A lot of bumble bees have just 'appeared' in our ceiling. They all appear to be drones (they have no stings). Are they a swarm out looking for a new colony? Do they intend to form a new colony in the ceiling, and what exactly should be done about it?
Attack of the bees!
- Thread starter mountainhare
- Start date
Instead of bumblebee drones, they sound more like carpenter bees to me. Stingless, slightly smaller than bumblebees and a bit more glossy?
It's a sign of impending doom, flee for your lives or just call a beekeeper to remove them.
They must have been scouts. We sprayed em, and the gap through which they had entered the roof. They aren't coming around any more.
A pity that we had to kill some of nature's pollinators, but it's much better than having to kill an entire established nest. I'm sure the swarm will go elsewhere to build a nest.
A pity that we had to kill some of nature's pollinators, but it's much better than having to kill an entire established nest. I'm sure the swarm will go elsewhere to build a nest.
You can always have them removed by beekeepers because sometimes the colony moves away from a desired location and needs to be returned by the beekeepers to help with pollination.
Sorry to have to tell you this but beekeepers aren't interested in carpenter bees (or bumblebees either, for that matter).
Enmos
Valued Senior Member
You sprayed them ? You could have just captured them and released them outside...
How the hell can we capture bees lurking in the ceiling?
As i've already explained, a professional is interested ONLY in honeybees. They will not be bothered with ANY other kind.
And even if it actually were honeybees, what you said was incorrect. The beekeeper tries to catch as many of the workers as possible along with the queen - the rest are completely lost.
I was a beekeeper as a hobby for well over 20 years. Bought all the books, attended club meetings and still know several guys in the profession. I caught several swarms for people and traveled as much as 150 miles to do so. (My name has been spread around - I charged nothing, just took the bees as payment.)
That's OK, lots of people don't really know that much about honeybees.
They are amzing little creatures - many times when I went out to "check" mine, it was really just to watch them for a while.
i do exactly the same with my fish tank, i love to sit and watch it. Especially the clown fish but even just the rock itself. there always seems to be something new in there
actually when i was curing the rock, i was moving it into the main tank and a piece moved, turned out to be a crab about 3cm's across. I still see him sometimes, i THINK he likes the prawn heads i give him (was really pissed off when he tried to eat my starfish though)
actually when i was curing the rock, i was moving it into the main tank and a piece moved, turned out to be a crab about 3cm's across. I still see him sometimes, i THINK he likes the prawn heads i give him (was really pissed off when he tried to eat my starfish though)
i do exactly the same with my fish tank, i love to sit and watch it. Especially the clown fish but even just the rock itself. there always seems to be something new in there
actually when i was curing the rock, i was moving it into the main tank and a piece moved, turned out to be a crab about 3cm's across. I still see him sometimes, i THINK he likes the prawn heads i give him (was really pissed off when he tried to eat my starfish though)
Yes, I understand perfectly!
I read your thread about the saltwater aquarium. Never had one myself but I've had several freshwater ones with tropical fish. Got a 25-gal one right now for my granddaughter and it's got several different kinds in it. Something else that I've had several of over the years were Betas (Siamese fighting fish). Very showy, but the have to be kept separately.)Believe it or not, I think my favorite is my natural aquarium - still have it now. It's stocked with only things that I've captured locally - minnows (that breed) snails (that CERTAINLY breed!)
, crayfish, pond frogs and assorted water plants.Two summers in a row, it was discovered by the local tree frogs - HUGE masses of floating eggs!! Later, the tank seemed to be FILLED with tadpoles. About three weeks later, there were dozens of tiny frogs - about the size of your smallest fingernail - hopping out every day. That went on for over a week.
Read-Only, what was it like being a beekeeper? Was it easy to produce and process the honey?
It's actually a lot of fun! Sure, there's some work involved but it's very slow (if you're smart! Never move fast around bees!!) so you don't really seem to be putting out any effort at all.
Collecting and processing is simple to do. First, you smoke the hive which causes a natural reaction in bees which is their response to a fire. They gorge themselves on honey and their instinct to survive the "fire" makes them MUCH less aggressive.
Next, remove the top and inner covers. Check to see if there's enough to harvest and then go to work. Remove the frames, brush off the bees back into the hive and take the frames to your extractor. (I used an extractor so the combs could be returned to the hive and the wouldn't have to rebuild them - it takes an amazing amount of honey to produce wax.) Oh, and use a decapping knife to open the tops of the cells.
A few turns on the crank of the extractor, filter it through cheesecloth as it comes out and pours directly into the bottles you intend to hold it.
Once the empty frames are returned to the hive and the covers are replaced, that's it except for a quick wash-up of your tools with cold water. Then store them and your honey away and head for home.
Does home made honey taste better than the stuff you buy in the store? Is it cheaper to make your own than buying it?
Oh, yes. It and both kinds of mites are everywhere in the U.S. Have to keep the hives treated.
There are other pests as well, notably ants and waxmoths. (Bears, too, if you're in that part of the country.)