Another good story AL about the bees . You can always get help from someone.
The girls in my life.
It is going to be 10 years come Oct. . Today I get calls from people with questions like I was the first 2 years. I have removed bees from grarages, a shed, a house and a number of fallen down trees. I have driven several hours from home to do so arriving back home in the wee hours of the morning. I can't even begin to count the number of swarms I have caught and taken to a bee yard. Probably the most memerable one was in front of our local Home Depot. It took longer to answer all the questions than to shake the bees into a hive load up and go home.
My Beekeeping story
It began in October of 2002 when I cut down a dead Ash tree for firewood. I never knew it was home to Honey Bees till I had nearly all the lower part blocked up to split into fire wood size.
Kare my wife had told me of watching a PBS program about the wild honey bees dieing out because of a mite. Since we had about 2,000sq.ft. Of perennial flowerbeds at that time I didn’t want the bees to die. I tried to find a local beekeeper to help me save them to no avail. I then turned to the Internet, where I found Jim, a West Michigan beekeeper.
Jim told me what I needed to do to get the bees thru the winter, which did work.
After fixing things so the bees would over winter I discovered, I had questions about honeybees. Jim was kind and answered all my questions and told me other things also. Jim suggested that when spring came I should take steps to get the wild bees in a standard hive box and become a beekeeper. Before Jim left with his honey bees for the winter in Flordia he explained just how I should go about doing that.
Some how I managed to loose Jims E Mail address, I no longer had him to ask for advice when spring arrived. I bungled my way thru but still need some answers. Once again the internet saved my neck. I met Joel a beekeeper in Missouri. Joel had years of experince which he shared with me. I told him that after a week it looked like the girls were not going up into the hives. Joel sent me a frame of drawn comb, I didn't even know what drawn comb was. After a month with much bee activity they just were not around any more. After another two weeks with no bees around, Joel said they had probably found a new home on their own because there was some thing about the hives they must have not liked. Joel told me of a place here in Michigan where I could buy a nuc of bees. I took the frame I had built to hold the hives around the log down when I removed the hive bodies. A mouse had been in there, Joel told me that would make the bees leave.
He also told me he hadn't been feeling well and had went to the doctor. Joel told me that he might not make it to harvest any more honey, said what comes about just happens for a reason. I never heard from Joel after the last week in May 2003. I sent snail mail and e mails to no avail.
I was able to find Jims address latter that summer though. I continue to write him about the bees. I was surprized to have him invite me to go to queen rearing school with him in May.
I also had a second tree which was home to honey bees on my property but had knowen about that one. That one is a story of it's own.
Al
My Beekeeping story
It began in October of 2002 when I cut down a dead Ash tree for firewood. I never knew it was home to Honey Bees till I had nearly all the lower part blocked up to split into fire wood size.
Kare my wife had told me of watching a PBS program about the wild honey bees dieing out because of a mite. Since we had about 2,000sq.ft. Of perennial flowerbeds at that time I didn’t want the bees to die. I tried to find a local beekeeper to help me save them to no avail. I then turned to the Internet, where I found Jim, a West Michigan beekeeper.
Jim told me what I needed to do to get the bees thru the winter, which did work.
After fixing things so the bees would over winter I discovered, I had questions about honeybees. Jim was kind and answered all my questions and told me other things also. Jim suggested that when spring came I should take steps to get the wild bees in a standard hive box and become a beekeeper. Before Jim left with his honey bees for the winter in Flordia he explained just how I should go about doing that.
Some how I managed to loose Jims E Mail address, I no longer had him to ask for advice when spring arrived. I bungled my way thru but still need some answers. Once again the internet saved my neck. I met Joel a beekeeper in Missouri. Joel had years of experince which he shared with me. I told him that after a week it looked like the girls were not going up into the hives. Joel sent me a frame of drawn comb, I didn't even know what drawn comb was. After a month with much bee activity they just were not around any more. After another two weeks with no bees around, Joel said they had probably found a new home on their own because there was some thing about the hives they must have not liked. Joel told me of a place here in Michigan where I could buy a nuc of bees. I took the frame I had built to hold the hives around the log down when I removed the hive bodies. A mouse had been in there, Joel told me that would make the bees leave.
He also told me he hadn't been feeling well and had went to the doctor. Joel told me that he might not make it to harvest any more honey, said what comes about just happens for a reason. I never heard from Joel after the last week in May 2003. I sent snail mail and e mails to no avail.
I was able to find Jims address latter that summer though. I continue to write him about the bees. I was surprized to have him invite me to go to queen rearing school with him in May.
I also had a second tree which was home to honey bees on my property but had knowen about that one. That one is a story of it's own.
Al1 - 3 of 3 Posts
Funny thing how much fear is instilled in many a man & woman over the little tiny honey bee. Nearly three quarter of those who have had what they called bees stings in fact got stung by a wasp AKA Yellow Jacket a servey found in 2001.
I've seen grown men scream like little girls when a honey bee came near them.
Trying to buy insurance on our home a few years back I tell ther agent we have honey bees in the front and back yard. I also tell her our property is posted no tresspassing even to 2 big huge signs on both sides of the drive way. she says she has to check with the manager to see if she could write us a policy. The manager comes in the office to explain why they couldn't write a policy for us due to the honey bees. I said the property is posted. she said they couldn't do it still so I asked if they didn't indeed write a poicy for our neighbours who have horses, she said they did. so I asked what the big problem was with honey bees. She says what would happen if a 5 year old tresspassed cause he couldn't rear our signs and got stung. I told her I would apply a cold compress on the sting area after I removed the stinger and while I was doing that Kare would be on the phone with child protective services to come and get the stray kid.
Then I asked what happens if that same 5 year old tresspassed on the neighbours and got kicked in the head by a horse.
I did get home owners insurance, from a company they represented too but with a different agent who could use is brain.
Al
I've seen grown men scream like little girls when a honey bee came near them.
Trying to buy insurance on our home a few years back I tell ther agent we have honey bees in the front and back yard. I also tell her our property is posted no tresspassing even to 2 big huge signs on both sides of the drive way. she says she has to check with the manager to see if she could write us a policy. The manager comes in the office to explain why they couldn't write a policy for us due to the honey bees. I said the property is posted. she said they couldn't do it still so I asked if they didn't indeed write a poicy for our neighbours who have horses, she said they did. so I asked what the big problem was with honey bees. She says what would happen if a 5 year old tresspassed cause he couldn't rear our signs and got stung. I told her I would apply a cold compress on the sting area after I removed the stinger and while I was doing that Kare would be on the phone with child protective services to come and get the stray kid.
Then I asked what happens if that same 5 year old tresspassed on the neighbours and got kicked in the head by a horse.
I did get home owners insurance, from a company they represented too but with a different agent who could use is brain.
Al1 - 3 of 3 Posts
