Anyone know anything about bee's

Coming down my driveway today, there was a black cloud of bee's around the dogwood tree. 
 
I can see a clump of them about the size a basketball on a branch.  I dont know what kind they are, but they look like black and yellow hornets to me.
 
Are these things just "passing through" ?  Or should I be worried about them making a nest?

Sounds to me like they are looking for a spot to build a nest....not good.... We have white faced hornets up here...they are vicious....

They are most likely a swarm of European Honey bees..You are too far north for the Africanized/Euro bee to survive (aka Killer Bees)...The leading Queen is at the center of attention in the large glob hanging on a branch...This is their bivouac for the time being, while scouts are out looking for a hollow tree or an attic to set up a new hive in...This Queen is very young and a sister of the former hive's Queen and since only ONE Queen can rule the roost, the young one gets sent away with her compliment of workers and drones....Leave them bee, they won't bother anyone while they are in swarm mode...

Thanks for the info.  I got a few pic's of them I'll post later.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hummergirl4

Sounds to me like they are looking for a spot to build a nest....not good.... We have white faced hornets up here...they are vicious....

 
I had to deal with those white faced son-of-a-bitches last year.  PITA

Ok, I got a number for a local bee collector who had lost most of his hives through winter.
 
He jumped at the chance to collect them.   It's wild how they do it.  They brushed them into a bucket and dumped them into a make shift hive.  They left it here for tonight and will get it in the morning.
 

 

 

 

That is so refreshing to see that the bee population is strong out East..West of the Mississippi, the bees have mysteriously begun to disappear..not die off, just whole hives are disappearing..the science is still out on the cause...The Honey I get is from a friend of mine who has 30 to 40 active hives, I bet we go through a quart of honey a month at my house....They are all the Africanized Honey bee, no way around it out West here anymore..they are bit more aggressive, but funny enough,  once they learn you mean them no harm and regularly check up on them, the get use to you and stay calm...The big plus with African bees, is that their Honey is very tasty and has a strong wild flower flavor that is like nothing else you've ever tasted...very much sought after and relished amongst the locals here...It's is our local remedy for allergies too.

And  I thought my job stunk at times.. lol
 
 

Yikes!!!
 
I hate ANYTHING that Flys & Stings!!!!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

That is so refreshing to see that the bee population is strong out East..West of the Mississippi, the bees have mysteriously begun to disappear..not die off, just whole hives are disappearing..the science is still out on the cause...The Honey I get is from a friend of mine who has 30 to 40 active hives, I bet we go through a quart of honey a month at my house....They are all the Africanized Honey bee, no way around it out West here anymore..they are bit more aggressive, but funny enough,  once they learn you mean them no harm and regularly check up on them, the get use to you and stay calm...The big plus with African bees, is that their Honey is very tasty and has a strong wild flower flavor that is like nothing else you've ever tasted...very much sought after and relished amongst the locals here...It's is our local remedy for allergies too.

 
I just read that some people are saying cell phones are to blame for their low numbers

quote:

ORIGINAL: blackstangs281
Anyone know anything about bee's

Yeah, they suck. Glad I could help

quote:

ORIGINAL: blackstangs281

I just read that some people are saying cell phones are to blame for their low numbers

 
i'm sure that's true.  the wavelength for the original cellular band was about 13", and the new PCS about half that.  so a honey bee falls into a fraction of a wavelength, and as they fly en masse in front of the cell phone tower their little bodies become resonant at 850 Mhz and they shatter into millions of tiny little pieces.  the cell phone companies are out to steal our souls, and they're just practicing on the bees to get the process written down and approved by the soul gathering committee.  i've seen it, i know it's true . . . . . . .

I had a swarm like that in my shed last year......some gasoline in a squirt bottle and a match took care of it....them little bastages fly quick when their on fire.

