BEES!!! If you love them and want to give them a home, please check in.

[catchnrelease]

44. I love them too

We had a wild colony of honeybees living under the eaves of the garage behind our property. The hive was overgrown with creeping fig vines, so the colony was well hidden. Only my husband and I knew they were there. Since I have a couple of fruit trees, some berry vines and tons of native CA plants/flowers, the bees were in heaven here. We enjoy having them come and of course pollinate while they're here. There are also lots of native bees that come.

There were several times that the colony split off and swarmed away. I think at least twice some went into the neighbors garage and sadly they had them sprayed. That was before I'd found someone to safely remove swarms. I would have paid for it to be done had I known. And twice we had swarms settle in our backyard, and I did have info for a woman who came and took the swarms to set up elsewhere.

Eventually the original colony left. I tore out all of the vines to see if I could tell what might have happened, but there were no dead bees, just the old looking comb was left. I have asked a couple of beekeepers about it and they have said it is hard to say. Could have just been the colony no longer liked the location. I was really sad to see them go. We still have tons of bees around, but I don't know where their hive is.

In April, at a garden event here in So Cal, I met a beekeeper that was really informative. He is totally organic like you, no mititicides etc. He is willing to set up a hive at a persons home, maintain it, harvest the honey etc. Basically do all the work and share the honey with the homeowner, I believe for a fee. Or he will teach you to do it yourself. This tempts me. I wish the 'garage' colony was still here, maybe he could have set it up and saved it. His website has lots of interesting bee info.......

.http://www.guerillabeekeepers.com/index.shtml

Good luck with your girls!

on edit--I tried some of the honey collected by this beekeeper, from his local bees and it is out of this world. I have never actually really liked the taste of honey by itself, only in tea, but this had me licking the spoon!