Tree with teeth...

[sunspot]

txdon
I know of no repellents for bees. Put your tractor in high gear or run for it.

The bees do communicate an alarm. When one stings it releases another darn pheromone and then a bunch come after you.
There is a product called Bee-Go that is used to drive the bees down in the hive for harvesting. It stinks really bad. My wife doesn't want me in the house after I've used it.

Ten feet is not too close for a picture. Something is causing them to be on alert. Could be anything. Have the Maple Trees started blooming in your area? That's usually the first nectar in the spring for them. Too bad they use it all building up the population. I've tasted Maple nectar that was collected in a hive. Very nice stuff.

jinman.
The L word is a difficult question. In a suburban area, it could be a problem. Most kids know that bees can sting. I always told the kids in my area about the bees and brought them close so they could see the bees coming and going. I explained to them about the guard bees at the hive entrance and pointed out the bees that were carrying in pollen. Most of them were very interested and none of then were ever a problem.

Rambleings

Royal Jelly tastes really bad, pollen is like eating sawdust and propyllis (sp?) tastes like nasty sap and yet some beekeepers make money from it. It's a good thing the honey is nice.

Here is a picture of a swarm that hived in my stored bee equipment. They too died in the winter.



The comb is sitting on a hive cover. Click to enlarge. That is an AAA flashlight (My other addiction) for size comparison.

I'm glad to contribute to this TBN thread. It's the first time a subject came up that I know something about. I'm new to tractor stuff and you all have been great putting up with me on all my questions in the other forums.

WBWI
I'll look up some good equipment suppliers for you. Every company I've dealt with in the past are quite honest. I've found most beekeepers are like that.

 

[TBDonnelly]

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.

Please fabricate a camera mount on the backside of your hat so we can see pictures as you're exiting the vicinity.
I can visualize your facial expressions to be something like ->

Don

 

[txdon]

txdon
Ten feet is not too close for a picture. Something is causing them to be on alert. Could be anything. Have the Maple Trees started blooming in your area?

The wild plum trees are in bloom.
Since the hive was in the shadow of the tree I used a forced flash....do they not like the flash?
I also noticed a youpon branch rubbing the side of the hive when the wind blew.

TBDonnelly, I'll work on that mount!

 

[pennwalk]

A friend of mine who used to keep bees told me that if bees get after you they have a harder time tracking you if you run through thick brush. Fortunately I have never had to try it out. I do know that heading out across the lake in a boat doesn't work cause I saw a guy try it.

Chris

 

[txdon]

pennwalk, after the bee sting and hearing "THE BUZZ" of the others I was serpentining through the brush like crazy, after a bit, the bushwacking hurt more than the sting.

Exactly how fast do you have to run to out run a bee??

Kyle, jumping in water is not recommended according to the information Texas A&M University sent me. Read #6 in the Bee Safe Quick Guide about half way down the page. Since Africanized bees have bee found in over 50% of the counties in Texas the entire state is considerd Africanized.

Honeybees

Also interesting information on the site:

AFRICANIZED BEES will

Respond quickly to disturbances by people and animals 50 feet or more from the nest.

Sense vibrations from power equipment 100 feet or more from the nest.

Will chase an enemy up to a ¼ mile or more.


Q. Is there any recommended protection that one should carry on a tractor while mowing?
A. See Safety Precautions. You should wear long sleeves, maybe carry a blanket or a sheet for quick cover, and an aerosol can with pyrethrin for a quick knockdown of flying bees. Of course, hats and veils would protect the most vital parts.

 

[pennwalk]

Geezze it ain't safe to go outside anymore. Does anyone make a virtual tractor for the computer? Then all you would have to worry about is your wife finding you and telling you to get buzzy with the honeydo list.

Chris

 

[JazzDad]

Re: "I was serpentining through the brush"

Don, they weren't shooting at you too? Man, those killer bees are bad!

 

[txdon]

Re: "I was serpentining through the brush"

Don, they weren't shooting at you too? Man, those killer bees are bad!

One killer had already located me and he was yelling at the others "here he is, get him" That bee impaled me and died. As I turned to run the Buzz got really loud.
I first learned about serpentining from a movie and it worked there so I thought I'd give it a go. It worked. That's the last time I saw the 10,000 killer bees.