Unless the agriculteral industry figures out a way to artificially pollenate their crops...Without the little honey bee, we are doomed as a civilization...that's a no bullshitter either.

quote:

ORIGINAL: blackstangs281

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hummergirl4

Sounds to me like they are looking for a spot to build a nest....not good.... We have white faced hornets up here...they are vicious....

I had to deal with those white faced son-of-a-bitches last year.  PITA

 
I'd never seen them until I moved up North... they are awful...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

Unless the agriculteral industry figures out a way to artificially pollenate their crops...Without the little honey bee, we are doomed as a civilization...that's a no bullshitter either.

 
Ain't that the truth.... I've actually been tossing around the idea of getting some bees... we have a hollow tree in the ravine that runs thru our property and there are some bees living in that.. it's neat to watch them... so busy...

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller

I had a swarm like that in my shed last year......some gasoline in a squirt bottle and a match took care of it....them little bastages fly quick when their on fire.

 
Ahhhh.... gasoline and a match.... two of my favorite toys   





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Go for it Kat..Beekeeping is so rewarding

I have no problem with bees....as long as they are on someone elses property...my rule is...if it goes bzzzz I kill it. I got so many damn bug zappers in my back yard that a plane flying overhead could see the blue glow

quote:

ORIGINAL: blackstangs281

Ok, I got a number for a local bee collector who had lost most of his hives through winter.
 
He jumped at the chance to collect them.   It's wild how they do it.  They brushed them into a bucket and dumped them into a make shift hive.  They left it here for tonight and will get it in the morning.
 

That is so cool! I'm so glad you called someone to come get them and didn't kill them!

quote:

ORIGINAL: blackstangs281

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

That is so refreshing to see that the bee population is strong out East..West of the Mississippi, the bees have mysteriously begun to disappear..not die off, just whole hives are disappearing..the science is still out on the cause...The Honey I get is from a friend of mine who has 30 to 40 active hives, I bet we go through a quart of honey a month at my house....They are all the Africanized Honey bee, no way around it out West here anymore..they are bit more aggressive, but funny enough,  once they learn you mean them no harm and regularly check up on them, the get use to you and stay calm...The big plus with African bees, is that their Honey is very tasty and has a strong wild flower flavor that is like nothing else you've ever tasted...very much sought after and relished amongst the locals here...It's is our local remedy for allergies too.

I just read that some people are saying cell phones are to blame for their low numbers

 
I thought that was Butterflys??????????

A couple of weeks ago, there was a nutty idea discussed in The Independent that claimed the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones was causing bees to become disoriented, preventing them from returning to the hive. The flimsy cell phone argument was used to explain Colony Collapse Disorder. Today the LA Times reports that researchers at UC San Francisco have uncovered what they believe to be the real culprit: a parasitic fungus. Other researchers said Wednesday that they too had found the fungus, a single-celled parasite called Nosema ceranae, in affected hives from around the country.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

A couple of weeks ago, there was a nutty idea discussed in The Independent that claimed the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones was causing bees to become disoriented, preventing them from returning to the hive. The flimsy cell phone argument was used to explain Colony Collapse Disorder. Today the LA Times reports that researchers at UC San Francisco have uncovered what they believe to be the real culprit: a parasitic fungus. Other researchers said Wednesday that they too had found the fungus, a single-celled parasite called Nosema ceranae, in affected hives from around the country.

 
 
AHHA!!!! Bastard EnViRoNmEnTaLiStS(wow long word) blaming our Cell's!!! LOOSERS!!
 
Think I'll make some CALLS!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

Go for it Kat..Beekeeping is so rewarding

 
I've got some friends who are into it and they really enjoy it. Also if you eat honey from local bees it helps with allergies...and honey is good on pretty much everything....and we really do need to help keep the bees around....

So true about the allergies as I mention earlier..Also it is a pefect anticeptic for cuts and burns...Burn victims are found to survive 3rd degree burns without major infections, if their open burns are coverd with honey as soon as possible after the burn.