tempermental bees

[Ronnie Elliott]

I fed 2/1 syrup on Wednesday, the bees poured out the front, some fighting on the plastic cardboard. I fed last evening before the hurricane, and all the hives were flying out the front entrance, 2-swarms had located in the nearby bushes. This all took place about 1-hr before dark, wind gusts up to 35-mph, and the hurricane just down the road. I just hope they have a nice night left out on the limb. I thought it was robbing, so I put entrance reducers on 2 of the 4-hives. What do you think? Got to go the lights have started blinking.

[Hillside]

How were you feeding? Although I've never tried it, I've heard there can be quite a ruckus if you do external feeders. I've never noticed a problem with internal feeders.

[Ronnie Elliott]

I am ushing Brushy Mtn. frame feeders. I did put up a swarm trap up this afternoon in the rain. It is located 75-feet up wind from them. I really didn't feel like messing with them, my arthritis is acting up. I thought this bee keeping was going to alieviate that problem with the bee stings.

[iddee]

NEVER open a hive when ther's a storm on the horizen. The bees know more about the weather then any human forecaster.

[Ronnie Elliott]

iddee: If the bees are such great forecasters, why would they leave a well protected home, with the pantry full with a storm brewing?

[David Stewart]

Jr,
Maybe their cousins from New Orleans e-mailed them and told them they better head for the high ground (just kidding). How did you weather down there? We got VERY lucky with the turn East. The original track (Galveston/Houston) showed Rita parking on top of us and dumping up to 20+ inches of rain...As it was we just got a couple and really just filled all the ponds back up.

David

[iddee]

Maybe some pine rooter took the roof off their house and they thought it was unsafe and time to go.
You did say you were using frame feeders, didn't you?

[Ronnie Elliott]

We had high wind gusts, the oak trees in peoples yard shed lots of limbs, and leaves. My yard is all pecans, and they shed very little. We had 1.77 inch of rain. I was hopeing for 8-10 inches of rain, our lakes, and ponds need to be refreshed. I am going out this morning to capture the bees on the limb, if there still there. Maybe there in the swarm trap. I have learned not to work bees in approaching storms.