Bees on fire . . .

[Firegazer]

OK, I'm starting a competition which beeks with lots of experience should be able to win easily.

The challenge is to give us your most amusing beekeeping cock-up which passes on a lesson.

So the point-scoring criteria are:

1) must be embarrassingly stupid;
2) must be truthful;
3) must be a good lesson for others to avoid.

No prizes, no time limit, no rules.

I'll kick this off with mine - not very stupid yet but I've only been doing this for a few weeks

Whilst inspecting the hive earlier today, the bees went from quietly happy to a hissing, cross-sounding whine and started to come up onto the top bars. I thought "Hello, they're going to attack me in a big killer-bee swarm and I'll be found weeks later, covered in stings". I bent down to get the smoker to try and calm them. Just then I noticed smoke rising BETWEEN the frames and the bees getting even more cross! That's when I realised that the gentle breeze had changed direction and was now blowing the smoke from the smoker (which I'd put down by the hive stand) under the hive and up through the mesh floor. I was smoking the whole colony out of its own hive!

Done anything more stupid than that? Let us know

 

[Somerford]

Hospital

Hospitalisation

can't get dafter than that ?

A few years ago I was inspecting a colony and I was amazed at the clarity of the frames and brood, upon which I realised I had left my veil open. As quick as I could close it, a bee shot up and stung me on the neck.

Now, while I am not allergic to bee stings, it is well documented that stings on certain parts of the body react in swelling, so I , as calmly as possible, closed the hive up, walked 30 mins home, by which time I was staggering a little. I got in, phoned the ambulance and then passed out on the dining room floor, having left the back door open and informing them that I had been stung.

The last I remember was amazing multi coloured squares and triangles rushing towards me as my cartoid artery was squeezed by the swelling in my neck, restricting the blood supply to my brain.

Yes, I know some of you will question whether my brain exists, or how come it needs a supply of blood, but hey.

I awoke in Gloucester hospital with two very attarctive young nurses fussing over me. Quite why I had been stripped and put in one of those open backed shirts is beyond me. Perhaps they were readying me for the slab.

Anyway, I recovered after a hefty shot of adrenaline and was out in 2 hours.

I am still not allergic, but let it serve as a warning to all. DO YOUR VEIL UP !!

 

[MrB]

I noticed smoke rising BETWEEN the frames and the bees getting even more cross!

Perhaps you need to change your username to 'Firestarter'

 

[David P]

My biggest mistake this year whilst certainly not life threatening or indeed as dramatic as smoking the bees out of their home is certainly a mistake I wont be repeating.

Feeling very pleased with myself towards the end of August I put a clearer board under a nice full super with all frames fully sealed including at least one frame I had an eye on for the "frame ready for extraction class" of our association honey show. Then closed up and went home.

When I returned a couple of days later I was surprised to see a cluster of bees around the cone escape on the roof. All was soon to be revealed as upon opening the hive I discovered that I had not replaced the crown board, when I closed up and the bees had taken the opportunity to repossess the entire contents of the super.

Needless to say they got called a few choice names and I will just have to wait for next year to enter the honey show.


David

 

[Heather]

I left the garden shed door open overnight, and the next day about 5000 bees were investigating supers stored there. Took some clearing out

When you keep bees in your garden- ensure stores are inaccessible!

 

[MJBee]

I had 5 frames that wax moth had managed to get at and ruin so I cut the comb out and popped it into the solar wax extractor. As soon as the wax had stopped running I removed the tray and scraped all the dross into the dustbin while it was still hot. My bees found the smell in their thousands and I had to move the bin until collection solved the problem.
It is not only the smell of honey or sugar that will attract your bees.
Mike

 

[BKF Admin]

A couple of years ago I went to do a cutout in a front porch.

It looked like the nest was under the ply roof but as I took it apart it became apparent that they had moved into the side wall.

The householder said to keep going much to my protests, after about 5 hours and at last I had a box full of bees, I then stood back and realized that I had completely destroyed the bl**dy porch

The householder said thanks very much,and by the way we have ordered a skip for the rubbish because we did have a builder coming next week to take the porch down but you have saved us a fortune..

 

[Rosti]

Stupid things to do with bees No:348.

Go out to re-fill miller feeder at night, suitably mellow after red wine. Help the bees who were cleaning the last of the syrup out of the feeder and blow them off fingers, with them falling to ground somewhere?

Bees return to nearest warm dark place with upward entry. Beek returns to house impressed by his sympathetic efficiency! Bit of an itchy leg? actually quite a bit of an itchy both legs?

Removes said trousers to discover a dozen or so of the girls have hitched a lift home. They were very well behaved, only potential sting in tail is that I am now awaiting the police visit so I can explain why I was outside my backdoor in underwear late at night, lit by the patio light and apparently combing the hair on my legs.

Bees are bees always, dress and act accordingly!

 

[Finman]

.
I do not want to remember all stupid things what I have done.
They are many.

But a nice one: I had canned 800 jars honey and opened one to look the result.

OH BOY, there was a big daddy longlegs on the surface of honey!

I opened and looked all 800 jars but it was the only one.