Something kind of funny

dgc1961 · August 04, 2009, 10:24:00 AM

This weekend my daughter had a softball game. About 1/4 of a mile before the ball fields, I noticed that somebody had 5 hives in there yard. Well, about 10 a.m., here come the bees. The trash cans were totally full of bees. I am talking hundreds and hundreds of them. Everybody was leaving there cans of soda around and there were fill up with bees. People were running around trying to get rid of the bees.

There were so many bees there that they actually thought of cancelling the games. There was that may of them. Maybe there were a few thousand around.

I know that the bees were after the soda because of the dearth that was going on. But it is funny to see peoples reaction to them.

Natalie · August 04, 2009, 10:50:16 AM

Even though I keep bees something like that is still annoying.
I have been stung just walking out to my chicken coop when there is a dearth or been harassed doing some other type of thing in my yard.
We had to leave a park last summer due to the amount of yellow jackets bothering us and everyone else.
You could not even eat your lunch at a picnic table, they were landing on your food, I got stung on the hand, a young boy got stung on the eye just climbing a jungle gym.
No one was bothering them but they were aggressivley stinging people.
Thousands of bees at a ballgame for young kids is no fun.

riverrat · August 04, 2009, 11:22:40 AM

I agree it would be a humorous situation I for sure would have got a good laugh ou of it But unfortunately most people who dont know or understand bees would see it different. I had an offer at one time to put bees on alfalfa right across from the high school baseball and football field here in our little town of 1000. The alfalfa is always allowed to go to full bloom. however tempting it was to put them there. There was just no way to avoid what you saw happen at your ballfield. With the close proximity to the fields I knew it would be bad pr for me as a keep to put them there.

BeeHopper · August 04, 2009, 11:50:07 AM

Quote from: riverrat on August 04, 2009, 11:22:40 AM
I or any good keep would have got a good laugh out of it but most people who dont know bees would see it different. I had an offer at one time to put bees on alfalfa right across from the high school baseball and football field here in our little town of 1000. The alfalfa is always allowed to go to full bloom. however tempting it was to put them there. There was just no way to avoid what you saw happen at your ballfield. With the close proximity to the fields I knew it would be bad pr for me as a keep to put them there.

I am quite disappointed in reading this, the hell with the ignorant masses around you, go out there and set up your hives, otherwise the feral bees will enjoy the alfalfa. You just cannot live in fear of ignorant sue happy insect fearing people. It is the responsibility of every BEEKEEPER to educate the public on the benefits of the honeybee, if we continue to hide, then eventually the ignorant masses will win, soon beekeeping will end up on the banned list with firearms, airfields, race tracks, conservatism, etc. Please don't back down :)

BH

riverrat · August 04, 2009, 12:13:43 PM

Quote from: BeeHopper on August 04, 2009, 11:50:07 AM
Quote from: riverrat on August 04, 2009, 11:22:40 AM
I or any good keep would have got a good laugh out of it but most people who don't know bees would see it different. I had an offer at one time to put bees on alfalfa right across from the high school baseball and football field here in our little town of 1000. The alfalfa is always allowed to go to full bloom. however tempting it was to put them there. There was just no way to avoid what you saw happen at your ballfield. With the close proximity to the fields I knew it would be bad pr for me as a keep to put them there.

I am quite disappointed in reading this, the hell with the ignorant masses around you, go out there and set up your hives, otherwise the feral bees will enjoy the alfalfa. You just cannot live in fear of ignorant sue happy insect fearing people. It is the responsibility of every BEEKEEPER to educate the public on the benefits of the honeybee, if we continue to hide, then eventually the ignorant masses will win, soon beekeeping will end up on the banned list with firearms, airfields, race tracks, conservatism, etc. Please don't back down :)

BH

Sorry to here you disagree I hope we can agree to disagreee. I live in a small town where there is not any beekeeps and no laws against keeping them in town most people in town are on my side when it comes to my bees. If I put hives over there and interupted there ball games it would not be a good way to start educating people on bees after all a good number of the people are from visiting out of town teams. which would reflect on the town as a whole not just a beekeep trying to make honey. Such disregard for your fellow neighbor could turn the tables and end up biting you. Sometimes you got to be a good neighbor. If I went about my business and didn't keep peoples thoughts in mind it would more than likely lead to no support and ordinances in town that will keep me from having bees in town. Dad always said swatting a hornets nest or blowing in a dogs face usually only invites misery on ones self.

