Oh I'm soooo pleased you're posting again Al as I really do love to see all your wonderful bee photographs and learn all about them.
Thanks. But I am still not happy about having to hunt down my post. It isn't a hobby nor a craft it's my job. How I can continue to live the life style I used to have before the huge fuel increase. Al
So many bees Al I moved the post into the Hobbies & Crafts forums because even though I know it is your job and not your hobby it may be a hobby for some and if they are looking for beekeeping information they may look in this forum.
Al, I started building ponds in New Orleans before anyone had heard of such a thing. I had been a psychologist for 20 years, stuck in an office wearing a white coat. Granted I was self employed, but I was miserable. I had 41 employees...more miserable. I loved building ponds for 18 years. I started when I was 48 years old. Follow your passion, raise your prices and you will love your life and your job.
Wow that's alot of bees!! Bees are amazing to me!! I'm scared of them but amazed at the same time!! My dad has a place behind his house that we call "down back". The other day our son started to drive down there, but came back home and said a huge oak tree had fallen and it was full of honey bees!! Their honey was scattered all over the ground in huge chunks!! There were soooo many bees flying around!! Beings we are not experts we let things be for a few days and let the bees kinda do what they needed to do and then we pushed the huge tree out of the road. What will the bees do? Will they stay or will they move on to another home? If we were to put bee hives near would they go to them? And if they did go to the hives would they have to be cared for?
I love keeping bees. Seems like every time I am by a hive they teach me something. I read every thing I can get my hands on about them even if it isn't related to bee keeping. the best book about the bees them selves is THE HONEY BEE by James L. Gould and his wife Carol Grant Gould. The bees have taught me there are a lot of myths out there that just plain are not true. One such is a Swarm of wild honey bees will not choose a north entrance to their home. We have a bee tree in ther back yard with a north entrance and wild bees in it. Queens will not go on honey is another one. We have many many pictures of queens on honey. It is My job and I love it. :'( Bee tree blew down!!!!! First off the queen can not fly if she lived thru the trees falling. They will stay to the bitter end more than likely. All those bees flying about were cleaning up the honey scattered about. It was every bees job that was not covering brood to keep it warm enough. If the queen died they would still stay as that is where eggs are to raise a new queen. I doubt they live thru winter. Maybe a beekeeper could save them, I know nothing of Texas weathers time frame. Placeing a hive near by won't get them. Maybe a swarm in the spring will go in there if there is a swarm. Once in the hive, yes they should be managed. Hives are closer to the ground than normal wild colonies live. Al
bees Al, I love reading about bees. I would love to have bees at my house - had a neighbor pre Katrina who kept bees. Unfortunately, I am so allergic I must carry an epi-pen in my pocket all the time.
jubabe296, Keep me informed on the out come. I have helped save a swarm in California so adding Texas to the list would bee cool. Al
