Honey Bee swarm

Incredible. Great photo ... Without getting stung as well :-))

Wow! Right place right time Pita.

Amazing to see and a great shot - as ever Pita X

That's amazing!! Nice to see you again, Pita. x

Thank you all, I wanted to stay and see how they were collected but didn't have a bee suit! Maybe next time hey?
And it's nice to be back, thank you! Xx

Thank you for posting this Pita. My uncle kept bees and I can remember the excitement each Spring when there would be at least one swarm reported in the area. We kids went along to watch as the bees were smoked to make them sleepy and easier to handle before being captured and taken for release in to a new hive. The bees all swarm around the Queen and she is the one who needs to be captured and the bees will then stick with her. I cr the last time I saw a swarm. As I did not pay much attention to the details of how or why bees swarm I just ggoled it and found this very interesting link. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74159.html

Thanks Scotsgran,
Sounds like that photo brought back a ton of lovely memories, thanks for sharing!

I don't like honey however I tried theirs recently in hot water with lemon and it was lovely!
Aren't those little creatures incredible?

Love pita x

Pita they are busy little creatures. We have found ourselves becoming quite fussy about honey. The taste of honey depends very much on the flowers available to the bees. Obviously we come from loving heather honey but have found rape flowers honey quite disgusting and a totally different product. Acacia honey is lovely and some Mexican honey is good too. Manuka honey is exorbitantly expensive but very tasty. Am I becoming a honey snob. Honey was used to treat wounds in the first world war and as a home remedy before antibiotics became widely available after WW2

SG, thank you for the information, it's amazing hey? We watched a documentary last night on honey bees and their plight, I was shocked to learn that in the USA honey bees are transported commercially to pollinate almond crops, they are feed corn syrup which will kill them and is equally harmful to humans causing much of the problems we have today regarding health. It was quite shocking to watch!

Yesterday I roasted rhubarb with orange zest and drizzled honey over it..... Mmmmm very tasty!

Have a lovely day! Xx

The programme sounds horrific but the rhubarb sounds delicious. I hope you had a lovely day too. It has been heavy showers and thunder and lightening storms here today. Take care.

Rhubarb was yummy, made my teeth squeak!
Have a great week! Xx

This is preparation for Gardening Scotland week. I did feel sorry for the stand/garden builders yesterday as the weather was so awful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for better weather later in the week.

I recently bought Orange blossom honey....very nice! I'm actually not fond of Heather honey Scotsgran, but like you, I do love the Manuka. I bought some local honey at the Dundee flower show last year and it was lovely. Must get some more this year. I was also really shocked when I saw that programme Pita. I do my absolute best for the bumble bees in my garden, but I'm not brave enough to keep honey bees. Lovely photo...thanks for sharing.

My father-in-law has just started collecting honey, he has had a bumper year, watch this space for photos! Xx

Did you see Mary Berry helping to harvest the honey on her programme tonight. BBC2. I can remember my uncle extracting the honey using just such a centrifuge. We were never allowed anywhere near it. I did not see much of the programme but she took one third of a teaspoonful and said that was the amount of honey made by one bee during their lifetime. Amazing little creatures.

I used to keep bees and it's very interesting. I had 2 hives and collected a swarm now and again when they came on to our smallholding. I don't have them now as we live in a bungalow and Gerry is allergic to the stings.

They are amazing creatures, my father in law got 50lb honey this year, he has 3 hives including one with the swarm you see above. The honey is lovely and I'm not a honey lover as a rule! Xx

That is a good harvest and plenty for all the family.

Yes Scotsgran, it sounds good, not that I have a clue! Hee hee
We all got a jar, which was gratefully received! ;o)