Author Topic: Discovered Some Visitors  (Read 3816 times)

cmichael258

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Discovered Some Visitors
« on: October 28, 2018, 11:27:48 AM »
Trimming my Carrie this morning and found this:






Michael

Ethan

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2018, 11:32:26 AM »
Very cool but unfortunate placement,  hopefully you don't need to pick mangoes anytime soon.

ScottR

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2018, 12:07:28 PM »
Wow, what could be a sweet surprise, but not the best place for sure ;) Good luck with your new hive 8)

IndigoEmu

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2018, 03:44:18 PM »
Best not to trust any feral swarm from Central Florida southward. Lots of possible africanized genes mixed in a lot of them down there. If you’re a bee keeper such a swarm would be a good candidate for requeening though! :)

palmcity

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2018, 05:38:54 PM »
You did not ask for options so maybe your just going to watch them & hope they leave... But... low odds since comb is built.

A few other options from slower to faster & costing less than $5:
1. any water spraying constantly on them will get them to leave and abandon their hive after a few days (circular lawn sprays aimed to hit the comb)
2. Mix 1/2 gallon of soapy water in a gallon sprayer with about 2 oz of dish detergent. Spray from afar and let it fall down & soak the comb & bees. The bees will die within 1 hr of covering their body. It will not kill the ones in the field. If you wait till dark today after 8pm, you will be able to destroy them all since they will be back for the night. Do not use a flash light as a few will fly at it in the dark.
3. Use any insecticide or normal spray used for fruit trees etc. & when mixed in a gallon of water should easily kill them quicker than the soapy water.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 05:48:09 PM by palmcity »

IndigoEmu

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2018, 06:39:49 PM »
It’s not unusual for swarms in warmer places to draw comb before they find a place to setup shop. In fact, after looking closely at the photos I’d say this comb is in the process of being abandoned. Workers have their head in the comb removing nectar/honey, and there should be triple the amount of bees present for the amount of comb shown.

palmcity

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2018, 06:46:37 PM »
Best not to trust any feral swarm from Central Florida southward. Lots of possible africanized genes mixed in a lot of them down there. If you’re a bee keeper such a swarm would be a good candidate for requeening though! :)
Way too small to be a good candidate for requeening ...  ;D

Many possibilities... use 1,2,3 or wait.... Another not mentioned possibility is that in addition to the queen and some worker bees having abandoned the comb already; the queen may have been killed and these may be worker bees left with no queen anywhere. If that is the case usually they will try to get one of their worker unfertilized females to start laying eggs (if the queen has not layed any in the comb that they can quickly feed extra to have the sexual organs materialize so that a new queen can be reared and go on a mating flight & hopefully return to this small hive) but of course they will be non fertilized and only drones (male bees) will come out a few times until finally they will all die off...
« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 07:07:08 PM by palmcity »

PahoaJo

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2018, 08:36:51 PM »
You did not ask for options so maybe your just going to watch them & hope they leave... But... low odds since comb is built.

A few other options from slower to faster & costing less than $5:
1. any water spraying constantly on them will get them to leave and abandon their hive after a few days (circular lawn sprays aimed to hit the comb)
2. Mix 1/2 gallon of soapy water in a gallon sprayer with about 2 oz of dish detergent. Spray from afar and let it fall down & soak the comb & bees. The bees will die within 1 hr of covering their body. It will not kill the ones in the field. If you wait till dark today after 8pm, you will be able to destroy them all since they will be back for the night. Do not use a flash light as a few will fly at it in the dark.
3. Use any insecticide or normal spray used for fruit trees etc. & when mixed in a gallon of water should easily kill them quicker than the soapy water.


Please do not use insecticide on honeybees.  It's unlikely the bees will stick around since this is a really bad spot to built their home, but if they continue to cause a problem, call an actual bee removal specialist.  A qualified bee removal specialist will likely charge you extra if the bees have been treated in anyway.

cmichael258

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2018, 10:33:47 PM »
Thanks for all of the recommendations and information. I am a honey lover and find bees to be
fascinating creatures and would never harm them. They seem pretty docile, even when I stood
close to take the pictures.

