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Author Topic: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today  (Read 12822 times)

Offline JP

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Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« on: February 09, 2008, 12:41:57 am »
Did a removal in an apartment complex today. The people were supposed to have their 3 pitbulls tied up but didn't. The daughter was gonna try and tie 'em up baby in hand so I stepped in, the dog's actually are quite friendly and love starved, made three buddies outta them, one in particular.

I checked this hive out a few weeks ago and was unable to determine exactly where the hive was located so I knew I was gonna have to experiment a bit. They were either gonna be in the eave, the wall, or both. The construction where the bees were was kinda subpar and there was some wood rot in the area the hive was, the rotten wood gave the bees the avenue to set up shop. They wound up being in the eave and the ceiling.

Didn't think I was gonna get the queen, seemed there were too many nooks and crannies for her to run to, but as luck would have it I got her, and she was a laying!

About midway into the removal one of the pitbulls got loose and was my constant companion for the rest of the day. Liked that honey, which was a lot. Think I pulled out about a hundred lbs. The hive filled up most of the eave and went into the ceiling a good bit. Thought I was gonna have to cut into the ceiling, but I was able to get it all out, had my arm stretched as far as it would go, up to my shoulder.

The people and their neighbors enjoyed having some fresh honey. The job took from 11am until 6:30pm. I put everthing back though, and try to do 'em in one day.

Here's some picks:

















Sincerely, JP
« Last Edit: February 09, 2008, 10:14:50 am by JP »
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Offline Alan Forbes

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2008, 01:37:33 am »
Impressive...............well done.  I used to do this as well; used a shop vac to remove the bees, but no matter how many different things I tried, I couln't keep the bees alive; the all sweat to death in the shop vac.

What's your technique?

Offline Understudy

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2008, 01:41:56 am »
I like it.

darn nice.

So the obvious question is, did you find the queen?  ;)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

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Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2008, 01:48:11 am »
I like it.

darn nice.

So the obvious question is, did you find the queen?  ;)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Did you see the pics? Look at the last four pics before the last pic.

....JP


« Last Edit: February 09, 2008, 12:00:02 pm by JP »
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Offline pdmattox

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2008, 02:30:03 am »
yes very impressive work. Thanks for the pictures.

Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2008, 10:30:45 am »
Impressive...............well done.  I used to do this as well; used a shop vac to remove the bees, but no matter how many different things I tried, I couln't keep the bees alive; the all sweat to death in the shop vac.

What's your technique?

Alan, when using any type of beevac you must be aware not to use a vac that has too much suction as it will harm the bees, you don't want to overfill the area where the vac contains the bees, such as the inner box, or the bees will suffocate, this is particularly true on a really warm day. I have two types that have inner boxes, and I have extra boxes with each set up. Of utmost importance is too make sure the bees get proper ventilation and not to keep them contained in the inner box for too long without feed or something to drink cause they will overheat, starve or both.
On the one I have posted here I didn't use the vac much at all, and I try to use them sparingly, but I don't perform removals without having one handy.

Btw, modified this post this morning. Check out the second to last pic, you can see her good, she's on the right.

Sincerely, JP
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Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2008, 10:33:39 am »
Did you take the dog?
 For my Rotty I always have to remind him with"Sick im', NOT Lick im'!"
 Just recently my wife came home to see Tank up in the UPS truck with the driver, licking his legs!!. The UPS driver didnt mind, he said...He said that the big dogs werent problems most the time as it was the little dogs who snapped and bit!
 My dods are kinda leary about eating honey. I think they got that way cuzza being stung when smelling honey in the hive/.
your friend,
john

Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2008, 12:02:31 pm »
John, even if the people offered me the dog, I couldn't take him cause I have three dogs of my own, that don't like other dogs. My dogs love, love, love honey!

....JP
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2008, 12:10:52 pm »
I am sure some of the stuff around here has been making the national news. Seems we have mean Pitt Bulls around here. In just three days I think it was a mail person was attacked. A small horse was killed and another injured. Then I think it was goats were attacked. These were all different dogs in different places. The headline actually read, "another day, Another Pitt bull attack". Then yesterday another small horse was attacked by an unidentified breed of dog.

An Ex-brother-in-law raised Pitt bulls. They were friendly around people but they sure hated other dogs. Had to use big logging chains to keep them apart. When they did get together you just about had to drown them to get them apart. They would clamp down and not let go. And they liked the rough stuff. The rougher you were the more they liked it. They enjoyed a good beating.
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Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2008, 12:16:12 pm »
[quote author=Jerrymac > They would clamp down and not let go. And they liked the rough stuff. The rougher you were the more they liked it. They enjoyed a good beating.

