Dear /an/
About two months ago, we found this beehive crate in an abandoned house of sorts. We took it, washed it out with paint thinner etc. and gave it a coat of paint.
Today, I come back from work and find out that all of a sudden, in the span of less than 6 hours, HUNDREDS of bees moved in. In the middle of the city.
I don't even know how many of them there are, I saw about two dozen flying around and any hole that I peek in through I only see a swarm of fucking bees.
Now my question, to put it gently, is what the fuck do I do about this? I know bees are good and all, but I suddenly have a whole hive buzzing about. I'm sure they require SOME upkeep or taking care of, and I'm worried that they'd sting my cats.
tl,dr: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES
>>2010060
Also yes my sister gave it wheels for some reason.
Bees on Wheels.
>>2010060
Call animal control or firemen or whoever you call for this in your country and have them remove it, m8.
>>2010076
ASAP? Are these things dangerous?
>>2010078
they arnt dangerous. peopl will get freaked out when they swarm though. trust me youll know when they swarm- all the bees will come out of the hive and attach to something for a day or 2
>>2010078
You don't know how to take care of them, and you're worried about your cats getting stung.
So, yes?
>>2010060
they are wild animals they dont need taken care of. you can lift the whole thing and put it in a truck bed if you want to move it. unless they are africanized bees there isnt really a big problem as the hive box is pretty small. they will move on their own if they outgrow it
If you live in the city or have neighbors that are very close to you, this is a bad idea. Also your cat seems a little too curious about the bees. Do not let him get stung pls.
Otherwise, buy a bee suit and wait for the sweet, delicious honey.
![IMG_20151202_194838946[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/VRRNQ7Z.jpg "IMG_20151202_194838946[1].jpg")
>>2010084
>trust me youll know when they swarm- all the bees will come out of the hive and attach to something for a day or 2
For a second I thought you were talking about them swarming on PEOPLE for a couple days.
That won't happen, right?
>>2010089
You sure about what? I was deathly afraid of moving it in case they got mad or something.
>>2010092
>swarming on PEOPLE
over the course of a few hours the bees will periodically empty the hive and swarm on something. this happens maybe 1-2 times a year usually in spring.
If you dont want them on your property, look up beekeepers in your area and call them.
Beekeepers will come to your house and take the crate + the bees for free, because they need them.
Friendly note to anyone else who gets bees on your property- don't kill them! Beekeepers are always needing bees and will come get them for free, and bees population is on a decline in most places. They are important!
Bee and catte
I would call a bee keeper or move it somewhere your cats can't reach it. They'll sting your cats if they mess with the hive once it's established.
>>2010212
Cute.
Bees like that red hummingbird drink that you put in hummingbird feeders. It also makes the bees red!
It might make their honey red too.
You can call a beekeeper, just google one in your area. Or keep them. Bees aren't too hard to keep and are nice enough if you don't fuck with them. If you move them try to only do it at night. You can plug up the hole while moving them. If you move the hive during the day, even an inch or two, they can get confused. They can find food on their own. During periods where they are active and there are no flowers, you can feed them bee tea, which is basically sugar water with herbs to inhibit mites. Good luck anon.
>>2010241
It's already nighttime over here, and I've noticed that a few bees were tapping against my glass door trying to come in. About half a dozen were lying on the ground, some exhausted, some dead. It seems that just the lights from my house are already fucking them up, so it's best I don't keep them. I'll be calling a beekeeper tomorrow morning.
Would an etymologistfag care to explain how the bees zeroed in on this one former hive which had been washed and repainted?
>>2010283
I can confirm that the hive hadn't been used in about 10 years as well. It was stored inside a barn.
>>2010075
Is your sister cute?
>>2010308
She's no bee if that's what you mean.
Call a local bee keeper. If they're honey bees they'll move them for free or even pay for them. If they aren't honey bees they'll remove them humanely for a nominal fee. They have the gear and no how. You could call animal control, sure, but you'll probably just get to watch grown men freak out about bees and then bee mass murder.
![IMG_20151203_105900374[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/8VHAt6g.jpg "IMG_20151203_105900374[1].jpg")
Update on the bees, during the night I relocated the hive to my balcony so that they're not right up in my door. Some of the bees still wander around the spot where the hive used to be, but I think they'll figure it out.
Pic of the bees, does anyone know if they are honeybees or not?
Weirdly enough the hive is constantly making this freaky, deep clicking-popping noise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WAGKLMSBDw
If I had to guess, that's probably the sound of a hundred worker bees salivating in unison to make wax, if that makes any sense
>>2010283
Bees are opportunistic, if their numbers grow too big for their hive, they will swarm and find a nearby nesting site. Could be a hole in the wall, rotted out tree, old hive. The swarm will not survive if there is no queen though. She would be with them when they left the old hive and hopefully she survived.
>>2010247
Swarming is pretty stressful. Lots of them could die because they have no honey reserves right now. Hopefully that's all it is and they aren't having a reaction to what you cleaned the hive with. I wouldn't think it's your lights though. Unless you are in the southern hemisphere this is a weird time to have bees swarming though. Without food they will die in winter.
>>2010528
I am in the southern hemisphere, spring starts Sept 21 over here.
I don't think they're having a reaction to the paint, the inside of the hive is still a squirming mass of bees. I saw some bees chasing after the lights for a long time. I think they were exhausting themselves thinking the lights were the sun or something.
Hymenoptera best insects
![IMG_20151203_220512314[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Olfqkke.jpg "IMG_20151203_220512314[1].jpg")
Night 2 of their new hive, a bunch of them are hanging out clumped up outside the door.
They're not swarming already, are they?
>>2010780
Bees sometimes crowd around their hive entrance. It's only a swarm if they all leave at once.
>>2010795
Thanks, looked a little freaky
This is my favorite thread on 4chan right. Please keep up updated on the bees over the coming days or weeks.
>>2010901
They're pretty chill, just doing what a bee do. I got in contact with a beekeeper nearby, he's actually the city's retired police chief, so that's a fun story.
The only thing I'm concerned about is that the terrace I put them on has ceramic tiles and gets pretty hot under the sun, but the hive has constant shade under a table and the wheels should help a little bit with insulation.
BEEEEEEEEEEEES
WHATS THIS? AN OVER ABUNDANCE OF BEES IN YOUR BEE HIVE? MY SUITCASE FULL OF BEES OUGHTA PUT A STOP TO THAT
>>2010511
They look a lot like honeybees.
I'm so jealous OP, would love to have a beehive in my garden. Bees are bros and super interesting to watch. I shouldn't worry too much about your cats; if they got stung they'll run the fuck away to avoid being mobbed, and they'll learn not to bother the hive again.
>>2010060
so fucking jealous right now
>>2010529
Since you're in the southern hemisphere, it's the beginning of bee season. You don't need to feed them or do any maintenance with the hive until fall. In fall, just take about one third to one half of the honey and leave them be until the following fall. Also, if you keep the hive ten feet off the ground, they'll stay ten feet off the ground until they see a flower, that will keep them out of yours and your neighbors' way, so nobody should bother you about them. Congrats on the new swarm! I wish I were as lucky.
![IMG_20151204_181126305[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/dLtAgp7.jpg "IMG_20151204_181126305[1].jpg")
Okay, there's a shitton of bees buzzing loudly at the spot where the hive used to be. They're either late to the party or mad as fuck. Either way, everyone's staying inside for now.
For those of you saying I'm lucky, don't be jealous, sadly we can't keep the bees both due to neighbors/rest of family not being a fan/lack of a proper permanent place to set them up. Tonight, the beekeeper I talked with is coming over to transplant the hive to a better home, which is the best thing to be done I think.
>>2011162
You've done God's work. Good job.
Look at this fucking badass. Rolling up his sleeves for a hive bust. He just calmed them with smoke and put the whole thing in a bag with his own bare hands.
So, that's a happy ending for everyone: The bees have a new home steps away from the fields, beekeeper's happy with his free hive, and we were even promised a sample from the honey of our very own hive later on.
Overall, a great anecdote, though bees are still a little freaky even when you know they're mostly harmless.
Thank you for the answers and the support, /an/, hopefully you enjoyed too.
Guess his elaborate and sophisticated method of transporting the hive
>>2011269
Very cool. Thanks for sharing, and being nice enough to have them removed peacefully instead of just spraying them with raid or whatever.
>2015
>not seeing that was a picture of cat
>Thinks cat is bees
>not seeing that there is only one cat
I have given you one more problem my friend, get help soon.
>>2011284
wut?
>>2011270
Is that you helping in the vid OP?
>>2011293
No, I don't know who it was actually. I don't think it was his son. Just a helper
>anons bee saga is over with
It's like seeing the end of your favorite TV show.
This was a good thread, OP. Thank you.
>not wanting bees on wheels
![IMG_20151206_141033670[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/h05kqDi.jpg "IMG_20151206_141033670[1].jpg")
These are the bees that were left behind, it seems.
They're waiting for the hive to come back
It's sad, but I don't think there's anything I can do for them at this point
>>2012156
This breaks my heart. Maybe you can put a little box and give them some raw honey. They won't start a new hive and they'll still eventually die but..
>>2012156
>Become leader of the bees
![IMG_20151206_154350061_HDR[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/25Z3eMQ.jpg "IMG_20151206_154350061_HDR[1].jpg")
>>2012170
They've rejected my humble offering of honey.
Somehow, I don't think I would make for a very good queen.
>>2012165
If it's any consolation, the beekeeper said we easily had 3000-4000 bees in that box, so we're still looking at a 98%+ migration rate. Maybe they'll return to their original hive.
this is a really neat thread
thanks for sharing op
