Well since it hasn't rained here for a couple of days things are a tad dry. So I was out watering the garden and the flower beds,, and I saw BEEs yes more bees around than since my hives froze out 3 years ago. I am wondering if anybody else has noticed more honey bee's around this year, or maybe I just have a pocket of them that have found a way to fight off the mites and stuff that's been killing them off
Honey Bees
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I havent noticed any more honey bees, even living 3 doors from a bee keeper. I have notice exponential more dragonflies and mud wasp though.
Not one so far this year, saw lots last year, wife had some sort of purple flowers and bees couldnt get enough of it. Knew when to water it too, as they wouldnt touch it if it was getting dry.
I see a lot but I do have twelve hives and have got my neighbor to raise 6. We do have at least one wild hive between us.
skeets,, maybe you can get some of those bees out to Cal.. They say they don't have enough to pollinate the fruit trees and grapes.
Little Orange
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Funny, last year we had 3 or 4 days of carpenter ants flying, this year only a day, last year we had hardly any flowers but lots of bees, this year lots of flowers very very few bees, last year 3 dozens dragonflys every lunch time and this only three show up during lunch break.
Butterflys the same last year lots, this year very few. And so go the changing times.
Butterflys the same last year lots, this year very few. And so go the changing times.
Daren Todd
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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
Mud dobbers, are insane this year. Having to spray and knock off mounds almost daily. Same with yellow jackets and bees. Seen a bunch of humming birds around the flower beds. Only saw a couple last year. Fleas and ticks are rough this year slso
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Yeah Daren, lots of them this year, if it wasn't for the coyotes and coons, and there is a pair of red tails here that look like the could carry off a lamb, I would get a couple gunnies and let them run around. A bud raises them and is getting 6 bucks a piece for the keets
I have noticed more than in years past but I thought it was because I was looking at getting a couple beehives and was paying attention to them. The local bee keepers tell me the area I live in is know for having a large bee population. In fact, when my mothers house was tore down a couple years ago there was a very large beehive in one of the walls. They said it had been there for a long time, we had no idea.
Little Orange
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Kubota BX25D TLB, hitch frame, FEL forks, 3pt steel ballast and back blade
Skeets, glad to see we are exporting something, yellow jackets that is, we hardly had any this year, you are welcome.
And yes our mason bees got wiped out by the birds this year.
And yes our mason bees got wiped out by the birds this year.
Daren Todd
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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
Neighbors got some ginnie hens, around there yard. I'm really suprised between the critters and hawks they have any left, but so far so good. They corral and pen them back up when they aren't around and at night. Guy behind us has killed a couple coons the size of large beagles, one of them was almost 50lbs. Wouldn't have believed it except for the pic of it hanging on a game scale.
Yellow jackets,, my wife starts out in the spring with a spray bottle with water and liguid soap in it. She walks throught the yard spraying and stomping the queen yellow jackets so we want have as many nests. She records how many she killed every day. This year, 148 queen yellow jackets.. That's a lot of bees that will not hatch.
I know this thread is about honey bees, but I have a question thats bee realted. Recently I have found a nest of bees similar in color to a honey bee but smaller and in the ground. I wouldnt be concerned except they are mildly agressive. Approach the nest extrance and they start flying around.
Firstly, what kind are they and secondly, what can I use to run them off?
Thanks.
Firstly, what kind are they and secondly, what can I use to run them off?
Thanks.
Daren Todd
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
A good wasp and hornet spray. Go after them after dark. They are less apt to swarm. Some folks use gasoline.
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Yes a good wasp or hornet spray works well,,, as for gas that burns up above the nest so it really doesn't work that well,,, HOWEVER for the ground bees aka YELLOW JACKETs take a beer or pop bottle filled up with about half a bottle of gas AFTER dark,,, sneak up on the nest opening,, and jam the top of the bottle in the nest and walk away,, the vapors will settle in every part of the nest, next day its done,, ORRRRR a couple of skunks, they will dig them things up, the stings don't seem to bother them much
My Bees seem to be doing very well this year,
I moved them to a area that gets some afternoon Shade and they seem to enjoy it. "My Bees are one of My hobbies"
I moved them to a area that gets some afternoon Shade and they seem to enjoy it. "My Bees are one of My hobbies"
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Very cool trouble11 I know all about that hobbie,,lol,, Dad and I started out with one hive he built, and when it was all said and done we had 27 hives,, it went from this is fun to dayum this is a lot of work,, He and little brother built an extractor out of a beer barrel and all stainless hard ware all welded and really shiny,, and when it was time,, you could count on a whole weekend doin honey. Little Brother had it sold before it was even out of the extractor. Those were fun days, but Dad and the bee's are both gone, and I miss both of them