Post date: Apr 20, 2020 3:31:32 PM
Post date: Apr 20, 2020 3:31:32 PM
Termites, honeybees and ant colonies are all examples of social insects. They only survive in colonies working together to stay strong, and healthy. They generally only die off when they get weak in numbers, get too spread out and can't defend the colony and stay hygenic. Honeybee colonies swarm (reproduce) when they are very strong and can afford to let half of the colony split to establish a new colony while the parent colony still has enough bees to thrive.
That's what happened on this lovely, but windy, April day. The colony settled on a branch right next to a picket fence. With every gust the festooning colony got smashed into the fence. All the bees would break loose into the air only to settle back on the same branch. Needless to say they were quite worn out when I arrived in the late afternoon. I normally don't bother with my bee suit when hiving swarms. But after getting tagged under the eye I suited up for this one. Haha! I got 'em though. No problemo! They're going gangbusters in my apiary now!