What is a Swarm of Bees and What Should I Do About It?

February 13, 2017

...ggressive at least here in Southern California. You can’t tell Africanized bees from European bees without a DNA test and I’ll note that there are plenty of aggressive European colonies too. But please don’t let anyone panic about the swarm on your tree because they are “African.” They don’t know what they’re talking about. Help, I’ve got a swarm of bees and I’m calling Root Simple! Here’s what I will and will not do. If a swarm lands in an easily...

Read…

What is and is not a “Swarm” of Bees

Mr. Homegrown

March 26, 2018

Animals, Bees

...sects are honeybees (Apis mellifera). There are also wasps, hornets, bumblebees and 4,000 species of native bees in the United States alone. These are often mistaken for honeybees, but their habits are very different. Collectively the evolutionary family tree that includes these insects are known as Hymenoptera. The 150,000 known Hymenoptera have a beneficial roll to play in the web of life. In addition to gathering pollen and nectar many Hymenopt...

Read…

How to Remove Bees From a Tree

Mr. Homegrown

November 13, 2017

Animals, Bees

3 Comments

...io. I knew that the job wouldn’t’ be too difficult. Here’s how I moved the bees from her tree to my apiary: 1. First I told her that when I was done removing the bees she needed to contact a certified arborist. A cavity is often a sign of a disease that could suddenly and unexpectedly cause a huge limb to break off. 2. Back in my workshop I made a simple one-way exit cone out of 1/8 inch hardware cloth. 3. I called up my beekeeping friends Max and...

Read…

The Best Way to Get Bees For Free

Mr. Homegrown

April 12, 2016

Animals, Bees

5 Comments

...buy or make swarm boxes. Natural beekeeper Michael Bush has estimated that bees show up in around 10% of the swarm boxes he sets up. He also suggests hanging them up around 10 feet high for best results. I like swarm boxes that hold frames so that you can transfer the bees easily to your hive boxes without having to do a cutout. And guess what? A bee swarm box and a birdhouse are pretty much the same thing. So get friendly with birdhouse enthusias...

Read…

Tell the Bees

Mr. Homegrown

February 9, 2009

Animals, Bees

5 Comments

...untrue. The wild bees in Los Angeles are flourishing. I have not purchased bees for four years now but catch wild bees here in Los Angeles. This makes a good supply of healthy bees that have not been treated with chemicals. Healthy bees. I realized that the mites are in the environment now they aren’t going away. You need bees that can live with mites — survive with the mites.” For more information on keeping bees in Los Angeles, see Anderson’s we...

Read…