Sounds like one of my ex-girlfriends! Just kidding! Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa!

.....JP
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2008, 12:23:51 pm »
JP, I am ever so grateful that you figured out how to use the image hosting program here.  You have brought some beautiful and wonderful pictures.  I saw the queen in the pictures, picked her out right away!!! Yeah!!!!  I never tire of looking at the way that bees build that natural comb in the spaces that they cram into!!!  Amazing little girls and boys that are privy to get into their lives.  We are addicted....

John, again, your little bit about your dogs make me laugh, that wheezy, squeaky little laugh, so no one can hear me, hee, hee.  Reminding your rotty to sick 'em, not lick 'em.  Dogs sure do love to lick faces eh?  That makes me laugh too, and then they want to lick the face even harder, they and get away from a face lickin' pittbull, good luck with that one.

We have two pittbulls here, my Daughter's and Grandson's but they might have well be mine, hee, hee, they love Grandma's house too.

JP, are you sure that those pitties didn't eat that woman's baby in her arms.  Pitties have such a bad rap, and some certainly do and deserve, like the ones that Jerry were talking about.  It is how they are raised, no a single doubt in my mind, maybe now and then there may be genetics, true too.

JP, shame on you, you poor ol' ex-girlfriends,  :shock: :roll: ;) :)  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, this is a great life to live.  Cindi
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Offline annette

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2008, 01:11:49 pm »
This whole cut out looked so peaceful to me. You are definitely an expert with this stuff. Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos and I saw the queen right away also.

Sincerely
Annette

Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #12 on: February 09, 2008, 01:25:40 pm »
This whole cut out looked so peaceful to me. You are definitely an expert with this stuff. Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos and I saw the queen right away also.

Sincerely
Annette

Annette, peaceful is probably not a term I would use to describe cut-outs, more like controlled chaos, lol. Now swarm clusters are peaceful and awe inspiring, very fascinating to look at and house.

Annette, how's things with the carpal tunnel situation?

....JP
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Offline annette

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2008, 01:26:53 pm »
OK, thanks for setting me straight.

Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2008, 01:49:47 pm »
One more thing I would like to add, actually two things. First: The closer I got to the comb that had the queen, the calmer the bees were. M.B. mentions this on his site, but this is the first time I actually could sense I was getting closer to her, because with each brood comb I removed, the bees were getting calmer, not that this hive was that aggressive in the first place. If I had to guess, the queen was probably on those calmer combs before I got the one she was on, because they like to stay ahead of you when you're removing combs, so her scent was still on the previous comb I am sure, but still, it was interesting to actually "see" this. I actually had a real sense of confidence that I would soon find her, once I got into these particular comb sections. This was unusual to see this so I feel it is worth noting and its something I will look for in the future. I wound up with 8 full frames of brood comb and a approx 100 lbs of honey.

Second thing: I want ya'll to look carefully at the last four pics before the last pic. These pics depict the queen. People are always asking how do you spot the queen? One of the things that you look for you will see in these pics. Notice how there are several bees in each pic forming a circle facing the queen. This is a give away, try and notice this for those of you who have trouble sometimes spotting her.

Sincerely, JP
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Offline Frantz

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2008, 02:12:13 pm »
JP,
That was awesome, thank you so much for the pics. One of these days I will have my own cutout pics to post.
F
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Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2008, 02:21:18 pm »
JP,
That was awesome, thank you so much for the pics. One of these days I will have my own cutout pics to post.
F

I know you will Frantz! Can't wait to see 'em!

....JP
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2008, 05:02:24 pm »
YAYS!  I found her!!  This is a beeks "wheres Waldo"!!  Thank you for posting the pics & giving clues, I can see now how the wings & thorax are different, her stripes are different too!  The bees do face her, I learn so much from reading all the posts..many of my questions are answered before I ask! 
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Offline JP

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2008, 08:59:54 pm »
Hey Jody this is a wonderful forum isn't it? Wanted to also point out that a lot of the feral queens abdomens that I run across are generally a solid golden color with no rings visible, this girl just happens to have visible rings. And sometimes on rare ocassions, her abdomen is black, which makes her that much harder to find, particularly when you're acustomed to finding queens with golden abdomens.


....JP
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Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: Pitbulls and bees and pics, today
« Reply #19 on: February 09, 2008, 10:03:15 pm »
JP, wow what beautiful photos!  I am always in awe of what the bees do all on their own...I wonder how long those bees had been there.  Just amazing.

When you get the bees home, what and how do you place them in a hive?  Do you rubber band the brood comb into a foundation? What exactly do you do?

Thanks from Sunny California ( finally )!

Shar