Snakes in the Apiary

[MuswellMetro]

just moved a Nuc to find these grass snakes mating

total ignored me while i fed my bees

 

[Luminos]

Wow, what a brilliant photo! Thanks for posting that MM

 

[VEG]

lol looks like you dropped the nuc

 

[BeeJayBee]

Lucky you to have seen this, even better that you were able to take a picture.

 

[Midland Beek]

Amazing pic, that. I would shelter under a nice and warm beehive with an OMF if I were a snake.

 

[hedgerow pete]

to be honest , no i dont think a beekeeper would break my stride either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aberreef]

to be honest , no i dont think a beekeeper would break my stride either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful snakes and I'm SOOOOOO jealous. I've been looking for wild snakes for years but only ever seen a few slow worms Before anyone has a pop I don't intend catching, touching or interfering with them in any way. I just love snakes

 

[AnotherNewBee]

to be honest , no i dont think a beekeeper would break my stride either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you were a snake you wouldn't have a stride to break!

 

[Cazza]

That's a brilliant photo.
I have mixed feelings about grass snakes as they are often seen in my pond scoffing the frogs and presumably newts. I love to watch them slither across the grass to reach it but hate the froggy squeals (sounds like a rabbit in the jaws of a cat.)
Cazza

 

[oliver90owner]

Is there a large composting heap nearby? If so, some care may be needed if eggs are laid in it.

RAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wonderful photo and a great find.
We have slow worms in our compost heap

 

[MuswellMetro]

Is there a large composting heap nearby? If so, some care may be needed if eggs are laid in it.

RAB

just a hedgerow, the hives are in a corner of a small rough pasture field on a cleared patch of brambles.

Almost the first visit to the site as the hives had been moved in March from a location that is used for gravel extraction and is rather barren for forage

 

[MJBee]

I found this guy/girl sunbathing at the edge of the home apiary last year. About 3ft long and identified as a Western Whip Snake. I've seen it a couple of times since so it seems to be a resident.

 

[kighill]

Very pleased to see your photo, I have yet to see a Grass snake in the wild, although I have been lucky enough to see Slow worms in Hastings and Adders in Norfolk.

Two local friends (both Beekeepers) have Grass Snakes in their gardens.

 

[Luminos]

Always grass snakes swimming in our pond, except for last year when it dried up.
I think they might be back this year, alright

 

[Tom Bick]

Lovely photo MM it must be all that Barry White you insist on playing

 

[REDWOOD]

I don't like reptiles as a mate of mine got bitten by an adder and passed out in A&E and needed a blood transfusion

 

[tkwinston4]

A friend of mine got bitten by a dog but i still like dogs. Plenty of people end up in hospital because of bee stings but i still like bees.

 

[The Cumbrian]

I don't like reptiles as a mate of mine got bitten by an adder and passed out in A&E and needed a blood transfusion

Very unlucky! Out of the 100 or so adder bites each year only about 30 result in anything more than swelling and pain.

Hope they recovered OK.

 

[REDWOOD]

A friend of mine got bitten by a dog but i still like dogs. Plenty of people end up in hospital because of bee stings but i still like bees.

You can see dogs coming, you can hear bees coming, you can't see or hear snakes until it's too late. Spiders are fine so are moths i'll even put up with rats, sharks in the sea and jellyfish too, but slippery things without a limb that sit on a stone are a no no to me
125000 people die of snake bits a year

PS I know snake are not slippery