Yesterday, my DIL Sara (née Moran) sent me some videos of an emergent situation where Mark was called by one of their neighbors to help deal with a swarm of honeybees that had alighted in one of the neighbor’s trees.
Now according to my online research:
“A honeybee swarm is when one colony splits into two colonies. Basically, half the colony ‘moves out’ and finds a new home. Why does this happen? Two reasons. Either the honeybee colony has become too congested with too many bees, or the colony wants to split so it can reproduce. Swarming typically happens in the peak spring or summer months.”
So this particular old queen led her followers to the limb of a tree, where Mark then cut the limb and gently shook the mass into a waiting bee hive.
Where they now happily sit alongside all of Mark & Sara’s other hives, including the new hive we delivered last month.
I asked Mark how he knew he had the queen, and he told me he won’t be sure in this instance until he sees whether the bees remain in the new hive.
Sara mentioned that this isn’t the first recovered hive they’ve entertained. One swarming hive just arrived and took over one of their empty bee hive boxes.
I cannot express just how thrilled I am that Mark and Sara are bee caretakers.
Without people willing to take on this responsibility, we would all starve. http://www.beeshepherd.org/
There’s lots you can do even if you don’t shepherd hives, like creating feeding or water stations.
https://learnbees.com/beekeeping/
Which reminds me, I need to restart my water fountain out front in the Jack The Spruce Grotto today. I’ll be sure to add a lot of quartz stones so the bees don’t drown.
Along with yesterday’s regular outdoor chores, I tidied up the street edge of the front property yesterday.
I purposely leave the high grass along the fenceline so the small critters have a place to avoid the predators. I actually reclaimed that stretch using lots of mule manure. Took it a few years before the grass came back.
It used to look like this patch all the way along my fence line.
I leave that spot at the far edge in its original bare state just in case the HOA comes by to complain. NoCo soil is pretty unforgiving.
I don’t mow the grass within the fenceline, I leave that for the mules to graze. So far, so good.
Well, that’s it for now, I need to get a move on.
I’ll move a little slower today because taking that lawn mower up and down the dip out front does a number on my back. Like a rowing machine.
I hope you fine, five readers have nothing but BBQs and poolside events on your schedules.
Take a moment to remember and honor those brave souls that sacrificed their lives, and their gold star families, that provide us the freedom to enjoy this day.
I’m going to get out there and cuddle some kitties and make my rounds.
But let us all make today a great one.
One Response
#LGR