Don't worry, BEE Happy!

I have long wanted to join the ranks of the beekeepers. With all the gardens, flowers, blossoming trees and garden veggies that need the little flyers for pollination out here, I knew they would be happy out here on the ranch.  I have done a little research about them but haven’t taken the leap to start me an apiary. However, as I often find is the case out here, they choose us! Early this Spring I was weed eating on the North side of our house, a pretty low traffic area, and discovered to my surprise bees were frequenting a hole in the side of the house where my husbands grandpa had installed the hot water line for the bath tub many years ago. At the time I thought, “this weed eater is going to make them mad, I should steer clear” and did so.  Later that evening, suddenly realized the ramifications of what I had witnessed and I nearly shouted at Eric, “there are bees in the side of the house!”  My son’s wall is directly on the other side of this area so our first thought was to check his room. There were four or five bees in the window, which I quickly caught and removed.

We had to make a run to town for errands so off we went with the intentions of checking out this scenario when we returned. By the time we got back, there were nearly four dozen in his room! When we moved his bed away from the wall we discovered they were making their entrance through an uncovered electrical socket. Apparently because of it’s proximity to the wall a conventional cover would not fit it and no one had yet to see a reason to do the additional fabrication to construct one. Now was the time! As my husband set to fabricating, I set to catching and releasing all of the curious bees and exporting them back outside.  Once the cover was installed and caulked we had now more tiny visitors. 

However, we still had bees making a home in the side of our house. So in traditional me style I set to researching bee removal, bee equipment and bee supplies. It only made me more confused. It was then that the bee sleuth was born. My senses became fine tuned to white boxes, bee keeping periphrasis and beekeepers vehicles. I did spot a convoy of beekeepers trucks one day after picking up my oldest from attempted flag them down for advice, to no avail. 

Luckily, on another trip to town I spotted a vehicle with what appeared to be white boxes in the back! I quickly pulled over and approached the beekeeper that was suited up with smoker in hand. As it turns out he showed interest in helping us remove them. He said he would get together some boxes and come out that weekend. I work only 8-10 weekends a year as a wedding and portrait photographer and this weekend happened to be one of them. To Be Continued.

Look for Part two: The Extraction. Coming Soon.