Your Animal Planet Moment of the Day

[kyburg]

That's the flowering plum tree in the front yard - actually, the trees the city planted many moons ago in the medians between the curb and the sidewalk. It desperately needs replacing, but today - a swam of bees decided to call it home.

Uh, they're the "killer bee" variety - and the city is coming to take them away, ha ha - tomorrow.

Ah, spring is the air. So are bees. Really really.

Comments

[digitaldraco.livejournal.com]

Run away!! ;)

[lysana.livejournal.com]

GAH!

Man, those bees frighten me deeply. I think it's because of a TV movie I saw at just the wrong age. I had a nightmare about being chased by a swarm of those things. Never mind I was living in New England at the time, making the odds rather low.

[scrapyard.livejournal.com]

I did not realize the killer bees were already here. o.o Be safe!

Awwwwww...my bees!

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

It's a shame that they have to be destroyed, really?

They're learning more and more about Africanized bees, and it's becoming clearer that you *can* work with them, just not as blithely as you once did with European bees. They require a much more delicate touch and command a LOT more respect.

That being said, if they're swarming, then they should be approachable. Button up your sleeves, collar and tuck your pants into your socks, then slowly approach the swarm. If any of them start to head-butt you, back off, it might not be a swarm but an actual nest.

Once you get to the swarm, you've got two choices: cut the branch off and put it in a large box or clean garbage can for transport to your hives...

Or gently brush away the outer layer of bees to find the queen. Carefully pick up the queen and hold her in your hand without squashing her. All the bees will now swarm onto your hand and arm, and can be carried to an empty hive or brushed off into a box for transport.

I kid you not. Dad has done it, and he learned it from grandfather. :)

Re: Awwwwww...my bees!

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I don't think they're going to destroy them - the city has contracts with the local beekeepers (kid you not) - and they're the ones coming out to get them.

I completely expect they will do exactly what you'd like, and relocate them.

*chuckles* They call these the 6-mile bees - can you guess why?