Favorite Moment Of Beekeeping Thus Far
I have started giving extra food to the Kitty hive to help her build up her winter stores. She's just not drawing out comb very quickly and by putting a feeder right in the hive, maybe that will give them more time to work instead of flying away. I will say, they are doing one heck of a job of bringing back pollen. Dozens and dozens were flying in with loaded pollen baskets on their back legs--and in several different colors: red, orange, yellow, even white!
What was really cool for me was watching some of the other workers removing the pollen baskets. Here we have a bee with orange pollen. Behind her is a worker removing the pollen. Note the blurry bee in the front of the photo with the yellow baskets?
I like this photo. A forager hanging out and talking to another worker while the pollen baskets are removed.
I just couldn't believe how mellow the Kitty bees were behaving. I was watching everybody getting there baskets removed. I like this because you can see the bee with the baskets raising her wing while the other bee works on her load of pollen. It was at this point I noticed something very interesting. I had set my camera on the inner roof and as I was getting the macro shots, my fingers were splayed out for leverage. That's when I looked over to my pinkie finger and saw this:
That's my gloved pinkie in back. I had some homemade bee nectar that had spilled on my gloves and the bees were licking it off! Check it out:
More bees came over and started crawling up. So, apparently not only will smoking your bees make them mellow, but so will hand feeding them. I was so excited, I threw caution to the wind and removed a glove and dipped my pinkie finger in the nectar solution:
Look at that! She's reaching...almost there...she's reaching for the nectar with both front legs and her tiny tongue:
Contact! Alas, the actual photo of the bee licking the bare finger turned out blurry, but you get the idea. Hands down, I think this is my favorite moment of beekeeping this summer. Having a bee lick homemade nectar from my bare finger. That is something I never thought would ever happen. Ever. And no, I did not get stung.Labels: beekeeping, bees
posted by birdchick at 1:42 PM
17 Comments:
You were so brave. I don't have that kind calm around bees. What a neat photo!
WOW!
How lucky for you to have experienced feeding a bee with your own hand. Too cool!
Ooohh... so COOL! I love reading your posts. All of them.
That IS cool- a gentle physical contact between you and your bees.
Wow! That is the best thing ever. :)
What an awesome experience. I wanted to say I'm jealous, but I really just couldn't. I don't know if I would have had the courage to do it myself. But I'm so glad for you that you got to do it. :-)
What a fantastic series of photos with such an intimate look at those behaviors!
I'm just fascinated by the macros of the bees removing the baskets of pollen...
Once again, the photos are stunning. I can't really pick a favorite because each one says so much on it's own.
The shot where the little bee is drinking nectar from your ungloved hand is adorable. It's like she's thanking your for taking such good care of them.(all animals can talk, right)
You really must write another book.
Perhaps the Bee Whisperer.
Coot and cute !
I have had bees landed on my hand when I had been eating juicy fruits and checking out (or licking) the stuff. They seem to be completely oblivious to the rest of the world while they do that.
As usual I am stunned by your pictures.
Wow, you're a Bee Charmer! That's so cool, even though like many others here, I would've been FREAKED by it. But there is something so cool about that kind of intimate and close contact with a species you don't expect -- like a fish, or a bee. It must've been such a great moment for you.
And thanks for the term "baskets;" I always wondered what you called the little balls of pollen on bee legs, which I also think are just about the cutest thing in the world. I love the different colors, especially when they're concentrated all together, like your photo, some with white, some with yellow, etc.
Way cool! love the bee posts!
Dawn
Very cool, Sharon, and you were able to get pictures too. Could you feel their little feet touching your finger?
You need to send that last one to Cute Overload.
It would fit well in the "I shall Leeeek You" category.
Totally amazing!! You are one clever and cool photographer!
I love the bee-bonding! Now that you have so much emotion invested in these insects, I hope and pray they make it through a Minnesota winter.
This is a fantastic post! I've seen a lot of pollen-gathering, but have not had the thrill of seeing the bees removed the pollen from an incoming forager.
I love your "feeding the bees" shot as well.
I am going to link to this excellent post on
Global Swarming Honeybees.
Best of luck with your continued beekeeping pursuits, and your extraordinary blog. The birds and the bees--perfecto!
I know this post is kind of old but.... I too can share that excitement of bees "connecting" I got a hive late in the season (last week of July) and have been feeding it since I got it. I often sit on the hive stand with them after putting the feed in and they always come and check me out. I don't wear gloves when tending them so there are usually 5-10 bees on my hands as I sit and watch them. It really shows me that they are not out to "get me" they are just curious creatures checking me out and licking "whatever" off my hands.
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