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Bee Bedtime Story
We have wild honey bees in our roof above the bathroom. They are probably decendants from some of the local hived bees that were managed from our home which used to be a honey farm many years ago.
Three years ago we had to re-roof the place and I was mortally worried about what would happen to "my" bees when we started to take the slates off.
Having heard about "telling it to the bees" I went out about a week before work was due to start and explained the situation to them and advised them to move out for a while.
The morning the builders arrived I noticed a loud humming coming from one of the large trees at the end of the garden and, sure enough, when I checked up at the house, there was not one bee circling the gable-end as usual!
They had all moved out en mass!
We decided not to remove the slates over the chicket windows (the bees residence) but completed the rest of the work in about two months (did most of it ourselves!).
On the day we reinstalled the guttering, we had a light shower, and I went up on the scaffolding to check to see if it was draining properly. Passing the chicket, I noticed a couple of honey bees checking out the roof, and said, "Yeah, guys, it's safe to come back now if you want!"
In the time it took me to walk the legnth of the roof (80') and back, the air was BLACK with bees!!! They were all gradually landing on the gable end, walking up to a chink in the slates: and forming an orderly que to get in.I had to sit up on the scaffolding for about half an hour while this went on, as love my bees as I do, I don't fancy trying to walk through a swarm, but although they were flying all round me and several took a breather on me, I didn't get stung once.
They are still in residence, they're just starting to wake up properly, and if I am in the bath and not splashing about too much, I can hear them chatting...
We have wild honey bees in our roof above the bathroom. They are probably decendants from some of the local hived bees that were managed from our home which used to be a honey farm many years ago.
Three years ago we had to re-roof the place and I was mortally worried about what would happen to "my" bees when we started to take the slates off.
Having heard about "telling it to the bees" I went out about a week before work was due to start and explained the situation to them and advised them to move out for a while.
The morning the builders arrived I noticed a loud humming coming from one of the large trees at the end of the garden and, sure enough, when I checked up at the house, there was not one bee circling the gable-end as usual!
They had all moved out en mass!
We decided not to remove the slates over the chicket windows (the bees residence) but completed the rest of the work in about two months (did most of it ourselves!).
On the day we reinstalled the guttering, we had a light shower, and I went up on the scaffolding to check to see if it was draining properly. Passing the chicket, I noticed a couple of honey bees checking out the roof, and said, "Yeah, guys, it's safe to come back now if you want!"
In the time it took me to walk the legnth of the roof (80') and back, the air was BLACK with bees!!! They were all gradually landing on the gable end, walking up to a chink in the slates: and forming an orderly que to get in.I had to sit up on the scaffolding for about half an hour while this went on, as love my bees as I do, I don't fancy trying to walk through a swarm, but although they were flying all round me and several took a breather on me, I didn't get stung once.
They are still in residence, they're just starting to wake up properly, and if I am in the bath and not splashing about too much, I can hear them chatting...
is this normal behaviour?
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