Tree with teeth...

[sunspot]

The blue boxes are baited with pheromones. They are used for catching swarms to test for African bees. The whole box is gassed when they collect them.

 

[txdon]

Bird, Sunspot is right. The blue box is for a queen to lead her swarm into. I got that info from the bee lab also - I was thinking the same as you.

JerryG, I did not receive the e-mail or call back as they promised, I'll call again tomorrow.

 

[txdon]

Ex-beekeeper here.
They are not worth the effort to hive them. BTDT.

Sunspot, Why is that?

 

[txdon]

I got the e-mail forms for submitting and sending the samples. It says in part,

"In addition, at least 10 - 20 worker bees must be submitted to accurately test whether the colony is Africanized. Bees collected away

from their nest or swarm-- for instance, at feeding or watering sites-- cannot be reliably identified.​

HOW TO SEND A SAMPLE:​

!​

Send bees in a leak proof glass (e.g., mason jar) or plastic jar capable of containing​

approximately ï½½ pint of bees. This volume should be sufficient to accurately identify the
bees.​

!​

Cover the bees with a saturated brine solution. To prepare, add approximately 1 teaspoon of​

table salt per ounce of tap water or until no more salt will dissolve.​

!​

Do NOT freeze the sample or allow it to dry out. Either treatment will cause the specimens​

to become brittle and difficult to dissect. Fifty or more bees may be required for identification."​

Now I'm just waiting for the collector to call and tell me how to collect them.​

 

[Bird]

The way you collect them is veerrrry carefully!

 

[texasjohn]

txdon, OK.. take a deep seat.... your photo is priceless beyond all measure. You are focussing on the wrong woodland creature!

You actually have a photo of an Ent on your property ... [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1] Ents are tree-herders. They have come to look like trees. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]The Ents generally keep to themselves and only look after the trees of the forest. They are slowly dying off since the Ent-wives disappeared many years ago. Y[/SIZE][/FONT]ou MUST list your property with the EPA immediately as being the home of one of these extremely rare creatures.

It may even be Treebeard. If you let members of the Middle-Earth Society know, I am sure that they will come out and confirm... you know, just like bird watchers need an independent observer before you can add a bird to your life-list.

Look carefully and you will see that he unclothed and is striding to the left with left leg forward and right leg trailing. In your haste, your camera clipped the top of his torso off as well as the feet. But the buttocks are clearly visible. It simply MUST be a he because all the Entwives have long since passed away.

From this site: Ancient beyond reckoning, Treebeard the Ent is one of the last of his dwindling kind, the long forgotten tree shepherds of Fangorn Forest who once strode throughout the woods of Middle-earth. A wise and slow to act people.

Further, I think that the case can be made that he is carrying the beehive around on his left hip so he can get a snack when needed... and, you may have solved a perplexing mystery... what do Ents eat

 

[txdon]

Wow texasjohn, it's best not to drive for a couple of hours.
Good story, very creative. I looked back at the photo and I think I can almost see what you see.
I might have to chance another encounter, for the Enquirer, but this time I'll get the entire creature.

 

[texasjohn]

Hmm... sounds like you don't believe in Ents.... I bet you don't believe in Bigfoot either... that's OK... just you wait until the Middle-Earth society finds out about your Ent.... they will make a believer out of you

 

[chh]

Txdon you sound like you don't believe Txjohn. Just wait, when the knock on the door comes and there is a man there that says"Hi, I from the EPA and I'm here to help." you'll be convinced.

Sounds like it is getting a little deep down there in Texas ..But please keep those Africanized bees down there. We don't need up here in OK.

Good luck and be careful in your bee adventure.

 

[txdon]

Quick update: The A&M collector called and explain how to ge a sample with a pole, jar, cold morning, alcohol, (for me or the bees I forget), anyway I guess he could hear my reluctance to mess with the hive in my voice, or the mention of how large the funeral was for my beekeeper friend, and he volunteered to come out within a week to collect the sample. I'll try to get pictures with my 18zoom.

 

[sunspot]

Txdon.
The alcohol is to kill the bees in the jar. I like to use a spray can of starter fluid. It's a quicker kill.
That's also the way to check for bee mites. Put about 4 oz's in a jar. Spray to kill and wet. Shake and swirl the jar. Look for black specks on the glass. No specks? No mites!!

Here is how to transfer a wild hive that you asked about.

Working from a ladder is not easy even under the best conditions on any job.
Prep work has to be done before hand. A queen box and empty frames, also some supers with empty frames. Two or three should do it.
After climbing up on the ladder, you have to carve away the comb that has eggs in them. Orienting the comb the correct way, you need to tie the pieces into the frames then go down the ladder and put the frame in the hive box. Repeat thirty or so times while a cloud of bees surround you. Did I mention you have to tape up all the little openings on your bee suit? Make darn sure you tape up your ankles where the pants meet the shoes. It's difficult jumping and twitching on the ladder when one crawls up your leg and stings you.
Did I mention it's very hot in a bee suit?
Also you have a smoker hanging from your belt and a hive tool in you hand or pocket.
Go for the comb that has the eggs and larvae. If you want the comb honey cut it and put in a separated box same with the empty wax comb.
After everything is done, put the top on the bee box, seal the opening and move your hived bees at least 5 miles away. If any closer they will go back to the old spot.