 

[jinman]

One killer had already located me and he was yelling at the others "here he is, get him" That bee impaled me and died. As I turned to run the Buzz got really loud.

Don, the more I read your responses, the more I think you are very lucky to not at least be recounting this experience from the hospital. I think you "dodged a bullet" and you are very wise to continue this with great caution. Be safe bud...

 

[WarrenF]

Quite frankly I have enjoyed this thread immensly. I am sorry for the perdicament you found yourself in...Don. However some of the comments have made me laugh right out loud. Don, I hope you have seen the humor in the comments and have been able to laugh at yourself.

 

[RobS]

I saw this thread the other day but just now got all caught up. Good luck Don, keep the pictures coming and by all means, if those things are AHBs, keep them down there away from our snow!

 

[Bird]

Warren, Don definitely provided some good pictures, but what I'd really like to have seen would be a video of that serpentine escape.

 

[RobS]

The more I think about this, if you sent them a good, high resolution picture they should be able to to the wing measurements from that. There are all sorts of good optical measurement packages out there. I suppose, like most government, they are a bit behind in technology.

 

[WarrenF]

Warren, Don definitely provided some good pictures, but what I'd really like to have seen would be a video of that serpentine escape.

Now that is funny!!! I don't care who you are.

 

[txdon]

Yep Warren, Its been fun (except for the sting) and educational, so far.

Educational notes: 1. The AHBs can fly 20 MPH.
2. If you jump in the water to escape attacking AHBs
they will wait for you to surface and get you.

RobS, don't worry they freeze easy. A picture measurement would also have to have a measurement devise at exactly the right place. When I spoke with the A&M bee dissector she said they first project the left wing from 10 bees on the wall and get a measurement, then they take 25 different measurement from different parts of the bees. Parts not seen by the camera.
The AHB is actually SMALLER than the European honey bee, but just ever so slightly, you cannot see it with the naked eye.

Bird can a movie be uploaded to TBN? My camera does have a movie feature.

 

[MossRoad]

Bird can a movie be uploaded to TBN? My camera does have a movie feature.

Nope. But you could load it to you-tube and post a link here.

 

[txdon]

Thanks MossRoad, that's what I thought.

Here is an interesting link that shows where the AHBs are in the Southern United States and their progression:
Honey Bee Research : Africanized Honey Bees

It looks like this is the 8th year AHBs have been in my county.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'm still betting they are Africanized.

But if not, Do you think they can survive very well being exposed like that? I'd like to see them transferred to a manmade hive if not Africanized.

My buddy south of Victoria has had numerous run ins with bees. Last year he had his final straw when they would start stinging whomever was trying to mow or ride around on any motor powered device. The bees were in an old tree and he for a while, didn't want to have to destroy them. He ended up using his cab tractor with a sprayer rigged on the end of his bale spear to spray the nest. His neighbors and the area have had numerous run ins and one death attributed to Africanized bees.

 

[jinman]

Here is an interesting link that shows where the AHBs are in the Southern United States and their progression:
Honey Bee Research : Africanized Honey Bees

It looks like this is the 8th year AHBs have been in my county.

That map is a little suspicious, Don. The counties in TX just south of the Red River show no siteings of AHBs, but all the counties in OK just north of the river show siteings. What's up with that? Does that mean they aren't here, or nobody who sees them lives to tell about it?

I did take note of this interesting paragraph from the article on AHBs. It seems to relate to the location of your hive.

The AHB is far less selective about what it calls home. The AHB will occupy a much smaller space than the EHB. Known AHB nesting locations include water meter boxes, metal utility poles, cement blocks, junk piles, and house eaves. Other potential nesting sites include overturned flower pots, old tires, mobile home skirts, and abandoned structures. Holes in the ground and tree limbs, mail boxes, even an empty soda pop, can could be viewed as "home" to the AHB. ​

 

[EddieWalker]

Don,

Great thread and very educational. I don't have anything to offer, just wanted to thank you for posting all the information that you are learning and sharing it with us. From the map, my county is AHB free, but they are South and West of me.

There is a funny line that I've noticed when traveling where the trees change and it goes from scrubby countryside, to thick pine trees. Without knowing any better, I wonder if that has anything to do with why they are where they are.

Eddie