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Author Topic: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!  (Read 5023 times)

Offline JP

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Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« on: January 28, 2008, 11:17:19 am »
Gotta love collecting swarms!


                                           

.........JP
« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 11:31:04 am by JP »
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2008, 11:29:06 am »
JP, pretty nice, now that should be an easy one to get hold of eh?  Have a wonderful and great day, 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 JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2008, 11:42:56 am »
JP, pretty nice, now that should be an easy one to get hold of eh?  Have a wonderful and great day, Cindi

Enjoyed every minute. I'm so glad no-one decided to spray them which happens a lot out of ignorance. These people knew to call a beekeeper and that was just terrific!
I was transferring a hive one morning early, that was in a swarm trap, had to cut the thing in pieces to remove the hive (let them go too long in the trap) and the queen flew off, but I had faith she would fly back, which she did later, but when I was done with the transfer, I thought she had landed on a tree branch cause I could see bees in a cluster on a branch behind the hive say 15' away. Turned out to be another swarm altogether, that had been there at least a day or so, so I housed two new hives that day.

Here's that other swarm: 

Sincerely, JP


                                       
                                       
« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 11:31:26 am by JP »
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

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Offline Cindi

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2008, 08:54:28 am »
JP, what a beautiful picture, I can't wait for the trees to all get their leaves back on.  Have a great and wonderful day, 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 JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2008, 10:41:21 am »
Its kinda a big long field surrounded by trees. Its pretty enough, but not like our place in Ms. My friend is very kind to let me keep bees at his property, 13 acres.


..........JP
« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 11:31:48 am by JP »
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

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Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2008, 11:39:13 am »
Another shot of the umbrella swarm, funny how it tilts.




Here's one from The Riverwalk in New Orleans. This swarm was very large and was on this overhead beam, approx. 15' from the exit door. Needless to say they shut things down in this area for a while. I boxed them and had to bring them through the bldg. I guesstimated the swarm to be around 18,000 strong, because once boxed, they had some good weight to 'em.



Get ready!!!

......JP

« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 11:32:08 am by JP »
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Offline dpence

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2008, 11:59:22 am »
Indeed, some very nice pics there JP.  We have already put the word out to our colleagues, police department, fire department and friends to keep their eyes out for clusters.  I shared a story of chasing swarms with them and of course the answer is "if I would have known you guys keep bees I would have called..".  Anyway hopefully my wife and I will be able to capture one or two this year, we have spare boxes and frames ready.   :-D   

Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2008, 12:12:16 pm »
Hope you get a bunch of calls depence. :)

Here's another one from the riverwalk: 

Ya'll have a great day!


.......JP
« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 11:32:29 am by JP »
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Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2008, 11:29:58 am »
Here's a bonus from a cut-out I did in an eave in an apartment complex about 20' up.








I can tell you the story another time if anyone's interested.

......JP



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Offline annette

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2008, 01:34:29 pm »
I need to know this story right now. That is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Why did it not run away???

Annette - waiting patiently for the story--------------------Please!!!!

Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2008, 04:03:25 pm »
You are too funny Annette! Thanks for being patient. So I'm up on the ladder with the bees, I had popped the eave downward to access the hive, a big one, and noticed on the corner to my left, this hole with nesting material from I guessed a squirell or a rat. I mentioned this to the manager lady, how they would need to do repairs on the corner because there was or is something living there.

Later on, I heard some people, two ladies and a guy, making a fuss over all the bees they were seeing, going on and on at the size of the colony, they were amazed.

A little later I hear this noise to my left, then a Mother squirrel jumps from the eave twenty feet down to the parking lot with a baby squirrel in her mouth. I ran down the ladder chasing them to see if that little one was alright, cause it looked motionless...she proceeds to run up an oak tree with the baby to a nest.

I took a break at this point and had something to drink, as it was very hot outside. Well, a short time later, I hear those ladies yelling and screaming that someone needs to save "him".  It went something like this, "Oh Lordie don't let him fall, get a ladder and help him, oh ma gawd, oh ma gawd, someboddy help him!"
Of course my ladder was right there, so I ran over and ran up the ladder and grabbed the other baby that momma squirrel didn't bring down. The baby had been on the very edge of the eave, about to fall, and blind. I placed the other baby in a cardboard box with soft towels and placed it by the oak tree, but even after a couple of hrs, momma squirrel hadn't come down to claim her baby. I grew worried so I called a friend, who came over and got the squirrel. He knew someone who could help nurse the squirrel. etc...
Well, after a few days I called my buddy to check on the little squirrel and he said his girlfiend said that they could not part with him, so to this day they have a new family member named Taz, short for Tasmanian devil. I visited my friend the other day and saw Taz for the first time since the removal, its been about 5 months and he's grown and very friendly, and hyper, he climbs on you and over you like you're a tree. Btw, two days after he took Taz in the little fellow opened his eyes, the rest is history.

.......JP
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Offline Understudy

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2008, 09:15:23 pm »
Nice Rescue.

I had a baby possum pay a visit a while back.



Sincerely,
Brendhan

The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2008, 11:49:12 pm »
What's the story on him Brendhan? He sure is a cute lil' guy.


.......JP
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2008, 12:18:54 am »
JP, oh I am so glad that Annette convinced you to tell the story, I just read your post and was going to ask you to tell it, but then she did i nthe next post.  Wow, how cool was that eh?  I love that side of human nature to save animals from certain deaths or harm.  I am so glad that you have that compassionate side, that is a wonderful attribute to hold in the palm of your hands, and I take my hat off to you.

So the little baby squirrel has grown up, among its human friends, so cool, so wonderful and man, let me tell you this brings that smile to my face. 

Brendhan, that was pretty darn neat about your opossum friend too, these stories are so cool.  Have a wonderful and best of day.  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 Understudy

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2008, 08:17:35 am »
Early in beekeeping there was a discussion here on racoons and possoms getting into hives.
Both of which are very common in Florida. They live in my yard. Well one day I was out inspecting my hives. And I hear this sound of leaves rustling. I thought it might be a buffo toad as they hang around for the free buffet. But the sound wasn't right. On occasion a snake runs through the yard. So I look down and here is this baby possum eating a few of the dead bees on the ground. I took a few shots and left it alone. I posted the thread. Pretty much everone recommended killing it before it got big. I left it alone.

I think it is fully grown now and on occasion hangs out in my strangler fig and teases my dog.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline JP

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2008, 10:31:16 am »
Never could understand killing something to just kill it mindset. I usually don't bother something unless its a direct threat to me. People who just like to kill things scare me.

......JP
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Offline Kirk-o

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Re: Looking forward to spring, and swarms and more!!!!!
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2008, 03:59:56 pm »
I got ten swarm traps I'm putting out this spring
kirko
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