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Post by James on Apr 19, 2015 12:33:56 GMT -5
Just curious if any of you also keep some bees along with the gardening?
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Post by James on Apr 19, 2015 13:14:05 GMT -5
Hiving package bees.
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Post by gakaren on Apr 19, 2015 14:47:01 GMT -5
Nope! Not my thing. I have too many other things going to take care of bees too! I just plant lots of flowers for them to enjoy and to help keep some of the wild hives alive....that's my contribution!
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Post by tbird on Apr 19, 2015 15:08:41 GMT -5
Is the queen in your top photo? Are we suppose to play where's waldo?
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Post by James on Apr 19, 2015 20:02:38 GMT -5
tbird, yes in the first photo the queen is the long one. She is half again as long as the workers.
Today I went out to release the queens from the lil queen cages, and managed to get stung. As long as I have kept bees, I am still not immune to bee venom. So I am living on Benadryl trying to keep the swelling down.
(Ya, I know, you are going to say "Suit UP!" ) Well I did have one glove on...........................
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Post by tbird on Apr 25, 2015 15:13:25 GMT -5
I found her!
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Post by ncgarden on Apr 25, 2015 17:48:31 GMT -5
I finally got a bee suit this year, and I must say it is a LOT nicer than getting stung!!
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 25, 2015 18:32:50 GMT -5
I also plant lots of flowers for the bees. I am allergic to wasps, not so much bees. But they are interested in the flowers, not me.
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Post by OregonRed on Apr 26, 2015 10:17:00 GMT -5
LOL tbird, that is funny fabric! (it is fabric, yes?)
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 26, 2015 14:05:40 GMT -5
I finally got a bee suit this year, and I must say it is a LOT nicer than getting stung!!
I inherited hubby's old bee suit when he got a new one and last year when I used it for the first time, I found out that the elastic was all stretched out in the legs so a bee went up inside the suit and stung me on the leg! I was wearing shorts inside the suit and thought that I was invincible.
I bought myself some Velcro straps for the ankles since I am not like some of you and good at doing sewing chores like replacing elastic. I also bought a new hat this year since his was too big and tipped down over my eyes at a critical moment and I couldn't see.
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Post by James on Apr 29, 2015 9:05:21 GMT -5
The bees always crawl upwards, so you want to put your veil on first then the coveralls then your boots and tuck the covies into your boot tops so the bees do not crawl under things on their way up. Use gloves and gauntlets. I suit up when their is lots of work to do, but at times for something as simple as releasing a queen I won't . Sometimes I pay the price. Oh well, anyone who is going to keep bees must expect to get stung now and then. It just happens. Foraging bees are not out to sting you. They have more important things to do. Mess with their nest though and its a different story. They will sting in defense of their home. They will also sting if you trap them somehow. Like rolling on the lawn and roll over on one sitting on a dandelion, or a little kid not knowing what he is fooling with and picks one up in his hand. Any how, leave them alone they will leave you alone.
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Post by Tomato Z on Apr 29, 2015 9:27:02 GMT -5
My dad kept 2 hives when we were growing up. My mom hated the bees but loved the honey/honeycomb.
One day my dad needed help changing the racks with the honey. I was in the vegetable garden, Mom was in the flower garden. All of a sudden I hear a scream coming from the flowers. "Help! The bees are attacking!" Sure enough, the bees had found my mother's head that was heavily doused with hairspray. The bees just could not escape so Mom's head was the target of many stings. I tried to help the bees, but . . . .
Such is the life of a beekeeper's family.
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