Honeybees & bugs

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About 2 years ago I captured a swarm of bees that had settled on a small shrub for the night. It was my first time and I thought I could scoop them up with my hands and put them in a box. They just flowed through my fingers like water. Early the next morning I went back and cut the shrub off under the swarm and put them in a “book bag” (backpack). I moved them to a homemade hive but they flew away 3 days later. I will tell you that putting your bare hands in a swarm of of bees is a “Mind Blowing” experience. :flushed:

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nice! I’ve found those red torches to be strong pollinator attractors :slightly_smiling_face:

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I have a wild honey bee tree on my property and they swarmed during the solar eclipse last Monday. :rainbow:

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That’s awesome!

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That must have been so cool!!!
Bee trees are so neat. If it’s a large cavity it could have a big nest and may cast off smaller swarms later too!

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Great pics! Thank you for sharing again :purple_heart:

Reminds me of a song I haven’t heard in a long, long time.

Xavier Rudd - “White Moth”

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I’ve seen this 2 Bees tofay…


… They do look wierd, kinda.
Is there mites on the back of the upper one??

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Yes, it looks like a heavy mite infestation. Enough to kill the bee :worried:.

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First swarm of the season.

Not sure how this guy found his way inside.

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This is a wild honey bee tree. See the dark hole about 1/2 way up? What blows my mind is that when I took this photo there are several dozen bees moving in and out but the camera on my phone didnt capture them. That is very disappointing because I got stung on the ear to get this picture. :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: :rofl:

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Were you wearing dark clothes? Bees view large dark things as a threat (think BEARS).

Which Colors Make Them Attack?

You might not think of dark colors such as red or black as being aggressive, but when it comes to bees and wasps, it’s true. Darker colors will sometimes be interpreted as natural predators such as bears and skunks. The bees or wasps might not attack right away, but they will often be on the defensive, which means that even a small thing can set them off.

Even worse (and a little funny) is that bees and wasps will often go after your collar or cuff, depending on what you’re wearing, because these areas will be perceived as your weak spot. On a predator, these areas would be the eyes and other vulnerable places that the bees or wasps could take advantage of.

Moistened tobacco placed over a bee or wasp sting site will draw the venom out and offer nearly immediate pain relief.

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I just got too close. :crazy_face: These wild bees are vicious man! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: They go straight for the head. :rofl:

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