Bee-Bop · August 04, 2009, 12:23:10 PM

I'd bet they were yellow jackets !
Any one actually catch one and examine it ? [ knowing what they were looking for ]

Bee-Bop

iddee · August 04, 2009, 02:23:16 PM

I agree with the rat. Good PR is more important than a few pounds of honey any day.

RR, add to the dog and hornets, "carrying a cat by it's tail". :shock:

BeeHopper · August 04, 2009, 07:00:04 PM

Quote from: riverrat on August 04, 2009, 12:13:43 PM
Quote from: BeeHopper on August 04, 2009, 11:50:07 AM
Quote from: riverrat on August 04, 2009, 11:22:40 AM
I or any good keep would have got a good laugh out of it but most people who don't know bees would see it different. I had an offer at one time to put bees on alfalfa right across from the high school baseball and football field here in our little town of 1000. The alfalfa is always allowed to go to full bloom. however tempting it was to put them there. There was just no way to avoid what you saw happen at your ballfield. With the close proximity to the fields I knew it would be bad pr for me as a keep to put them there.

I am quite disappointed in reading this, the hell with the ignorant masses around you, go out there and set up your hives, otherwise the feral bees will enjoy the alfalfa. You just cannot live in fear of ignorant sue happy insect fearing people. It is the responsibility of every BEEKEEPER to educate the public on the benefits of the honeybee, if we continue to hide, then eventually the ignorant masses will win, soon beekeeping will end up on the banned list with firearms, airfields, race tracks, conservatism, etc. Please don't back down :)

BH

Sorry to here you disagree I hope we can agree to disagreee. I live in a small town where there is not any beekeeps and no laws against keeping them in town most people in town are on my side when it comes to my bees. If I put hives over there and interupted there ball games it would not be a good way to start educating people on bees after all a good number of the people are from visiting out of town teams. which would reflect on the town as a whole not just a beekeep trying to make honey. Such disregard for your fellow neighbor could turn the tables and end up biting you. Sometimes you got to be a good neighbor. If I went about my business and didn't keep peoples thoughts in mind it would more than likely lead to no support and ordinances in town that will keep me from having bees in town. Dad always said swatting a hornets nest or blowing in a dogs face usually only invites misery on ones self.

Whether you keep your bees next to a ballpark or 3 miles away, they will travel for a nectar source, whether it be alfalfa or soda cans., so I do not buy the argument that it will create bad PR against beekeepers, now if your hives are in plain sight of the ball park then some folks will put the blame on you, that's human nature and they're idiots for it. There will always be people out there that will complain about anything.

Hope you have a great season :)

BH

Grandma_DOG · August 04, 2009, 09:57:03 PM

I for one, would love to have Coke flavored honey. Even better Mountain Dew creamed honey.

I like the idea of using soda during dearth, i should try it.

asprince · August 04, 2009, 10:04:35 PM

Quote from: Grandma_DOG on August 04, 2009, 09:57:03 PM
I for one, would love to have Coke flavored honey. Even better Mountain Dew creamed honey.

I like the idea of using soda during dearth, i should try it.

Diet Coke or Mountain Dew = sugar free honey! :lau:

Steve

Rebel Rose Apiary · August 05, 2009, 07:17:17 PM

I have to agree with putting the hives in the far side of the alfalfa field.....bees are going to be bees reguardless of who puts them in an alfalfa field full of bloom. They are going to be attracted to the flowers anyways, so why not take advantage of the free feed?

If they could be placed on the FAR SIDE of the field, the beekeeper would not be creating a problem as far as the public was concerned. The length of the field would be a 'buffer zone' to keep the bees close to the hives. They would have to be removed before the end of the bloom on the alfalfa though, to keep them from ranging towards the ball field, etc.

There is a lot of commercial pollenators in my veggie farm area. They drop off pallets of hives right next to rural homes and farms without one thought about it. So far, there has not been any problems with the hives being placed close to the public. The hives are removed before the end of the bloom and moved on before they create a problem in their search for nectar and pollen.

I get a lot of people stopping in at my farm and asking about my hives/bees/ They can be seen from the highway and I try to answer the questions that they ask. To me that is the perfect time for bee related pr. Seeing the hives creates an interest and that is the open door that we need to start educating people about our wonderful girls!

Brenda