I'm taking a wait and see position at this point. If it continues to grow and become a potential
hazard (Neighbor's kids, etc.), I will have a relocation specialist come in a move them to a safe area.
Michael

buddy roo

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2018, 10:01:54 AM »
a good spot to move a hive to is on your roof. out of the way of everyone

cmichael258

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2018, 08:04:38 PM »
Upon closer inspection, I have determined that my visitors are imposters, not honey bees.

I found that they:
  • Only have single wings, not two
  • Have straight antenna, not the elbow bend
  • Do not have a pollen pouch on their legs
I am trying to identify to see if they are in any way beneficial before getting rid of them.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2018, 08:07:28 PM by cmichael258 »
Michael

IndigoEmu

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2018, 08:19:50 PM »
The insects imaged are without a doubt 100% honeybees.

1. Honeybees have four wings, but soon after emerging as adults their wings are hooked together by small spines and are easily mistaken as a single pair.

2. Antennae are often held straight, and the scape (first part of their two part antennae) are fairly short.

3. The pollen basket is little more than an indentation surrounded by stiff hair on the third hind leg. When not full of pollen it is rather inconspicuous.

It’s also possible the comb has been abandoned as would be typical for a swarm (which are temporary) and wasps have moved in to scavenge.

cmichael258

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2018, 11:58:23 AM »


Michael

IndigoEmu

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2018, 12:03:36 PM »
Honeybees.

Looks like they’ve mostly moved on.

cmichael258

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2018, 01:56:59 PM »
There are 1 or 2 combs back behind the 2 in this picture where most
of them are working.
Michael

pineislander

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2018, 06:39:10 PM »
I wonder if you introduced a nice hive box close by they might move into it?
I checked and besides a regular bee box one can buy a swarm trap.
https://www.kelleybees.com/swarm-trap.html


Dangermouse01

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #16 on: October 30, 2018, 08:29:50 PM »
Find somebody to move that comb (with bees) and put it in a hive body for you.
Easier to do it now rather than wait until the comb gets heavier (and alot more bees) and falls to the ground from it's own weight.

I just started my 3rd hive in my backyard, my lot is just barely over a quarter acre in a residential neighborhood.
Started my first in 2016 (one on the left), my second in 2017 (one on the right) and when I extracted the honey back in late June this year from those 2 hives I got 103 pounds of honey (approx 9.5 gallons). And since June I have another 21 medium frames in the freezer and a 8 frame deep honey super on the # 2 hive to extract. Should be about another 80-90 pounds

achetadomestica

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2018, 08:46:31 PM »
Find somebody to move that comb (with bees) and put it in a hive body for you.
Easier to do it now rather than wait until the comb gets heavier (and alot more bees) and falls to the ground from it's own weight.

I just started my 3rd hive in my backyard, my lot is just barely over a quarter acre in a residential neighborhood.
Started my first in 2016 (one on the left), my second in 2017 (one on the right) and when I extracted the honey back in late June this year from those 2 hives I got 103 pounds of honey (approx 9.5 gallons). And since June I have another 21 medium frames in the freezer and a 8 frame deep honey super on the # 2 hive to extract. Should be about another 80-90 pounds


How many times have you been stung? I always wanted to get a box but am sensitive to stings

Cookie Monster

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2018, 09:17:02 PM »
That's pretty rad. I'd leave them there.
Jeff  :-)

roblack

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2018, 09:33:30 PM »
Cool bees!

I share your appreciation and respect for our busy little friends.

You can really show em some love by purchasing a honey producing bee condo like one of these:

https://www.honeyflow.com/shop/flow-hive/p/129


cmichael258

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #20 on: November 02, 2018, 03:30:44 PM »
Arrived home this afternoon to find my visitors have departed. Checked other trees and around the exterior
of the house and found no sign of them. Love it when mother nature does her best work.
Michael

Cookie Monster

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Re: Discovered Some Visitors
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2018, 10:34:27 AM »
That's what I figured would happen. I've read that those are just temp hives.

Arrived home this afternoon to find my visitors have departed. Checked other trees and around the exterior
of the house and found no sign of them. Love it when mother nature does her best work.
Jeff  :-)