[masraum]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Since this thread appeared in '23 I had a swarm of bees come by for a visit. Fantastic to see that they all hung on each other like a pineapple hanging from a rafter. I called a bee rescue guy and he told me they would leave within 48 hours. He was right and they left nothing behind. Hard to see that they were ever there.

He told me that that swarm was a faction split off from a healthy hive and they were sending scouts out looking for a new home. The best part was how they would move in and out of the ball of solid bees to let the ones on the outside warm up. The whole deal was very dynamic. At night they were all home in the ball but still exchanging places. I wasn't in fear of being stung but I stayed at least 6 feet away while observing.

And then just like the bee guy said, they vanished all at once. I missed that but it must have been spectacular. I missed the arrival too, I just walked out and there they were. This was a big pineapple.

I've never seen a swarm, but would love to. I've watched/seen a bunch of videos, mostly made by bee keeper/rescue folks. It's amazing how docile honey bees can be. I guess not all hives are the same. I've heard/read that some can be more ornery than others. We'd discussed getting some hives when we moved to our current property. I wish we had, but I'm also glad that we didn't. I don't have the time to deal with and worry about them as a beginner. Maybe some day.

I do have some homes hung up for mason bees that do get used, but they are solitary, not collective/hive type bees. I've also seen "red velvet ants" (actually a flightless wasp), cicada hawks, and tarantula hawks here which are also impressive.