Buzz Buzz Buzz

[sildil]

Spouse has developed an interest in bee-keeping and has been attending a series of talks on it (I went to one that he had to miss on 'Bee Health') and was given a book for his birthday last week. He just read me this bit...

'...a good method of carrying a swarm rather than a cardboard box (which can collapse under their weight) cover them with a cloth and then tie up the corners. They are fine being transported by car, but put them on the front seat as the boot may be hot and smell of petrol. Don't worry if one or two escape into the car, they will be more concerned than getting out, than bothering you......'

......

......

NO WAY.

Comments

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

OY! That made my skin crawl just READING it!

No. Way. In. Hell.

[sildil]

Absolutely!!! I have already set certain limits on if and when we have a couple of hives at the bottom of the garden!

[camile-sinensis.livejournal.com]

Beware a man with a Hobby! The Husband professes to be interested in Astronomy, to which end we have a huge bloody telescope in the bedroom. ( 4 feet long, and about 10 inches in diameter, with a tripod stand and a bloody great counter-balance on one end) He's had it for about 5 years now, and has taken out into the garden to look at the stars a grand total of twice.

Naturally, he will not hear of getting rid of it!

[sildil]

Quite! So long as he keeps his bees to himself and I am not expected to do anything with them other than eat the honey, I am happy!

[sphinxofthenile.livejournal.com]

That is scary. o_O

[sildil]

Uhhuh! Extremely, makes me shudder just to think of it!

[marchwarden23.livejournal.com]

WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT DO NOT WANT.

I suggest investing in a lot of insect repellent.

[sildil]

More or less my words exactly!!!! And yes, bulk buy of insect repellent most definitely. They are fine at the bottom of the garden, well away from the house but we are NOT entertaining swarms in the sitting room. The honey is good though...

[silfadion.livejournal.com]

*cringe* You mean people actually have the nerve to drive with a box of bees beside them? >.

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

I've been driven around with a box of bumblebees on my lap. Someone I work with took a box of them on the subway with her...

[sildil]

O_O

.....

WHO DID THAT?!

...And an interesting....vibration?...all that buzzing??

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

They were OK (box was 100% escape-proof), but they all made an angry buzzzzz whenever the car went over a bump or braked sharply. Luckily it was a young bumblebee colony with only about 30 bees in, so much much simpler than a honeybee swarm of 5000!

[silfadion.livejournal.com]

I really do admire you. I think the thought of it scares me greatly and it'd be hard for me even knowing they were in an escape-proof box.

[sildil]

Apparently so!

[teriel.livejournal.com]

ahh the fun of spouses...

[sildil]

Heh heh, indeed! I must say the stuff he's learned (and me when I stood in for him at the talk) is totally fascinating and bees do sound the most amazing creatures...but I do NOT want any in my car if we do get some hives!

Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee!

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

AWESOME!

I'd tend to agree with that in principle, if you're someone who's 100% comfortable around bees. But yes, if you're going to be distracted by having two confused bees flying around the car, that's something of a driving hazard and therefore maybe not ideal.

But swarming bees are very docile and usually too engorged with honey to sting.

As someone who's being constanrly asked about Colony Collapse Disorder (despite it being outside my field), I thoroughly applaud your diligence in attending a bee health lecture! Bee health very important!

I'll stick to bumblebees myself...definitely easier to transport...

Re: Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee!

[sildil]

Yes I think I WOULD be distracted, certainly, but as you say a swarm is pretty docile in fact. Bee health IS very important, you are right, and I learned all about the Varroa mite...I presume you know that one alternative method of treating adult bees (and useful as a variation on the more effective methods) is to dust them with...icing sugar....?

I also learned about Queen failure, Hive Rot or something which sounds DISGUSTING, and all sorts of other interesting things that I duly passed on to spouse.

I am fine with bees actually, though wouldn't be keen on them in a car...but we have a large hebe right by the front door which swarms with them (though not LITERALLY!) in the summer, and apparently those bees all come from the hives kept a road away that we didn't know about.

They are totally fascinating and actually seem incredibly sensitive creatures.

....but STILL not in my car.

Re: Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee Bee!

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

Wow! I didn't know the icing sugar thing (Varroa isn't a problem in commercially reared bumblebees), but that's a good idea - much better than huge amounts of anti-parasitic chemicals, I'm sure!

Bees are indeed impressive, and really smart! :D But yes, I can totally understand you not wanting them in your car!