Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: AndyRVTR on July 04, 2009, 12:21
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I was in my plot this morning happily weeding one of the beds and I heard this buzzing sound.. I thought mmmm sounds like a bee close by.... :) I look up and there was a black swarm and I mean there were THOUSANDS of Bee's heading my way.. :ohmy: :ohmy:
Needless to say I dropped everything and RAN to the greenhouse where I locked myself in :D :D
Where they came from I dont know, but I didnt come out of my greenhouse for a good 10 minutes :D :D :D
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This is - unfortunately - the 'normal' reaction to seeing a swarm. Now what you should try next time is to remove your shirt and stand in the middle of them with your arms outstretched... I can (almost) guarantee you will not be stung!
When bees swarm, they are simply looking for a new home. Typically, bout half the bees in a colony will leave with the old queen and gather on a nearby branch, fence or whatever is handy. They send out scouts to survey the area for a new home, and when they find something suitable, they all take off again and head for their chosen residence.
While they are in this process, they are most unlikely to sting anyone. I routinely put my hands right inside a clustered swarm without being stung.
If you wait until they have settled in a new home, and have honey and young to defend, then I wouldn't recommend putting your hand inside...
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The reason why they will not sting you is because they have consumed at least three days rations before they left home. In this state they can not bend their abdomen to sting you. The longer they have been swarming for the more likely they are to sting you.
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Taking your shirt off and standing with your arms outstretched sounds like insanity. What if, as Ruff says, they have swarmed for two to three days and are homeless and hungry? Also, how long might you have to stand there for?
If they really won't, or are less likely to be able to sting you I would think getting out of the way was the sensible thing to do.
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I can (almost) guarantee you will not be stung!
sorry but it's the word almost that would go through my mind - like Andy I would shut myself away if at all possible until they had gone :)
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Taking your shirt off and standing with your arms outstretched sounds like insanity. What if, as Ruff says, they have swarmed for two to three days and are homeless and hungry? Also, how long might you have to stand there for?
If they really won't, or are less likely to be able to sting you I would think getting out of the way was the sensible thing to do.
This is the trouble - people who do not handle bees think of them as aggressive, which they are not, especially when they are swarming. I have witnessed many swarms and stood among them while thousands of bees whirled around my head - it is one of life's biggest natural highs, believe me. Their only concern in life is to find a place to live, and they are even less interested than normal in humans.
I checked some of my hives today, wearing a T-shirt and an apron (OK, I was wearing trousers as well) and not a single bee even attempted to sting me. This is another advantage of the top bar hive - less intrusion=less stress on the bees=fewer stings.
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my OH went to see a neighbours hive as he was interested in us getting some. While he was walking away a bee flew straight into his head and stung him, It put him off I can tell you! I am glad, I'm not too keen on having a hive on our land, I KNOW, I KNOW, bees are not agressive etc etc, it's me, I just don't want to be that close. We do have our own hive now though. We have a nest box with a camera in it, so far we have witnessed 1 brood of blue tits, (last yr) and this yr a group of small (black with red bums) bumble bees have taken up residence. When it's hot about 8 or more all stand around the entrance fanning with their wings.
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I'm glad you are encouraging bumbles. By the way, blue tits eat bees in quantity given half a chance. Beekeepers used to *ahem* 'discourage' them by means of a shotgun.
Honeybees can be aggravated by perfumes, shampoos, after-shaves, and other pongy things that some humans seem to use for purposes of attraction. I always advise visitors to avoid using anything of that nature before getting close to bees.
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I don't think of bees as aggressive at all. If one flies towards me I just carry on with what I am doing and don't make any sudden movements. They are more than welcome in my garden.
If thousands came towards me I would run in the opposite direction. As I said before. What if they had swarmed for 2 - 3 days and were hungry? If they landed on and around you how long would it be before you could safely leave? I know they don't have a schedule to keep so it could be a very long time.
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If thousands came towards me I would run in the opposite direction. As I said before. What if they had swarmed for 2 - 3 days and were hungry? If they landed on and around you how long would it be before you could safely leave? I know they don't have a schedule to keep so it could be a very long time.
Bees are not interested in humans and don't see us as a source of food, so they will not land on you - unless you have disguised yourself as a bush! If a swarm lands near you, take the opportunity to watch them from a distance of a few feet - they will not mind you being there. If you are nervous, get hold of a hat and veil - they will just regard you as part of the scenery.
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Taking your shirt off and standing with your arms outstretched sounds like insanity.
Don't think I would do that but mainly as I would probably get arrested for indecent exposure!
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Don't think I would do that but mainly as I would probably get arrested for indecent exposure!
:ohmy:
:lol:
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if reports come in from the Darlington area of someone of the female persuation standing with arms outstretched wearing nothing but odourless deodrant it's because i've seen a bee............................
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What about if you hear a bee? Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :D
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if reports come in from the Darlington area of someone of the female persuation standing with arms outstretched wearing nothing but odourless deodrant it's because i've seen a bee............................
I knew there was a reason I swapped to odourless deodorant - aggravated honeybees :lol:
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Too late to change deodorant now. :(
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u190/Dee56_photos/bees2.jpg)
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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I was on holiday camping a couple of years ago and heard a really loud buzzing. A swarm passed right by our tent and I was sitting outside at the time. I was too interested to be concerned and my clever OH informed me that it was a swarm of bees. Must admit that I didn't think about getting away from them as I thought it was really cool having never seen it before (or since).
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What if the swarm decides that your armpit is a good place to nest? They don't seem too fussy (walls, gates, sheds) and suddenly a few stings doesn't seem so bad anymore.
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What if the swarm decides that your armpit is a good place to nest? They don't seem too fussy (walls, gates, sheds) and suddenly a few stings doesn't seem so bad anymore.
????????????????
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What if the swarm decides that your armpit is a good place to nest? They don't seem too fussy (walls, gates, sheds) and suddenly a few stings doesn't seem so bad anymore.
????????????????
seconded..can you explain that one revJonny?