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Author Topic: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.  (Read 18531 times)

Offline mick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2009, 03:03:45 am »
You mean I have to build a Scarecrow?

Offline philinacoma

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2009, 09:51:44 am »
You make me feel so much better.

I had one of the worst things happen tonight that could possibly happen to my beekeeping future. My better half got stung on the ankle while sitting on the bed. Probably one of the girls from the queenless swarm.

They're lucky the demands for fly spray didn't come out for the hive there and then.

Be carefull them's eggshells on that there floor yur walken on!

Phil

Offline iddee

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2009, 12:02:17 pm »
No eggshells here. My better half makes me go catch bees and hold them to her so they will sting her. Takes care of her arthritis quick.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Geoff

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2009, 07:26:48 pm »
     The next thing Mick is to get a live cam set up today. Tell you what it will save you a lot of typing but I suppose while we would be rolling around the floor laughing we would miss more highlights.
      An after thought I would probably miss it while out at Crackajack so the written saga would stand up for posterity fortunately.
Local Area Network in Australia - the LAN down under.

Offline Lone

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #24 on: November 27, 2009, 07:31:34 pm »
Is it too premature to call emergency services?

Lone

Offline Lone

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #25 on: November 29, 2009, 08:17:23 am »
OK, I called them.

Offline kedgel

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #26 on: November 29, 2009, 08:45:25 pm »
First, I'm one Yank that NEVER works my bees without bee suit and hood.  Until recently I had only been stung ONCE.  Early on in my beekeeping I tempted fate and lifted the lid to peek in while standing behind the hive.  I wasn't wearing any protective clothing--can you say "STOOPID"?  Anyway, I got nailed in the face by a bee that I'm sure flew in butt-first.  There was no warning buzz-by or any warning.  Just ZAP!  Right next to the eye.  I turned into baloon face within minutes.  It took 2 weeks before I lost the Quasi-modo face.  I learned that is why God made bee suits. Recently I was lulled into a false sense of security by the (I'm sure sadistic liars!) beeks who talked about not using gloves and tried not using them.  Guess what? I GOT STUNG! Surprise, surprise!  Now I don't even trust the little suckers when working with a swarm.  The only times I've gotten nailed now is when they zap me through the bee suit or crawl up my pants.  I still don't bother sealing up my pant legs, since tape is a pain in the Obama and rubber-bands make my pant legs flare out exposing my socks and boot tops.  I figure it is an easy target for them to sting through the loose weave of my socks, so I just keep moving and stomp any intrepid guards crawling on the ground.  My bees aren't near as nasty as yours in spite of the fact that they are all feral hives I've cut out.  One trick I learned when working with crazed, aggressive bees is to add a couple pinches of Ammonium Nitrate fertilizer to the smoker.  It really gives them a buzz(pun intended).  After a few hits of that stuff they just sit on the comb going, "far-out, man!  I'm so wasted!"  Don't use too much, as you can O.D. them.  They will just die quietly while singing "Give Peace a Chance" and chanting "Hare-Krishna, Hare-hare,..."

Kelly
Talent is a dull blade that cuts nothing unless wielded with great force--Pat Travers

Offline iddee

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #27 on: November 29, 2009, 10:36:55 pm »
I agree, Kedgel, the appropriate apparel is a "must have" anytime you are working bees. Never get caught without it.......


For removals....



For swarms...



For training new beeks...



"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline SlickMick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #28 on: November 30, 2009, 12:14:14 am »
That's a grand looking figure there Iddee :?

Slicko

Offline mick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2009, 02:48:31 am »
Another crazy Russian beekeeper I see.

It rained, so you all gotta wait another week for a laugh.

I was pulling lemons off the tree next to the nicest of the hives just now, didnt even notice me. Thats how its meant to be.

I am going to make a scarecrow and see if that throws them off, I reckon it will work!

Offline SlickMick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2009, 05:13:18 am »
Get the VB out Mick you'll probably need it :-D :-D

Slicko

Offline Lone

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #31 on: November 30, 2009, 08:05:30 am »
Raining, Micko?  Don't you know that a cloudy day would have made things even more interesting? (from a scientific point of view, of course).  However, your bees can eat grass anytime they want to - I think it's flesh they want, not a scarecrow.

Nice beesuits, Iddee.  



Lone (waiting in eager anticipation for the next exciting installment of the serial story, The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees, this coming Saturday - VB Day(Victory of the Bees Day))

Offline mick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #32 on: January 12, 2010, 03:49:59 am »
Aha well finally had a look at the 3rd hive, the one created from the one I knocked over. Plenty of stores, nice brood pattern, 2 up, 2 down. Nice neat bees these ones.

Now heres the fun bit you sadists, only one sting. They wernt really interested in me at all. Just let me do my job. Im guessing theres a new queen in this one that mated with a wild bee or one from my tameish hive. I pinched a nice frame of honey that is clean enough to cut and put in my honey jars. Bulk em up a bit for a lot less work with a nice piece of comb, looks good, people like it, dont see that in the shops you see.

Had to put the hose on one yesterday that was copping the full 116 degrees, its less that half as hot as it was this time yesterday, back in the 60s.

I tried to process some of last autumns honey today, had crystalised but I was hoping the heat had done its job but not so and with the capping wax, not much flow happening despite it being warm. Do I need a coarser sieve? I think I have 600 and 300 nylon bags.

This weekend I will look at another.

Offline philinacoma

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #33 on: January 12, 2010, 08:44:01 am »
Hey Mick, Hows the nectar flow down the other side of town there?

Offline mick

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #34 on: January 13, 2010, 02:23:59 am »
From what I can see its the WA red flowering gums that are flowing atm near me plus the usual yard plants. Got some manna gums about to kick off soon.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #35 on: January 19, 2010, 12:39:47 am »
Mick, I'm so glad to hear that things are going so well with your bees, yay!!!  You have had quite a time in times gone by before.  have that wonderful day, with health, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline cidersabuzzin

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Re: The ongoing tale of a fool and his bees.
« Reply #36 on: February 05, 2010, 08:09:54 pm »
Theres heaps of beekeepers on here from the US that don't wear protection. Most just use smoke and years of experience.



We used to withdraw quickly if we felt something coming that may end up biting use in the future! in that context we found smoke didn't help! But then again maybe afterward?
cider :)
What's good for bees is usually good for mankind. Doesn't that mean sharing?

 

anything