Contact someone that knows how to deal with bees safely.

 

[ovrszd]

I noticed several Honey Bees Sunday when we had a nice warm day.

I don't have any Bee Keepers in my area.

8 years ago I had 5 Honey Bees hives in my Timber that I knew of. Last year I couldn't find any. Obviously I have one somewhere nearby. I'm thrilled. I have 50 acres of Pollinator CRP next to my Timber. Hoping that is contributing to the comeback.

 

[orezok]

If they are honey bees, be careful. Unless a bee keeper moved into the area, they are probably from a feral hive somewhere nearby. Wild honey bees in your part of the country are usually Africanized which are much more protective of their hive than their European counterparts that bee keepers use. If you find a hive in a wall, hollow tree, or somewhere else, do not approach it. Contact someone that knows how to deal with bees safely.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Bees native to this part of the country (Mojave Desert) nest underground and there has never been an Africanized cluster anywhere near here. Our bees are very FRIENDLY, sorry about yours.

 

[saxnbees]

Our bees in Maine are fine European bees....unless a migratory bee keeper accidentally brings an Africanized hive up from Florida for pollination. Africanized bees do not survive the winters up here. But they are big in southern California, the southwest, Florida and some other southern states.

European honey bees do not live in the ground. They are cavity dwellers....hollow trees, walls, etc. Africanized bees will sometimes live in a cavity in the ground but I don't believe that is too common.

There are many species of native bees that nest in the ground and maybe that is what you have.

Either way, I thought I would be nice to warn you of the possibility that you might have Africanized honey bees that can be extremely dangerous. I never said the sky is falling, but there are lots of dangerous creatures in our world that deserve respect and caution. They did not call the Africanized honey bees "Killer Bees" for no reason. They can be extremely dangerous if you encroach upon their nest. Foraging in the field away from the colony, no problem...... But get near their nest and they may protect that nest in large numbers and chase the intruder for as much as a mile.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Honey bee population around here is getting really thin, I'm sorry to say. My contribution this year is to plant 1000 sqft of wildflowers out back primarily for them. I'm guessing that we've beat on them very hard over the last recent years with out insecticide, etc.. Time to give back!

 

[saxnbees]

It is not just honey bees but also many types of native pollinators that are being lost due to lack of forage and pesticides. Before the settlers brought honey bees from Europe, honey bees did not exist in this hemisphere. Native bees did all of the pollination. But many of the plants and trees brought by the settlers needed the honey bee for adequate pollination. Between that and the sweetener called honey, the honey bees were brought here and naturally spread throughout the hemisphere over time. In today's world with billions of people that need to be fed, honey bees are currently the only reasonable way to pollinate all of the crops we need.

I commend you for doing your part to help our pollinators. I think we need to get away from this concept of a perfectly green lawn of nothing but grass. Such a lawn is a dessert to pollinators. Weeds like dandelions are part of an early season buffet for pollinators and they add color to the landscape. Milkweed provides a good nectar source and also provides food for the Monarch butterfly larvae that only feed on milkweed as the species migrates north each year. Plants that are native to an area are best because that is what the native pollinators developed on over the millennia before man changed the landscape.

I personally allow my fields to grow naturally during the warm seasons because I do not need the hay from them. I cut them once a year after the frost kills off any flowers there. By doing this, milk week has moved back in and I am seeing more Monarchs every year. It is almost as if they somehow know where to find the food even though those individuals are 5 or 6 generations removed from the previous year. But these same butterflies know to migrate north every year and somehow return to the same location in Mexico every year. There is much that we still do not know about our world.

 

[Threepoint]

Our bees in Maine are fine European bees....unless a migratory bee keeper accidentally brings an Africanized hive up from Florida for pollination. Africanized bees do not survive the winters up here. But they are big in southern California, the southwest, Florida and some other southern states.

European honey bees do not live in the ground. They are cavity dwellers....hollow trees, walls, etc. Africanized bees will sometimes live in a cavity in the ground but I don't believe that is too common.

There are many species of native bees that nest in the ground and maybe that is what you have.

Either way, I thought I would be nice to warn you of the possibility that you might have Africanized honey bees that can be extremely dangerous. I never said the sky is falling, but there are lots of dangerous creatures in our world that deserve respect and caution. They did not call the Africanized honey bees "Killer Bees" for no reason. They can be extremely dangerous if you encroach upon their nest. Foraging in the field away from the colony, no problem...... But get near their nest and they may protect that nest in large numbers and chase the intruder for as much as a mile.

Coincidentally, here's another thread on bees, started by a member in Coachella, CA a few days ago: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/422459-another-reason-closed-cabs.html

It is interesting to see the range of different reactions to various posts on TBN about potentially dangerous critters, be they bees, snakes, black widow or brown recluse spiders, coyotes, coywolfs, etc. From "the only good snake is a dead snake" and "all 'killer bees' should be destroyed because they don't belong in this country", to "remove and relocate if you can, kill only if you must".

No doubt some of the comments are folks just popping off for attention or out of an inflated sense of self-importance; and because they can with anonymity. I can't speak for Orezok, but my guess is he may have thought you were being overly alarmist.

 

[saxnbees]

I was not trying to be alarmist but intended to make sure folks understood the potential danger posed by the Africanized honey bee. The thread you linked to portrays the danger very well. In that case, it is very likely an Africanized honey bee nest. The OP in that thread was very lucky he had a cab. Like the European honey bee, the nest size can easily reach 25000 or more bees during the honey season. Of that number, a significant portion of the bees will react to a threat in a hostile manner and they are very persistent. The one saving grace is that each bee can sting only once.

