[Zbee]

Extracted a few frames (yay!) the other week and kept the wet frames in a locked tub inside the house. I was going to place them back on the hive next time I was in but kept forgetting. Got around to it today but had this novel idea to let the bees clean up the tub the frames were setting in by setting it about 20 ft away in the yard.

Now mind you, I did this before w when I extracted and left equipment out for a day without a single bee interested. Ended up having to wash it all out myself.

Today... was nothing like the other week. It was a full blown Royal Rumble with every specie of bee indigenous to this area seeming to get in on the action. I had bumbles, wasps, other honey bees, and varieties I have never seen before all over each other in a knock down drag out to the death fight.

Such a stupid thing to do. Under the safety of night, I removed the tub and washed out the hundred dead bees. I only hope they are not back tomorrow for Round 2 or decide to take the fight to the hives.

 

[NewbeeInNH]

Good to be reminded not to do that, Zbee.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

I'll do the next two things wrong to cover both of us! At least the learning curve is steep! Have a great day!

 

[Pete O]

I screwed up yesterday and caused a similar cloud of bees and yellow jackets; I put a medium box filled with extracted frames, covering it only with an inner cover, on my back porch. Two hours later I had to suit up and light the smoker just to get near the porch! After that I shook off all of the frames and put them into a sealed plastic tub. Even then there were straggler bees buzzing the porch for another couple of hours. Someday I'll learn to never leave the smell of honey outside of the house.

 

[bobbarker]

I usually leave all of my equipment outside my basement door (I do my extracting in the basement) for a day or two, and I have LOTS of company come over to clean up my mess. I've noticed a few bumbles and fewer wasps, but mostly all I see are honey bees (probably mine, as the next nearest hive is about a mile and a half down the road). My house is a quarter mile or so from my nearest hive, and we don't use the side door very often, so it works out well for me. By the time the girls are done, all of my equipment is dry enough to set back into my garage without attracting anything to it.