Yeah, this ought to have been written two months ago when we got them, but well...it wasn't.
We got bees! I'd unpacked the hives at our new house, and put them on the shelves in readiness for when we were ready to get bees. Then for fun I put together a hive and set it out, just to see what components I really had available.
I just happened to be looking on Craigslist for some local honey, and there it was: a newly caught swarm, for cheap. So I just called, and the beekeeper delivered the bees to me and he even hived them for me! And he was so nice, as beekeepers tend to be, and he said call any time, and he answered all sorts of questions, including helping me to choose a spot to keep them on our property (not next to the shed where the skunks live!).
They settled in really nicely, and then it got HOT! They started bearding around the front. So we added another box onto their hive (not pictured), and now they've settled down all happy again.
Well, sort of. We went out to plant a bee garden in front where they live (it is the farthest away from the skunks), and they got MAD! They had a pretty long time limit and gave us about 20 minutes at a time before they'd start buzzing us and getting really angry.
Did you know there is a very distinct (and loud) buzz bees will make, by one's head, when they are threatened/irritated? We have learned it well now, the Hubby and I....once they make that buzz, it is time to RUN like hell and get FAR away from their hive, because it's stinging time! And we also learned that the amount of venom injected into a body when accidentally stung is VERY different (and so much less painful) to the amount they inject when they are telling you to GTFO.
We did finish the bee garden out front, wearing our full bee suits and keeping all body parts covered at all times. Lesson learned!
This still happens to me all the time: random bees finding me. I pick them up, nurse them to health (read: feed them honey), and wait. After several minutes, they regain their strength and off they fly. That is MY hand holding this sweet girl. Isn't she beautiful?
Wow! This is so amazing to me... I think it takes a very special person to do this. You go, girl!
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