Thursday, June 25, 2009

Summertime and the bees are swarming


This is a photo from my brothers in law's back garden. Nice hive of bees there. I am not sure it would be wise to capture them and bring them up to Dublin so I will leave them be. Unwise because Irish beekeepers are being careful moving beehives around at the moment as it can spread bee diseases. Swarming bees are not usually hostile though some people do freak out when the see them.

8 comments:

  1. Wow. That would freak my wife out. She has only recently gained the ability to sit in a graden chair while bees bob among the lavender beside us.

    I'd love to see that though. I imagine I could spend quite a while looking at them. Provided I had a nice beer in my hand, that is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Depends on how grumpy the swarm is. They are usually fine but you occasionally get ones you don't want to go near without a suit. Or so i hear.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw a swarm out near Palm Springs, last March, in a (desert animal) park. They had gathered on a rock apparently to keep warm as the wind was picking up and rain was threatening (in the desert that's not fun). The park people had put a cordon around the rock to keep people away. Was fascinating looking.

    I love the idea of keeping bees, but I think I'd be getting freaked out too :D My father-in-laws friend is a bee keeper, so he gets a regular supply of honey from him. Might ask if I can visit next time I'm down.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "I love the idea of keeping bees, but I think I'd be getting freaked out too" they are not at all scary, really calming actually when you are moving around frames and such. They are such a different size to us it is hard to interact with them and not have your sense of scale messed with.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi,

    welldone on the blog, keep the updates coming.

    did you ever find an allotment that would "accept" bees? (if so may i have their number?)

    all things bees are of course cool right now, but the beehives themselves are so early 20th century, check out this radical reformulation of the beehive ala Imac
    http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?cat=Beekeeping&sub=Beehaus&product_id=2938&sort=popularity&start=0

    pretty, expensive!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks brian.
    I found a few locations that will accept bees. No allotments but if your looking for a place in north Dublin I know of a few.

    Yeah saw that must write it up, and get back to regular posting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm also based in Dublin -Northsoide, any leads you have would be invaluable.

    thanks
    Brian

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete