Well, that didn't take long.
I received my first call yesterday for a swarm. Bees were boiling in their yard and balling in a tree. I was there with my bother within half an hour...which didn't make brideowanian happy because I was preparing to host a party in 3 hrs....

By the time we got there, the owner had called again and he bees were relocating to a bush on the ground....much better than 15 feet above the ground. Everything didn't go perfectly, Jt we were able to gather the majority of the bees into a nut box, and had them in a new hive in my bee yard in an hour and a half.

After some discussion about seeing it done, I saw my brother take off a glove and stick his hand completely into the swarm. I'm not there yet.

Wow, bee thieves.

A report right after it happened:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...120-story.html

Update from May 16:
http://www.kfbb.com/story/35446097/s...s-make-it-home

I've heard several times to not keep hives visible from the road because people will steal them. I guess if you figure a value of $300/hive and a hundred bucks and not considering the value of honey if it isn't there.


On a positive note...bees are swarming and we nabbed 2 more easy swarms in the past day and found a cemetery with a bee tree issue.

I've filled what I have and need to buy some more parts. I now understand how it happens....

I did another tree cutout last Friday. A storm knocked a tree down on a house and a power line and they couldn't fix power and remove tree until bees were gone. Got 1 sting on the thumb trying to take a pic....but other than that it was easy.

I learned of another tree near me that's had a known honey been hive since 1990. We'll probably try to get it cut out sometime this week when time and weather allow. I'm getting more of a charge out of doing this stuff than I ever figured I would.

sounds cool, iowa...pics are great, too.
sec

We had calls for 2 swarms tonight gut and went to get them. The one I went to grab seemed easy enough...they were in a pine tree about 5' off the ground and seemed docile. Got them in the box and with the exception of a sting on the back, I literally drank a beer and watched them go into the box.

Dropped the, off at the bee yard of choice...everything was fine and then after checking s couple of boxes d cited to leave. Not exactly sure what happened but when I was taking off m Oompa Loompa suit some bees gave you the shoe you have been praying for on video...but it wasn't on video. I took a hit to th chin, a couple on the nose, one on the on the neck

The landowner texted an hour after I left and said a swarm flew over the house, so I think they flew away.

As a consolation prize I am giving you this picture of my finger in a bee hole.

Bees have always been interesting to me, but I've never taken the plunge into playing with them.

Have an old farmall H in a fence row that has a hole in the side of its rear tire. It's been occupied for at least three years now. A hickory tree in my father's back yard has a hole about 20' up that has been occupied for several years as well. Both hives work the clover field between the two when it's in bloom and it's quite interesting just to sit and watch how deliberately they come and go.

Why the **** would you poke the bear?

Men who wouldn't wear a romper might ask....why wouldn't you?


Sometimes when a kid learns to ride a bike, the ride over jumps because th have seen people with years of experience do it. It feels cool to do it at the time, but you know you're going to land on your chin sometime.

Good luck with that, let me know when you start selling honey.

That's ****ing cool.

Yeah, I have a problem with always poking the bear.

Honey is supposed to be a really healthy food. Some antibiotic properties as well as cardiovascular health. I was reading the other day there is a honey that comes out of a particular bee in Brazil that cures cancer.

The old old house I grew up in had a pretty large hive under the eaves in the rear. Dad wouldn't allow anyone to mess with it and that hive was still there when we moved out.

We kids just learned not to play near it but they never bothered us at all.

Yeah, well, maybe those weren't pimples you were always broke out with.