We had a swarm of honey bees fly through the garden, orchard, pasture (where our mules were grazing) and chicken pens (with 18 hens). We were not concerned and they headed south. The noise was a treat and we know to stay calm and stand still as they whizzed by.
Swarming occurs when a colony has outgrown its current hive and is preparing to separate into 2 or more new, smaller hives. When bees swarm looking for a new place to call home, they are usually at their calmest. When they get tired or at the end of a long day, they will often rest in a tree, culvert or other place they feel safe. You might get to see this resting in your yard and they may stay as long as a week. This is not the same as an active bee hive.
I wanted to send this reminder to all neighbors and ask that you please do not respond by calling an exterminator. Honey bees play a vital role in our ecosystems and food supply. As organic gardeners we appreciate their important role.
Bees have been struggling in recent years due to many unnatural stresses which include habitat disruption, monocultural & genetically engineered food provisions, and invasive pathogens & parasites.
If you have a resting swarm of bees and wish to have them removed you can call one of the expert beekeepers below. They will most likely charge less than an exterminator and the wild bees can be kept in new, safe hives.
Tracy. 928-899-2720 - Williamson Valley Area
Ken Miller. 928-300-1260 - Located in Rimrock (Verde Vly)
Nancy J. Deane. 941-815-1588 - In Prescott, PV, Dewey
Mark Gregory - Kirkland area - 928-830-8770
Tom Veatch - 928 925 2096 - Areas south of Prescott
Some interesting honey bee facts:
- In order to make a pound of honey, a hive of bees must fly 55,000 miles
- Honey is 25% sweeter than table sugar.
- Honey is the only foodstuff that contains all of the necessary nutrients to sustain life.
- Bee venom is used as a treatment for several ailments, including arthritis and high blood pressure and beekeepers rarely have arthritis .
- The darker the honey, the greater amount of antioxidant properties it has.
- Honey has antibacterial properties and can be used as a dressing for wounds.
- Due to colony collapse disorder, bees have been dying off at a rate of approximately 30% per year.
- Bees are being used to study dementia. When a bee takes on a new job usually done by a younger bee, its brain stops aging!
(Thus ended the lesson - sorry to be so long winded, but I LOVE BEES.)
