Word has gotten around that I'm a bee-friendly gal, so I now am getting several swarm calls a week. Most of them I pass along to others who need bees, but if I have time I go take a look. These girls swarmed this morning just a block away from me but their timing was bad. The clouds came over and dropped hail and then a steady rain. I could see some dead bees on the outside of the cluster already; they'd never survive the cold night.
Luckily, there was someone at the bee supply store who wanted them. Two guys came over and we just cut the branch, put it in a box and off they went.
This is a drone on my hand. I picked him up from the grass. Notice how large his eyes are! The better to see flying, virgin queens with. Drones' only purpose in life is to mate. Which might sound enviable, except they get kicked out of the hive in the fall and freeze to death. The girls just make new ones in the spring.
That swarm is HUGE! Nothing like that for at least a couple of weeks up here.
ReplyDeleteWe're right in the thick of it now. I picked up my first swarm of the season two weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteThe photo makes it look large, but it wasn't so very big. About as big as an American football in volume.
Wow, Love that picture of the drone! I have never seen such a great picture.
ReplyDeleteIts been a very cold wet season in Oklahoma, and that has been terrible for all the bees, wild, domestic, etc.,
I just posted pictures of our latest weird hail storm. I need to assess damage on my roof and my garden. Not looking forward to that.
So--could I use your Drone picture in our homeschool stuff? In fact, I will make a deal with you. I will make a coloring sheet, and share it with you. I have some nice photos of worker bees I was going to use, and they would make lovely counter points in visualizing the physiological differences between genders. :)
Sure! That will be neat. Sorry to hear about the hail. Ours wasn't that bad, except not so fun for the unfortunate swarm.
ReplyDeleteThat so awsome! Thanks. I will get right on it. First I will download your picture to my computer. Then I will upload this to a walgreens account, and then print it up as 5X7 and then use that for the drawing. :)I will get the photo printed on Friday with another order, and then give me a few days {weather permitting} if we get more big storms, I may be busy seeking shelter during at any given time. Such is life in Tornado Alley.
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