Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam BEES!!!

JKB - Great idea!

^This!

Varroa mites are a fact of life with bees now. I've had some colonies that were Africanized that did not have as bad of a problem because Africanized bees are more hygenic. Oh, and their stings are no worse than European bees, they just sting you 20:1 to the Europeans. The LD 50 of a bee sting for a normal (non-allergenic) person is 10 stings, or for a 200lb man, 2000 stings. I'd venture to say that you'd never risk that in European colonies, but Africanized could possibly reach that level of response. Most deaths from Africanized honeybees and their hybrids come from heart-attacks from running from them. Not from a lethal dose of stings.

A trivial tidbit: The body's reaction to a beesting is to produce cortisone at the site of the sting. The same thing that the doctor gives arthritic patients. The old-timers were correct, getting stung in an arthritic joint does produce relief from arthritis.

Thanks kjm! As I get older I'm finding that these old-timers certainly were right about a lot of things.

I used to work my European bees wearing jeans and a T shirt. However, when I requeened, I suited up. There's nothing quite so uncomfortable as having a PO'd bee get inside your veil.

Dave if I didn't know you better I would swear that you are trying to get me moderated. Those have got to be two of the easiest set up lines that I've seen written by you.

You're lucky I have a tax appointment in five minutes.

Thanks Jeff.

Only a beekeeper would understand.

My nephew keeps bees in NJ (the garden state ) it really is a fascinating business or hobby, especially when you consider how much of our existence relies on their pollination.
I would like to try it but my wife would need a gross of Epipens.

PS. JHAP has a different view of Queens and Bees.

I was actually thinking about setting up a hive on our property. Amazing insects, great for the various flowers/fruits/plants, and relatively low maintenance. I'll add them to my animal kingdom plans.

I wish I could add them back into my plans. However, they went before I got married. My Wife is allergic to just about every kind of insect bite. My Father died from a bee sting. They weren't my bees.

I only had about 20 colonies which is hobbyist level. Other than the one really viscous hive that I had I probably didn't got stung over once or twice a year. Actually, I did get stung in demos and programs to schools. There, I would pick up a bee and force it to sting me on the hand. Then I would use my pocket knife to show the Kids how to scrape off the stinger. It doesn't really hurt if you're expecting it.

I try to avoid chemicals when possible,so I throw soapy water on em all and thats the DEAD end for em.It really works great.That is,when Im out of dynamite.

haha
I do prefer the Crocodile Dundee Approach.

I heard soapy water works quite well, never tried it. But thought at least an M80 with a long fuse would do the trick. Never tried that either. Another method for ground bees is to just bury them if you have an FEL. They can't dig out. Shotgun approach might work with hives in a tree or something like that, never tried that either, could work if you were a good shot at the right distance.

FYI. The MEK approach was something I was told, never tried it, but I can understand how it works.

I am starting to see more managed hives around. When I was a kid, they were all over, never been stung and I would go right up to one. Last year, yellow jackets were everywhere. And these guys make a home where it suits them. And I would just walk into the middle of them and do my tasks. Bees all around, people thought I was totally NUT'S. I guess I just don't smell like a flower

Only time I was ever stung was by a Wasp. Worked on a produce farm at 12. First couple paychecks went into a new 10 speed bike and all the gadgets from K-Mart. Speedodometer, Generator Lights, etc... I was booking down 14th ave (best kept gravel road around) and it had probably a good 12 ft slope in a quarter mile (it was pretty sandy before you hit the top and took a lot of work) Anyway, I started to apply the brakes to slow down and catch my breath. Luck had it, at that moment that a Wasp was somehow inhaled and took up a few resident seconds on my tong. It was quickly spit out, but none the less. I talked like Fat Albert for a while.

DD1 said:
And you say I'm crazy for playing with snakes.

Ric, when you're expecting it, it's not bad. Try it. I think you'll like it.

Anticipation is half the fun

So I am told

My dad finally got rid of the last two of our hives. Instead of becoming less allergic over the years he has gone the other way. Has to carry an epi-pen now. I tried to get permission from my wife to take them but it wasn't to bee.

Tried Permethrin (and Pyrethrin) and just about all forms of insect and arachnid life seemed to bathe in the stuff like the wife uses shower gel...

Matt, it is not a contact insecticide, but is slow acting so the stuff can be passed on in colony insects. There are some very potent contact products that will knock them off nearly immediately; also, permethrin in strong doses can do the same. you must have some bad a.. bugs. I couldn't sleep at night.

when ever I found ground bee's , I would mark the hole with a stick pointing to it. Best time kill bee's is at night. I would pour a cup of diesel in the hole and put the stick in the hole. Gas do same thing. Bee's breathe through there body , as all insects do.

Careful when you pour gas into the ground! Check this article out. Based on this report and the attempted possum resuscitation us folks in PA aren't making good names for ourselves!

Yeah, i've already marked 2 nests, both in the root system of a massive oak in my front yard. The stick idea is a good one, i just used a little plastic flag, and had to run when doing it cuz the bees, apparently, don't like me messing with their house.

I want to stay away from gas/turpentine etc. I did try putting a sheet of black plastic over the hole and staking it all around, the next night i pulled the sheet off and there were dozens of dead bees underneath, i guess the premise is that they get out of the hole and cook in the heat under the black plastic. Didn't get them all, though, both holes are still active, and i'm sure the queen is still fat and happy inside.

Damn allergies.

Interesting to see everyone's different approaches to this.

Thanks
-Skinny

Thats crazy , just like lighting a brush pile. I always use diesel. One time I used gas and the fumes hug the ground and spread out fast. Light and look out. Gas is nasty stuff. I wonder how much gas he used.

I've heard that one gallon of gas has the same explosive capability of one stick of dynamite.

Speaking of which, where's Tom G.?