| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| MARY |
Have a look where my bees are...... sooo fantastic!Have a look where my bees are......http://www.flickr.com/photos/esneri/ They have been there a year now, sent off 4 fair sized swarms in one day back in June. My workshop has such a lovely gentle honey and wax scent. Mary |
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| Jamanda |
Cool pictures!
Welcome to the site Mary. |
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| Tavascarow |
Wow!
Very rare to see them exposed in the UK. In warmer drier climates they will do this but our climate tends to be too wet & they move to a hollow tree or similar. I would be tempted to move them to a hive but a natural nest like that is certainly a thing of beauty. Welcome from me too. 
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| judith |
Fantastic pictures. I bet you waste an awful lot of time watching them! | ||
| sally_in_wales |
Amazing pictures, I've never seen an exposed colony like that stay in good shape over a winter, they must be really happy there 
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
Wow - that is incredible 
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| Gervase |
Fabulous pictures. | ||
| MARY |
[quote="Tavascarow"]Wow!
Very rare to see them exposed in the UK. In warmer drier climates they will do this but our climate tends to be too wet & they move to a hollow tree or similar. I would be tempted to move them to a hive but a natural nest like that is certainly a thing of beauty. Welcome from me too. Thanks for the welcome folks. Yes I do spend a lot of time watching, with magnifyers and a small torch at night, rather than working! The architecture seems so random but comes together building both strength and protection. Absolutely facinating. It is a very large and strong colony at the moment. What was incredible was that they survived last winter. I nearly went up to get the honey comb, so glad I didn't! I may try for one small piece of comb? Or do you think I may disturb them? I don't want to loose them. |
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| Ageing Hippy |
There`s an article in the current Permaculture Magazine about 'Sustainable Beekeeping'. There`s a picture just like that captioned 'Natural Combs'.
Fascinating. |
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| Mary-Jane |
Gosh - what amazing pics!
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| Mrs Baggins |
WOW Mary! Those pics are to die for! You lucky thing!  So lovely to see you just left them to it instead of stuffing them in a hive! They look wonderful there!
Do you ever open the window in your study??
Very, very cool. Welcome to the site too! |
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| MARY |
<Those pics are to die for! > I know!! Yep I am VERY lucky!
< So lovely to see you just left them to it instead of stuffing them in a hive! > Thanks - That's what I think and I've learned a bit. <Do you ever open the window in your study?? > I'm thinking about it, it's a sash window so I will have to screw the top one in place first!?: |
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| vegplot |
Never a waste of time 
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| Effie |
They are amazing pictures. How fascinating to be able to watch them like that on a daily basis. | ||
| vegplot |
This demands a web cam. | ||
| nettie |
I can't really add to the comments above, but ....wow!!! I hope they stick around.
Oh, and welcome!!
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| Tavascarow |
I would be very careful trying to take any comb from them!
In a hive it's relatively easy to remove a frame or two without disturbing the rest of the bees but on an open colony like yours you have no way of covering them & you may have a mass attack. Also you might risk weakening the main combs & cause them to dislodge which would be a disaster. My advice would be to site an empty brood box or TBH near them, baited with some old comb & lemon grass & next year when they swarm you may be lucky enough to capture them & manage them for a crop of honey. |
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| hedgehogpie |
I agree! Such natural behaviour is rare enough these days to warrant being filmed, it would be fascinating and informative. You should send a few pics to the Beeb's natural history unit & see if you can get them interested: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/feedback/tvradio.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/ |