Beehives- relating to weather

[drajj5]

I know there is someone who can answer a question that my wife and I have been discussing.

If a hive is found close to the ground or high in a tree..... BTW, every one I found is literally on the ground this year!!!

Which type of weather should winter bring?

I don't know if this quandary is different between region's. I am located in the south east if this makes some sort of difference. Surely someone knows an OLD-Timer who could clarify on this thread......

thanks

 

[oosik]

I will be interested, also, on any answer relating to this condition. I've found that a combination of the weather service long range forecast and old farmers almanac seems to be fairly accurate. BTW - I have found no beehives in my area this year. Not that I go out of my way looking for them.

 

[jlgurr]

Very interesting observation drajj. What kind of beehives are you finding low? Other than yellow jackets we find in the ground all our wasps are still high. Not as many this year though.

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[lockhaven]

the "bee hives" I think that are being questioned are actually hornet nests. The old myths were that the hornets would build high up if a winter with lots of snow is coming and if a mild snow free winter they would build close to the ground. This of course is just total BS since only the queen survives and leaves the nest before freezing weather and hides beneath some sort of cover becoming dormant until the warm weather returns. Same as the yellow jackets that build the paper nests. Just a point to remember if you have lots of yellow jackets put the traps out early spring, thus destroying the queens instead of killing off a few of the workers later on.

 

[KiotiJason]

If it is a bee nest and is sitting very low it could ba a late swarm. When bees swarm they have gorged themselves on honey and will be quite. If you want to try beekeeping it's not hard to transfer the swarm to a hive box but you will need to be quick as the bees will already be looking for a permanent home. The queen will be in the middle of the swarm. If it was me I'd get a hive box with 4 frames. At night go out and gently spray a light mist of water... Very light you just want them to bunch up a little bit. Then you will need to cut or gently break the branch and place the hive and and the swarm together in a location that is pretected from wind and gets early sun. After they settle in put some more frames in and you will need to feed them with sugar syrup to help them get going. Then read, read and read more info on bee keeping. You wil need to get a bee suit etc. it's very rewarding though. I can't help you if it's yellow jackets.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Only bee hives I know of are domestic or feral European honey bees; and they are permanent hives in tree hollows. White-face hornets make the big roundish nests you see in trees or under your house eaves.

 

[drajj5]

lochaven nailed it.... The bee's I was referring to are hornet's. they are the ones that make the neat looking paper gray hives. I typically see them nest about 7-9 feet from the ground. This year however, I have found three of these nest that were tucked close to the ground.

I believe differently than lockhaven though, I think that there are "factors in the placement of nest(s)". Signs that old timers used to determine weather/climate change etc. Most if this may be fiction but I think that If you watch nature close, some of its secrets will be revealed.

So..... In regards to Lockhaven's point; is it the consensus that if they nest high(bad winter) and low( good winter). If this is the case my wife won the argument.

 

[MossRoad]

If anything, I've always taken the animals and insects actions an indicator of what kind of winter we HAD, not what kind of winter is comming.

If there's lots of insects, that means they survived and had an abundant food source.
If there's lots of rabbits, same thing.
Height of hornets nest? I see them all over the place, high, low, etc... I think that one's just wherever they decided to hang it.

 

[CalG]

STOP CALLING HORNETS BEES!

THEY ARE NOT BEES!

and yes, I was yelling.

Just don't give bees a bad rap, it pisses me off!

What if " they" called "us" baboons? Kinda look the same after all?
;-)

 

[OldMcDonald]

+1 for both MossRoad and CalG.