Why I am not going out today.

[Mjolinor]

 

The pain I go through taking this picture for your enjoyment. I got stung.

That is one of four patches that are about a yard across each. There must be a million bees there.

 

[Haliotis]

Thanks for the picture, John.  Gave me quite a buzz. 😄

[Cyker]

1 hour ago, Mjolinor said:

 

The pain I go through taking this picture for your enjoyment. I got stung.

That is one of four patches that are about a yard across each. There must be a million bees there.

 

Weirdly enough we had a similar phenomenon near one of our sites - whole pile of bees flying around then landing somewhere then moving off again, down the street.

Someone reckoned it was a new queen and her... retinue?... leaving the hive and looking for a place to make a new hive.

First time I've seen something like that in real life!

 

[Mjolinor]

Hmm, this makes them angry. Another four stings for me.

[Mjolinor]

The man (in the suit) says it is a new queen and each small patch is where she has landed. He got the queen in the box on his third sweep with a dustpan and brush. Once he had done that they all started going in the box.

Really interesting to watch and well worth the risk of a few stings.

Every day a school day even at 69 years old. 🙂

 

[Cyker]

To quote Nicholas Cage, "Aaaargh not the bees not the bees!!"

[Mjolinor]

Episode 2:

Much stings, swearing, expletives etc etc later.

The bee man tells me there is no queen and they are doing that because they have overheated in the nest. All the ones he had in his box decided to vacate said box and infest bee mans suit. Last seen running down the drive pulling his suit off. Angry bees everywhere, angry bee man crabbing at his faten who was trying to help, bees invading the house and every safe place we could think of.

Many stings then, thankfully, the mother of all thunderstorms stopped them for the night.

This morning we have a repeat of yesterday and the bee man (hopefully in a better mood) is coming back at 3 PM to exterminate the hive. Not something I can approve of but there seems to b little choice in the matter.

[Mjolinor]

Episode 3:

They are all dead and the holes blocked up.

Very sad and I can't approve but it aint my house, it's next doors decision.

I would have opened the wall to get the honey out and built them a hive to move into fastened over their existing hole in the hope that a new queen would move in. The existing queen must be almost three years old now and that is their expected lifespan.

I can't ever approve of killing all those beautiful honey bees just because they were annoying.