Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: slacker361 on August 28, 2010, 09:22:28 PM

Title: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: slacker361 on August 28, 2010, 09:22:28 PM
went to check the hive to night to see if a skunk might be eating my guard bees. It was 5 minutes till official sunset, and the bees where coming back home , about 20 every second landing on the bottom board. This did not stop the whole time I was standing down there. There must have been thousands of bees coming back to roost. When I looked at the twilight sky you could see the bees coming out of the sky like snow flakes on a winters day. You guys that have many hives must see this many fold and must be very impressive.
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: Buzzen on August 29, 2010, 01:57:23 AM
That would have been cool to see.
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: Apis_M_Rescue on August 29, 2010, 03:11:21 AM
Sounds like good stock of hard working bees. How early the ladies getting out to forage? Get any pics or video of the evening event?

Cheers, David S
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: Traj on August 29, 2010, 01:46:06 PM
I have had that view quite often.  This is my first year and my hives are on the north end of my yard.  When the sun is low in the sky towards sundown the light hits them just right.  It's almost like watching a busy airport, except exponentially! 

I've tried capturing photos and video, but it never looks quite as impressive.

Traj :)
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: vermmy35 on August 29, 2010, 02:35:38 PM
Twilight is one of my favorite times to watch the bees. :mrgreen:
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: AllenF on August 29, 2010, 08:12:32 PM
Now if you had seen a skunk, what would you have done?
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: slacker361 on August 29, 2010, 08:34:05 PM
I would have defecated in my pants LOL
Title: Re: saw the most amazing thing tonight
Post by: Scadsobees on August 30, 2010, 10:31:55 AM
It is very impressive!  I love standing in front of the hives ( there are 4 in a semi-circle) on an afternoon in the early summer watching the orientation flights, staring into the sky which looks like an insane airport, thousands of bees zooming in and out, barely avoiding eachother, only to come in for a hard landing,  fully loaded with honey and pollen!

Skunks...I think I'd rather face a skunk than soil myself...they're still more afraid of you and will run before confronting.