Looks what I found while walking the dogs.

[HK3-]

This evening I was taking the dogs on their usual stroll around the neighborhood. I noticed something odd with this pine tree and decided to get a closer look. I would imgine the queen is being relocated or something of the sort? Any bee keepers in here wanna explain this?


This was as close as I could get without getting lit up.

[Rockestone]

Wow!! Why do I have an urge to run up and hit that heap with a stick!!

Something tells me that would be very bad idea.

[TanithT]

http://www.sciencenews.org/pictures/...aphic_zoom.jpg

[lightning9191]

I've seen them swarm the ground before, but I have no clue what causes it.

[taltos]

Originally Posted by lightning9191

I've seen them swarm the ground before, but I have no clue what causes it.

Hive is dividing with a new queen.

[JE3146]

Very cool
Posted via Mobile Device

[DPD6030]

Nice photos Hal.

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by Rockestone

Wow!! Why do I have an urge to run up and hit that heap with a stick!!

Something tells me that would be very bad idea.

Greg, you sound a lot like me. The challenge of hitting it and hauling ass was too tempting growing up! Now that I'm 40, I'd just throw a stick at it.

Cool picture Hal. Keep your eye on it and report back what happens.

[taltos]

I went back and checked some references from when I kept bees. A better explanation than what I gave earlier is that the population outgrew its hive and the old queen and many of the workers and foragers have left the hive. This is a correction to my previous post where I stated that the swarm had a new queen. The workers will raise a new (virgin) queen from some special egg cells and by feeding the larvae special food (queen jelly). The first queen out if healthy will be allowed to sting and kill any remaining queen larvae. If the workers sense that the new queen is not 100 per cent, they will sting this queen to death and await the emergence of the next one. After the queen gains strength, she must make a mating flight where she flies high into the air and is pursued by the drones. One will catch the queen and mate with her and will promptly die. The queen only needs to mate once. The rest of the drones will die by winter and will only be replaced at the next hive division. Hope that this helps.

[taltos]

Originally Posted by Rockestone

Wow!! Why do I have an urge to run up and hit that heap with a stick!!

Something tells me that would be very bad idea.

Good move, they fly at about 20 miles per hour. Can you run that fast? They also get very pissed if they sense that their queen is in danger. She is in the middle of that swarm being protected and kept warm by the bodies of all of the other bees in the swarm. They would all willingly die by stinging you to save the queen.

[kelmac07]

I'm with Rockestone...something tells me to throw something at it and run like hell. Must be the 12 year old still in me.

[theonlybear4CORT]

Very cool,leave it alone honey bees are disappearing.

[Don Francisco]

The wonders of nature amaze me.

[AAlmeter]

Originally Posted by taltos

I went back and checked some references from when I kept bees. A better explanation than what I gave earlier is that the population outgrew its hive and the old queen and many of the workers and foragers have left the hive. This is a correction to my previous post where I stated that the swarm had a new queen. The workers will raise a new (virgin) queen from some special egg cells and by feeding the larvae special food (queen jelly). The first queen out if healthy will be allowed to sting and kill any remaining queen larvae. If the workers sense that the new queen is not 100 per cent, they will sting this queen to death and await the emergence of the next one. After the queen gains strength, she must make a mating flight where she flies high into the air and is pursued by the drones. One will catch the queen and mate with her and will promptly die. The queen only needs to mate once. The rest of the drones will die by winter and will only be replaced at the next hive division. Hope that this helps.

This sounds so much better than 10 months of ads for congressional and presidential elections....



I just pity the poor drone that would have to pursue Hillary or Pelosi.

[taltos]

Originally Posted by AAlmeter

This sounds so much better than 10 months of ads for congressional and presidential elections....



I just pity the poor drone that would have to pursue Hillary or Pelosi.

How about if this also worked in show business. The drone who had to catch Rosie O'Donnell would kill himself first.

[HK3-]

Originally Posted by taltos

I went back and checked some references from when I kept bees. A better explanation than what I gave earlier is that the population outgrew its hive and the old queen and many of the workers and foragers have left the hive. This is a correction to my previous post where I stated that the swarm had a new queen. The workers will raise a new (virgin) queen from some special egg cells and by feeding the larvae special food (queen jelly). The first queen out if healthy will be allowed to sting and kill any remaining queen larvae. If the workers sense that the new queen is not 100 per cent, they will sting this queen to death and await the emergence of the next one. After the queen gains strength, she must make a mating flight where she flies high into the air and is pursued by the drones. One will catch the queen and mate with her and will promptly die. The queen only needs to mate once. The rest of the drones will die by winter and will only be replaced at the next hive division. Hope that this helps.

Very cool! Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by TanithT

http://www.sciencenews.org/pictures/...aphic_zoom.jpg

Thanks for the cool info as well!

Originally Posted by sonic_mike

Very cool,leave it alone honey bees are disappearing.

Every blueberry farm around me has tons of bee houses to help pollinate all the shrubs. We have a boat load of bees in these parts.

Originally Posted by taltos

I went back and checked some references from when I kept bees. A better explanation than what I gave earlier is that the population outgrew its hive and the old queen and many of the workers and foragers have left the hive. This is a correction to my previous post where I stated that the swarm had a new queen. The workers will raise a new (virgin) queen from some special egg cells and by feeding the larvae special food (queen jelly). The first queen out if healthy will be allowed to sting and kill any remaining queen larvae. If the workers sense that the new queen is not 100 per cent, they will sting this queen to death and await the emergence of the next one. After the queen gains strength, she must make a mating flight where she flies high into the air and is pursued by the drones. One will catch the queen and mate with her and will promptly die. The queen only needs to mate once. The rest of the drones will die by winter and will only be replaced at the next hive division. Hope that this helps.

Who wants to start a human bee culture society?

[Thrak]

Are those bees or hornets? I had a couple gigantic hornets flying around me the other day.. not kidding, they were at least 2-2.5" long. You could feel the wind when they flew by.

I guess they liked the smell of my Padilla Habano

[taltos]

Originally Posted by Thrak

Are those bees or hornets? I had a couple gigantic hornets flying around me the other day.. not kidding, they were at least 2-2.5" long. You could feel the wind when they flew by.

I guess they liked the smell of my Padilla Habano

Those are honey bees. Those giant wasps are probably cicada killers, also known as locust killers and are basically harmless and rarely sting. It is possible that they could be tarantula hawks but that would be very rare in your part of the country.

its makes me think of the aliens movies for some reason