Downtown foragers...

Started by Intheswamp, December 30, 2011, 09:37:49 PM

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Intheswamp

December 30, 2011, 09:37:49 PM
The old building that my office is on the south facing end of the block.  My side door opens to the south so it's a nice protected spot in the wintertime...have had watermelons growing there at Christmastime before. :)

Anyhow, all along I've see a few honey bees float along the wall looking for a morsel of something.  Today I poured the dregs out of a can of "Sprite" drink onto the top of a green garbage can sitting beside the building...I had a few bees the rest of the day visiting it.  When they would leave they would go straight up the wall (about 18 feet) and then head to the north...the closest beek that I'm aware of is 6-7 miles away.  We're a small south Alabama town with two  traffic lights so we've gotta do something for entertainment.  :-D

Ed

www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

Country Heart

#1
December 30, 2011, 10:02:45 PM
Nice picture   X:X

b reeves

#2
December 31, 2011, 08:56:07 AM
Ed
is that the picture you took what camera did you use, they are probably in a wall somewhere close, keep feeding them, and keep a swarm trap there, they will be looking for a new home in spring, and know your site very well
Bob

Intheswamp

#3
December 31, 2011, 11:03:37 AM
Thanks, I'm no photography expert but have enjoyed it through the years...with a leanings toward close-up work...if I could just figure out how to convert all these 35mm lenses to adapt to digital. :)

The camera is one I bought specifically for using around the beehives...nothing fancy.  It's an $80 Canon A1200. :)   There's several things about it that I like for what I intend to do with it.  It would be nice to have one of the digital SLRs, but this will work. ;)

Bob, I indeed plan to put up a swarm trap.  The problem is that the city does a lot of mosquito spraying in the downtown area so I would have to be on my toes if I trap a swarm and move it quick, which is doable.

Ed

www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

jaseemtp

#4
January 04, 2012, 09:22:29 AM
I am glad to hear I am not alone in feeding some one elses bees.  I currently do not live where I am keeping the girls.  I had brought alot of my equipment home and noticed a few bees flying around my boxes.  So I decided to put some syrup out and BAM!  the tray was full of bees with in a few hours.   Now I have all of these welfare bees hanging around the back door looking for more syrup.  Ohhh well it is at least fun to watch them even if they are not mine.
"It's better to die upon your feet than to live upon your knees!" Zapata

Intheswamp

#5
January 05, 2012, 09:22:27 PM
They were out today again.  They actually got bit of honey today from my mentors yard (healthy colonies).  I don't get many bees, only 2-3 normally at a time, though I had 4-5 at times today.  They worked fairly late, too, and pretty much cleaned up that dollop of honey in a couple of hours.

Ed
www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

edward

#6
January 06, 2012, 09:19:50 PM
some people watch birds,  ,,, ,,

I think I rather watch :bee: bees  :bee:

Intheswamp

#7
January 07, 2012, 01:21:41 AM
Update from downtown...

Well, I may have to refrain from feeding the bees...seems they can't keep their mouths shut and have been telling all their friends about the Garbage Cafe..."loose lips sink ships" and all that stuff!   There got to a large enough number of bees on the garbage can that I got a little concerned about them being close to the sidewalk (about a foot away).  Thankfully it was a slow foot-traffic day.  My main fear was that someone would complain to the city (city hall is across the street from me) and their hired assassin would come spray the bees.

It's interesting but I only put a dab of honey in one spot and some of the bees were where nothing was put...I guess they detected something there, though!  From 1-2 bees to 3-5 bees to...


Like pigs at the feed trough...


I took lots of pictures today and have been hunting for something....varroa.  So far all the bees I've looked at in the pictures appear free from mites.  They look healthy.  I might have to put a swarm trap downtown this spring. :)
www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

b reeves

#8
January 07, 2012, 08:43:45 AM
I have been thinking about buying a camera to do close up shots, my Iphone does great HD pics but doesnt do close up, and at that price it is in my future
Thanks
Bob
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