Looks what I found while walking the dogs. - Page 2

Thrak · 05-22-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

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.

Rarely sting? Man I hope so, they were pretty intimidating!!

taltos · 05-22-2009, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrak

Rarely sting? Man I hope so, they were pretty intimidating!!

The ones who were acting in an aggressive manner can't sting, they are males. One suggestion that might help is not to walk on your lawn in bare feet. The wasps live in burrows and the best chance for getting stung is if you step on one of the females while she is emerging from the burrow after leaving food for the emerging young.

kaisersozei · 05-22-2009, 09:00 AM

That's awesome, Hal--nice find & great photos!

Quote:

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

Your post reminded me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncUANdbvlY

BlackDog · 05-22-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

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

rizzle · 05-22-2009, 09:28 AM

I would definitely throw a rock at it.

taltos · 05-22-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizzle

I would definitely throw a rock at it.

Unless you threw it from a moving closed vehicle, you would probably be stung to death.

ir13 · 05-22-2009, 01:50 PM

This right here is what you should do with those bees

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/come...dmine/bees.php

Thrak · 05-22-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

That's awesome, Hal--nice find & great photos!

Your post reminded me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncUANdbvlY

HOLY CRAP those are the hornets!! Their sting can disolve human flesh!

Skywalker · 05-22-2009, 02:21 PM

Just blow a little cigar smoke at 'em!!!

lightning9191 · 05-22-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

Unless you threw it from a moving closed vehicle, you would probably be stung to death.

That sounds like a challenge

05-22-2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

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.

Crap, now I understand, I think I used to date a Queen Bee

HK3- · 05-22-2009, 05:17 PM

I checked them again today while walking the dogs.... They are still there in the same place? The formation shape has changed though.. Must be too cheap to pay rent and got kicked out.

SvilleKid · 05-22-2009, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK3-

I checked them again today while walking the dogs.... They are still there in the same place? The formation shape has changed though.. Must be too cheap to pay rent and got kicked out.

The cool thing about the "swarm" is that you can walk right up to it with an empty super (those wooden boxes used in bee-keeping), gently rake the swarm around until you can spot the queen, easily brush her into the super, and the rest of the bees will follow her in. Put the lid on the super, and you have the start of a colony.

Hard to tell without a reference, but they look big enough to be Italian bees. If they were wild bees, probably wouldn't be able to get close enough for those photos. Italian bees tend to be very docile, even when in a swarm. Mainly, they are looking for a home. I've helped capture half a dozen swarms in the past, all but one without the need of protection other than a bee hood. The one exception was a wild bee swarm. They tend to be a little more excitable.

I would imagine that somewhere within a mile or so away, someone is missing a colony out of their hive! As a rule, you would keep a "queen excluder" between the layer of supers with the queen and the super with the exit slot. This keeps the queen inside the hive, and the colony around to serve her.

Maybe a good opportunity for you to take up a new hobby??

Rockestone · 05-23-2009, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

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.

So, you wanna give it a go?

HK3- · 05-23-2009, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

The cool thing about the "swarm" is that you can walk right up to it with an empty super (those wooden boxes used in bee-keeping), gently rake the swarm around until you can spot the queen, easily brush her into the super, and the rest of the bees will follow her in. Put the lid on the super, and you have the start of a colony.

Hard to tell without a reference, but they look big enough to be Italian bees. If they were wild bees, probably wouldn't be able to get close enough for those photos. Italian bees tend to be very docile, even when in a swarm. Mainly, they are looking for a home. I've helped capture half a dozen swarms in the past, all but one without the need of protection other than a bee hood. The one exception was a wild bee swarm. They tend to be a little more excitable.

I would imagine that somewhere within a mile or so away, someone is missing a colony out of their hive! As a rule, you would keep a "queen excluder" between the layer of supers with the queen and the super with the exit slot. This keeps the queen inside the hive, and the colony around to serve her.

Maybe a good opportunity for you to take up a new hobby??

Sounds like fun. I have messed around with some bees in the past but it was all just helping out for me. An old friend of mine from back home had a nice little colony. I remember having to go to the USPS to pickup a large humming box. I had no idea you could order bees online and have them sent to you. (I would imagine a mean joke could be played somewhere with these capabilities.) When it arrived the queen was inside a little wooden box with two or three drones to keep her safe, etc. Looks like it would be a fun hobby.

G G · 05-23-2009, 08:05 AM

Make sure you have an autoinjector of benadryl when you start messing with them.

taltos · 05-23-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggainey

Make sure you have an autoinjector of benadryl when you start messing with them.

Sting allergies is why I gave up bee keeping. I still have an epi pen close by in the warm months.

G G · 05-23-2009, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

Sting allergies is why I gave up bee keeping. I still have an epi pen close by in the warm months.

i knew benadril wasn't right, but my mind wouldn't tell me epi.

And I am the guy that picks you up in the ambulance, scary aint it?

taltos · 05-23-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggainey

i knew benadril wasn't right, but my mind wouldn't tell me epi.

And I am the guy that picks you up in the ambulance, scary aint it?

Maybe you can be room mates with Scott in the Gaytor Home for the Bewildered.

G G · 05-23-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taltos

Maybe you can be room mates with Scott in the Gaytor Home for the Bewildered.

Well maybe, but the GAYTOR part wouldn't work out too good. I hate the gaytors.

05-22-2009, 09:28 AM	#25
rizzle Order Restored Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: st pete, fl Posts: 2,679 Trading: (23)	Re: Looks what I found while walking the dogs. I would definitely throw a rock at it.

05-22-2009, 01:50 PM	#27
ir13 PSHC - T1nyH@ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,440 Trading: (44)	Re: Looks what I found while walking the dogs. This right here is what you should do with those bees http://www.somethingawful.com/d/come...dmine/bees.php __________________

05-22-2009, 02:21 PM	#29
Skywalker BABOTL Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dice Location: Galaxy Far Far Away Posts: 10,168 Trading: (18)	Re: Looks what I found while walking the dogs. Just blow a little cigar smoke at 'em!!! __________________ Smoke what you like!!!

05-22-2009, 05:17 PM	#32
HK3- Cashmere Jungle Lord Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Boffa Location: The town so nice they named it twice Posts: 5,035 Trading: (48)	Re: Looks what I found while walking the dogs. I checked them again today while walking the dogs.... They are still there in the same place? The formation shape has changed though.. Must be too cheap to pay rent and got kicked out.

05-23-2009, 08:05 AM	#36
G G BR549 Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Greg Location: Taylor, FL. Posts: 12,730 Trading: (10)	Re: Looks what I found while walking the dogs. Make sure you have an autoinjector of benadryl when you start messing with them.