last week i was on the back side of our farm looking for a boundary stake. one corner of our place drops off a bluff down to a big creek and this is where i thought the stake might be. it's about 200 ft. down this bluff through a laurel thicket to the creek. i was sliding down through this thicket and about half way down i started to hear bees.i wasn't sure where or what kind of bees i was hearing so i stopped on this little outcrop of rocks. there was a sweet gum growing out of it and when i leaned up against it, it was almost like it was vibrating. the tree turned out to be hollow and about four foot above my head was an opening. man, honeybees were boiling in and out of there by the hundreds. i sat and watched them for about thirty minutes. they seemed to be working a sourwood a little ways down the creek. I've seen plenty of swarms in old buildings and barns but i haven't seen a living, working hive out in the woods in years.it's probably not a big deal to most folks, but it made my day. a guy at work told me i should cut them out, but i think I'll just let them be.
p.s. i never did find that boundary stake.
That is so awsome! I wish I could be that lucky, oh wait, I only have 2 acres!! When I was a kid, there was a red-shouldered hawk's nest in my woods. I just love those kind of things. Tonight, I saw a doe nursing her fawn. It made my whole day. I like that you said that you'll just leave them be; it can be your secret spot for peaceful escapes!
You can always list it here.
http://www.savethehives.com/
It will help with the study.
Wonderful! It feels great to think about those survivor bee genetics out there.
Its nice to just leave them alone to do their thing. Its different with a cutout in someone's home or catching a swarm but they are happy living in nature so I would just let them be.
Set up two or three swarm bait-hives along the bluff's edge, at 50ft intervals. You might get those genetics for your apiary -- and keep catching survivor swarms!!
Great idea! It's what I hope to do next year for another bluff-dwelling, really old hive on my husband's cousin's land.