Sat Cutout....Lot's O Bees!!

[peggjam]

Today's cutout....my wife is the shutterbug.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0020.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0014.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0017.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0010.jpg

[peggjam]

Here's some more:):


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0018.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0011.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/peggjam/Honeybees/IMG_0007.jpg

[Aisha]

Great photos! It looks like those bees know how to draw some nice straight comb.

[Aram]

Wow looks like good genes plenty bees there to do a couple of splits. Give each some eggs add let them raise new queens.
Nice photos.

[peggjam]

The long combs close to the window were just loaded with brood, they had a large amount of drone brood, and some queen cells that were close to being capped. Never did see the queen, hope we got her, but no way to know until after this cold snap:).

[jackalope]

Was this in some cottage or abandoned house or something?

Hard to image how a colony can get that big in someone's house before they decided to do something about it! I mean, wouldn't the constant "hum" alone drive them bonkers?

[silvsk]

Hi, How much did you charge to remove all of that comb? Did you re seal the wall and re insulate, etc?
How hard is it to get out every bit of comb and honey to deter ants and rot?

[George Fergusson]

You just don't see that kind of thing up here in Maine.

[peggjam]

"Was this in some cottage or abandoned house or something?"

No, this was a two story house split into an upstairs and downstairs apartment. The upstairs where the hive was located, hadn't been lived in for about 7 years.

"I mean, wouldn't the constant "hum" alone drive them bonkers?"

It did, but the owner, who lives downstairs is single, so it didn't drive him nuts two bad:).

"Hi, How much did you charge to remove all of that comb? Did you re seal the wall and re insulate, etc?
How hard is it to get out every bit of comb and honey to deter ants and rot?"

We charge $100 an hour, 3 hour min. This one took 4 and 1/2 hours to remove, but we only charged for 4. We just remove, the owner has to fix the damage. It isn't two hard to get most of the comb and wax out, just takes time mostly.

"You just don't see that kind of thing up here in Maine."

This is the first one I have seen here in along time. This used to be a normal removal, now it's the exception. Most removals only take a couple hours at the most:).

[Joel]

So these are the girls I got stood up for for our Sunday Breakfast!! I can see why you were tired! You aren't short so I'm assuming those combs were close to 6' ?

[peggjam]

I'd be willing to say they were at least five and a half feet long, and very narrow, bout 4". Filled top to within a foot or so of the bottom with brood. It was a very nice hive, gentle for the most part:).

[Hobie]

No matter how many wild comb formations I see, they always amaze me. Beautifully precise.

[Gene Weitzel]

No matter how many wild comb formations I see, they always amaze me. Beautifully precise.

Hobie,
Here's one you that may change your mind:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb226/geneweitzel/Bees%20in%20pallet%20and%20tires/DSCF0182.jpg?t=1209581276

[Hobie]

Yeah, Gene, that one's a tad messy! However, I'd love to see how they filled the inside of the tire...

[iddee]

On the other end of the spectrum...... Almost, not quite, a hundred bees.



http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Iddee/removals/S3600002.jpg

[Veracity]

nice pics, never really saw natural setting.

a little of topic: My 1st experience with bees was in north Africa, Morocco, city of Tiznit. Photographed a beekeeper there.

getting late (work comes early) I will try and post some pics tomorrow.