Now you can hose off the dripped honey from you and your truck. It will be a real mess.

Never again will I do that. BTDT (Been there, done that).

How to hive a swarm.
Have an empty hive with fresh wax foundation on all ten frames.
Position the box under the branch, tree or overhang.
Shake limb or scrape bees so they will fall onto the frames in the box.
They will smell the wax and know they have a home. Wait a few minutes until they crawl down in the box. Put the top on and move them 5 miles away.
It's not too bad to do depending how high up the swarm is.

I once collected a swarm that was on the ground. I just put the hive box on the ground in front of the swarm. Within 5 minutes all the bees turned towards the hive, as if on cue, and walked into the hive box. That was my least effort swarm capture.

 

[txdon]

I'm exhausted just reading your post. Is it profitable or was it just a hobby.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

TxDon, you have stumbled upon something I have nightmares about. Luckily, you weren't on your tractor. I'm not usually a betting man but, I'll put up a quarter that they are africanized.

What will you do if they are africanized?

My game plan (if I encounter) is to try to turn off the tractor by the key and dive into my pond (throwing my cell phone off as I run and slap). Then go drink a bottle of childrens benedryl.

 

[sunspot]

I'm exhausted just reading your post

I'm glad you saw that. Now you see why I say never again?

Is it profitable or was it just a hobby

It was both. I did it on the side. I would harvest about 30-40 gallons a year and a few pounds of wax.

I also worked with a full time small beekeeper (250 colonies) in Jacksonville, FL and the honey from there was Gallberry/Saw Palmetto. I've tried to establish a few colonies in Alabama but they don't last through the winter. They may have been weakened by mites. I may try again as they are proven (by me) to increase crop yields. I've seen first hand from before and after results on groves and gardens.

 

[txdon]

What will you do if they are africanized?

Whatever the professionals recommend.

Sunspot, is there a choice if found africanized?

The hive is remote and not bothering anyone.

I was debating weather to call A&M because of the possibility of the hive being exterminated, on the other hand I don't want this mother hive sending out new africanized queens and her swarms to the surrounding countryside possibly putting people in danger.

I hope they are European and as Jim said and they started inside the tree and just out-grew their home, and the bee that unprovokingly stung me was just having a bad bee day.

I was zooming in taking this picture of the hive as the bee was planting his stinger. As you can tell I have a low tolerance for pain.

 

[WBWI]

Cool photo. Sorry you were stung in the process.

I hope they are european. With the colony collapse disorder hitting so many hives it would be good to see some surviving in the wild. My FIL was a beekeeper in his younger days and I've often wondered what it would take to establish a few hives just to help the species.

 

[sunspot]

What to do if they are Africanized (AHB). Good question. The official standing is they are to be destroyed. On the other hand is a group that says they will take over and get used to it.
It is known that they can't over winter as well as the European bees can and they will only get so far north and no father.
At this time I would probably go with destroying the hive if they are AHB and time will tell after that if they take over.

BTW, I always hated to get stung. Remind me to tell you about the time I got stung 30-40 times. It's a good story.

 

[sunspot]

I've often wondered what it would take to establish a few hives just to help the species.

At a guess, $200-250 with all new gear. About $70-80 per hive from a beekeeper, no supers. The gear might cost $100 and up depending what you buy.
Smoker, gloves, hat and veil. A full suit is not needed. Well, sometimes it is.

 

[jinman]

At a guess, $200-250 with all new gear. About $70-80 per hive from a beekeeper, no supers. The gear might cost $100 and up depending what you buy.
Smoker, gloves, hat and veil. A full suit is not needed. Well, sometimes it is.

I hate to evoke the "L"-word, but has anyone ever heard of a beekeeper having a lawsuit because his bees stung somebody? I love bees and can take a lot of stings without bad reaction, but I'd worry about having bees and somebody or their kids getting into my hive by mistake. Folks just don't know about these things like they used to.

My uncle always used to keep two or three hives. He always had the best fruit in his orchard and the nicest vegetables. So did everyone else within a mile of his house.

txdon: Did you mention how close you were to that hive when you got stung? From the pictures, it looks like you were a little closer than I would feel comfortable with, but that could be the telephoto on your camera making it look that way.

 

[txdon]

Jim, I was about 10 feet away. When that one stung me the buzzing got louder, I think they communicate somehow, and I ran very fast dodging trees and not looking back.

Sunspot, is there anything I can have on my tractor (a can of something) to stop a bee attack, I don't have a cab, too many trees.