[Az-Geocaching] Cache Bees

[Regan Smith]

Now on my last encounter with bees while caching I was of the mindset that
if I didn't bother them they wouldn;t bother me and I was able to make the
quickest log ever at the cache site......

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Nelson" <peakbagger2@cox.net>
To: <listserv@azgeocaching.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 9:10 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Cache Bees


> I checked my Why? cache today after a couple no finds and a report of
bees.
> http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=52218
>
> The cache is still in place and sure enough, so are the bees! A nice 2-3
> pound swarm about three feet from the cache. I've kept bees as a hobby in
> the past but had to give up this fascinating activity because of the
obvious
> problems of having bees in the city with non-understanding neighbors.   It
> was hard to resist the urge to grab my old equipment and hive the little
> suckers.  I miss all that good honey.
>
> Virtually all wild swarms in this part of the country are mixed with the
> Africanized Killer Bee strain. They're aggressive and need to be avoided.
> I'll temporarily disable this until it's safe. This one can still be had
if
> you want to go caching in a bee mask, gloves and jumpsuit. In a park this
> large what's the chance a swarm would choose to perch right here?
>
> Bee facts: In the spring bees follow the swarming instinct to increase
their
> number of colonies. They raise a new, second queen who leaves with about
> half the bees in the old colony. Unless a new home is found quickly, they
> set up temporary quarters by hanging in a clump, usually on a tree limb.
> Scout bees then search for a permanent home, maybe in a cliff crevice or
> someone's attic. In a mild climate like Arizona's, I've seen bees that
> decide to stay and build comb right on a tree limb but this is rare. My
> guess is that the cache bees will be on their way soon and I'll reopen it.
>
> Jerry
> Offtrail
>
>
>
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