A nest of honeybees. This group of honeybees, according to the experts who came out at my request, left the home hive as it was becoming too crowded, and a new queen brought her bees with her and this was their first stop — a branch of my spruce tree. I would guess there were several thousand bees there as it is a buzzing, living mass of honeybees. Minutes before the experts got here, the group of bees took off and where they went nobody knows. This breaking away from the original hive is how honeybees multiply and grow larger in numbers. I am thankful the old hive is still in the hole in the tree that I call the "honey hole," and I am glad these are off somewhere making their new hive which will mean more blossoms will produce fruit this summer.
Glad no one got stung, except perhaps that one crackle, the strange noise he made, it must have stung him.
ReplyDeleteThe sounds they made seemed to be like a warning to me so I tried to stay back and away from them.
DeleteWow that is a very big nest there, there must be thousands of them. I am wondering something by some chance when winter comes do the bees go into hibernation or are they still buzzing around?
ReplyDeleteThey hibernate and live off of the honey they stored in their hives. This break away group has to move and find a suitable place to build their new hive because they have to find flowers in bloom and collect the nectar and convert it into honey and store it in combs so they too can live off of their honey. I was told that all old hives soon become crowded and that a group will choose a new queen and that group will buzz off and start a new colony -- which is what I had in my tree. Right after the photos were taken, by daughter yelled, "They're gone! I just turned around and looked back and they were gone."
DeleteOh my goodness ! I would not like to have the same in one of my trees.
ReplyDeleteOn summer a lot come in my lavander.