Normally, what I suggest to people is that insects like the Africanized honey bee do have a place in the world. They pollinate plants just like their less defensive European cousin. And the reality is that we probably could never eradicate them. The cat is out of the bag. But where there is a high likelihood of a person wandering near the nest and the danger it poses, then either relocation or destruction should be considered. When necessary, a person equipped to safely and properly deal with the threat should be contacted.

 

[NorTracNY]

I was not trying to be alarmist but intended to make sure folks understood the potential danger posed by the Africanized honey bee. The thread you linked to portrays the danger very well. In that case, it is very likely an Africanized honey bee nest. The OP in that thread was very lucky he had a cab. Like the European honey bee, the nest size can easily reach 25000 or more bees during the honey season. Of that number, a significant portion of the bees will react to a threat in a hostile manner and they are very persistent. The one saving grace is that each bee can sting only once.

Normally, what I suggest to people is that insects like the Africanized honey bee do have a place in the world. They pollinate plants just like their less defensive European cousin. And the reality is that we probably could never eradicate them. The cat is out of the bag. But where there is a high likelihood of a person wandering near the nest and the danger it poses, then either relocation or destruction should be considered. When necessary, a person equipped to safely and properly deal with the threat should be contacted.

I also don't want to be an alarmist, but you most likely have some genetics in your bees from Africa. A hot hive is a hot hive. If you don't like the temperament, then change the queen. There are tons of nucs brought up from Florida and the Carolinas every spring. Many of these contain genetics from Africa. There are very few "purebred" honeybees. Despite me trying to talk to my young virgins queens about those bad drones, they always fly up to those drone congregation sites and do as she pleases. The young girls kill about a dozen drones and she doesn't seem to get a genetic makeup sheet from them before doing it.

There are several universities that have looked at the genetics of the wild bees. I listened to one 3 years back at a local bee conference. I do not have a link for you, but I'm sure you could search for them if you care to.

 

[saxnbees]

I also don't want to be an alarmist, but you most likely have some genetics in your bees from Africa. A hot hive is a hot hive. If you don't like the temperament, then change the queen. There are tons of nucs brought up from Florida and the Carolinas every spring. Many of these contain genetics from Africa. There are very few "purebred" honeybees. Despite me trying to talk to my young virgins queens about those bad drones, they always fly up to those drone congregation sites and do as she pleases. The young girls kill about a dozen drones and she doesn't seem to get a genetic makeup sheet from them before doing it.

There are several universities that have looked at the genetics of the wild bees. I listened to one 3 years back at a local bee conference. I do not have a link for you, but I'm sure you could search for them if you care to.

I usually do not tolerate defensive hives. Most queens heading up a defensive colony meet a quick end. The worst hive I ever had was when I purchased a queen from Texas when the Africanized bees first arrived in Texas. That queen only lasted about 2 months before she met her end. I did have one the last few years that did not bother you unless you opened the hive. Then they were quick to respond. But that hive produced nearly 300 lbs/year and never attempted to swarm. The queen lived 3 years before she was replaced. I just did not inspect them as often or as thoroughly as the other hives. I was sad to see her go.

If I buy a queen, I try to get one from an area where Africanized bees do not exist. Locally bred bees are best here in Maine. That is usually what I recommend. But you are right. Due to the practice of raising bees in the south and shipping them north has spread some Africanized genes practically everywhere by now.

 

[NorTracNY]

I usually do not tolerate defensive hives. Most queens heading up a defensive colony meet a quick end. The worst hive I ever had was when I purchased a queen from Texas when the Africanized bees first arrived in Texas. That queen only lasted about 2 months before she met her end. I did have one the last few years that did not bother you unless you opened the hive. Then they were quick to respond. But that hive produced nearly 300 lbs/year and never attempted to swarm. The queen lived 3 years before she was replaced. I just did not inspect them as often or as thoroughly as the other hives. I was sad to see her go.

If I buy a queen, I try to get one from an area where Africanized bees do not exist. Locally bred bees are best here in Maine. That is usually what I recommend. But you are right. Due to the practice of raising bees in the south and shipping them north has spread some Africanized genes practically everywhere by now.

My very first hive was hot, but I was new and only purchased the one so I didn't know it wasn't "normal." My mentor at the time wondered if skunks were bothering it or did I just go into it before he came. Mine was different in that it didn't produce a huge amount of honey, but swarmed lots. Those swarms were captured and were the gentlest bees I've had. They produced lots of honey too. I always found it odd. I think it was 3-4 years before I lost that hive. I had a new beekeeper that I was mentoring have a hot hive. Not fun for new beekeepers. Luckily he's stayed with it.

 

[Diggin It]

The Buzz Brigade was aggressively attacking my Peach tree yesterday.

 

[DarkBlack]

My peach trees are still sleeping

 

[Molalla1]

My peach trees are still sleeping

Love peaches . . . :thumbsup:

 

[ovrszd]

Since it's a really big deal to both of you to not tell ANYONE where you are, I could care less what your peach trees are doing. Has absolutely no relevance to anyone reading your posts.

 

[/pine]

Since it's a really big deal to both of you to not tell ANYONE where you are, I could care less what your peach trees are doing. Has absolutely no relevance to anyone reading your posts.

And you speak for "anyone" reading those posts?...that's a bit of an overreach even for you...

 

[ovrszd]

And you speak for "anyone" reading those posts...that's a bit of an overreach even for you...

Show me exactly where I included anyone but myself???

How are things in Minnesota anyway???

 

[Molalla1]

Since it's a really big deal to both of you to not tell ANYONE where you are, I could care less what your peach trees are doing. Has absolutely no relevance to anyone reading your posts.

I believe it's Lower Uncton for Diggin It, the other who knows? :laughing: