I went down to the hives again last night, to clear that last super and pop in the Apiguard treatment for San-Shi. The bees were tense and angry but I got the job done sting-free, and sat down for a while in my chair between the hives to watch the action.
I realised that San-Shi is under attack - in a big way - from wasps. They seem to have found a way in through gap between the top of the roof and the ventilation slots. No wonder the bees were tense! There were literally dozens of them darting in the air, landing and crawling in under the roof. They make my skin crawl! They fly completely differently to bees, and look mean in their sharp pirate stripes of black and yellow.
I mean, don't get me wrong here, I know they are a valuable part of any ecosystem. I just don't like 'em, plain and simple!
So I've spent today reading up on Wasp Traps. With a mean ole glint in my eye.
Next, I turned my head to look over at Itchy Knee. They were simply busting out all over their main entrance; lots and lots of frantic action going on there. It was alarming and hard to figure out what could be happening, until I posited that maybe, just maybe, they have a new Queen on the point of being born, or just emerged, or just mating. Their behaviour seemed a little panicky and threatened and protective.
I do so hope they get lucky! We left it awfully late in the season ...
When I went back to the shed and stripped off my beekeeping suit I got the hugest fright from a shockingly loud scrabbling noise on the roof. I froze for a second in the half-dark, trying to figure it out. Thinking "rats! rats!"
"On the roof?!"
Bravely I stormed outside, hopping around on one welly, leapt up onto the flower boxes and startled a great big turtle dove. I shrieked and fell off the flower box.
And that, dear Reader, is how the Flatties found me when they got home a second later - one welly on, one off, half-in half-out of my beekeeping suit, on my knees in the dust, yelling and shaking my fist at a fast-departing pigeon.
Never a dull moment, folks!
I realised that San-Shi is under attack - in a big way - from wasps. They seem to have found a way in through gap between the top of the roof and the ventilation slots. No wonder the bees were tense! There were literally dozens of them darting in the air, landing and crawling in under the roof. They make my skin crawl! They fly completely differently to bees, and look mean in their sharp pirate stripes of black and yellow.
I mean, don't get me wrong here, I know they are a valuable part of any ecosystem. I just don't like 'em, plain and simple!
So I've spent today reading up on Wasp Traps. With a mean ole glint in my eye.
Next, I turned my head to look over at Itchy Knee. They were simply busting out all over their main entrance; lots and lots of frantic action going on there. It was alarming and hard to figure out what could be happening, until I posited that maybe, just maybe, they have a new Queen on the point of being born, or just emerged, or just mating. Their behaviour seemed a little panicky and threatened and protective.
I do so hope they get lucky! We left it awfully late in the season ...
When I went back to the shed and stripped off my beekeeping suit I got the hugest fright from a shockingly loud scrabbling noise on the roof. I froze for a second in the half-dark, trying to figure it out. Thinking "rats! rats!"
"On the roof?!"
Bravely I stormed outside, hopping around on one welly, leapt up onto the flower boxes and startled a great big turtle dove. I shrieked and fell off the flower box.
And that, dear Reader, is how the Flatties found me when they got home a second later - one welly on, one off, half-in half-out of my beekeeping suit, on my knees in the dust, yelling and shaking my fist at a fast-departing pigeon.
Never a dull moment, folks!
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