# Lessons Learned and a Bee attack



## scarbelly (Sep 26, 2010)

We got back from the trip and at the front door I had 3 pakages. One was a FedEx with my final check - Yahoo!! One was from Eman with some cookbooks we did an exchange on ( will post some pics later) and a package from Todd Johnson with some Maple Bacon cure - bacon hooks, a cutting board and more sawdust. All is well and right with the world.

I leave the cure (which is really smelling good with the brown sugar maple flavor) out on the island over nite and wake up to bees swarming outside my kitchen window the next morning - not a lot just 20-30 to begin.

We went out to run some errands and came home and Kathy starts yelling bee's!  I go to the window and the whole back of the house is a bee swarm. They are now going into the vents thru the tiny screen into the attic. I call an exterminator and he says see ya Monday but when it gets dark you can hang some rags with white vinegar along the eves and it may help - I did that and this morning we were at 50% but still under siege so I call another guy and he says the same thing - hang some rags and call me in the morning.  This guys says not to worry they are just starting to set up so we wont have to worry about a hive yet. 

Has anyone else ever experienced this - Lesson learned - seal up the maple cure for sure


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## DanMcG (Sep 26, 2010)

get a new Bugman...thats BS.

I've got a pound of maple sugar on the kitchen shelf with no bee's trying to get in, but I got stung twice 300 foot from the house a few days ago. It's that time of year I think. Fall is the only time I get it and it's never food related. just the wrong place at the wrong time I guess


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## scarbelly (Sep 26, 2010)

DanMcG said:


> get a new Bugman...thats BS.
> 
> I've got a pound of maple sugar on the kitchen shelf with no bee's trying to get in, but I got stung twice 300 foot from the house a few days ago. It's that time of year I think. Fall is the only time I get it and it's never food related. just the wrong place at the wrong time I guess


This cure is incredibly fragrant - I have had lots of maple sugar out on counters - I think this is why this stuff works in bacon and all the others dont


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## Bearcarver (Sep 26, 2010)

Gary,

Are we talking honey bees---wasps---yellow jackets?

I got that same delivery from Todd last week, but he neglected to include the bee lure in mine!!!!

We're getting cool nights now, and our wasps & yellow jackets are pretty docile lately.

CA has to be different than that right now.

Good luck with them.

I just removed my Carpenter Bee traps this morning.

Bear


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## scarbelly (Sep 26, 2010)

These are definetly Honey bees - they are gone right now so I covered the vents with foil until the beekeeper gets here in the morning 90 here right now


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## meateater (Sep 26, 2010)

Dont beekeepers use smoke? Maybe you should fire up the smoker.


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## eman (Sep 26, 2010)

I don't think that the cure is the problem , i think you just got the luck of the draw and got a bee swarm. wherever the queen goes the hive goes.

 Any beekeepers in your area should be able to remove the hive and relocate it.

 I know it's a PITA but try to get them relocated instead of killed.


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## chefrob (Sep 26, 2010)

must be some strong chit! i followed you up north for the weekend and about 50 miles south of flagstaff we ran into a swarm of bees in the F350 and i made the coment "lucky the windows were up". when we were almost there i rolled down the window and i felt a burning pain in my back so i pushed my back into the seat to smash the lil' sucker until i could pull over and get out and sure enough my g/f said i had one stuck to my back.


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## scarbelly (Sep 26, 2010)

eman said:


> I don't think that the cure is the problem , i think you just got the luck of the draw and got a bee swarm. wherever the queen goes the hive goes.
> 
> Any beekeepers in your area should be able to remove the hive and relocate it.
> 
> I know it's a PITA but try to get them relocated instead of killed.


the only reason I think it may have something to do with me leaving it out is we have roses outside the kitchen window so we always have a few bees. I left with window open cause we wanted to cool the house down and there must have been 20 - 30 of them just outside the window screen when we came home -


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## tjohnson (Sep 26, 2010)

Sorry!

Next time i'll send a bottle of booze and we'll see if the drunks show up

TJ


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## scarbelly (Sep 26, 2010)

TJohnson said:


> Sorry!
> 
> Next time i'll send a bottle of booze and we'll see if the drunks show up
> 
> TJ


I will be there for sure - with all the vents covered by foil and the cure in a sealed container we had no bees tonite - This must have been the result of me leaving this on the counter with the window open -

Man this is some good stuff and I cant wait to throw the next batch into the cure process - Thanks my friend - as the title says - Lessons learned


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## Bearcarver (Sep 27, 2010)

Scarbelly said:


> I will be there for sure - with all the vents covered by foil and the cure in a sealed container we had no bees tonite - This must have been the result of me leaving this on the counter with the window open -
> 
> Man this is some good stuff and I cant wait to throw the next batch into the cure process - Thanks my friend - as the title says - Lessons learned


Scar,

You should try what the last guy did:

Invite somebody over to your house to eat. Then while they aren't looking, put the queen from the swarm of bees that you want to get rid of into their vehicle. Then the bees will follow them home.

It's the oldest trick in the book.

Bear


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## wildflower (Sep 27, 2010)

meateater said:


> Dont beekeepers use smoke? Maybe you should fire up the smoker.


not much meat on them except the breast but you can smoke them and hold them by the stinger to eat, I would not take them over 160


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## tjohnson (Sep 27, 2010)

Hey Bear!

Will that trick work to get my Mother-In-Law to leave?

I'm praying for a swarm right now!!!

TJ


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## Bearcarver (Sep 27, 2010)

TJohnson said:


> Hey Bear!
> 
> Will that trick work to get my Mother-In-Law to leave?
> 
> ...


C'mon, you know you really love your Mom-inlaw.

It's not really to get people to leave. It's more of a way to get rid of a swarm of bees, without killing them.

Bear


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## dale5351 (Sep 27, 2010)

This has got to be one of the most amusing and active threads I've seen:-}}

I would not mind having a few honey bees around.  We had planted some bell pepper in pots on our deck.  They bloomed this spring/early summer but did not set fruit.  Most likely reason is that nothing was around to do the pollination.   As we moved from hot summer to fall, they started blooming again.  I've been going out with a Q-Tip and trying to help them along with their sex life -- it has worked.  Lots of small peppers.  Remains to be seen if they will ripen before frost time.


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## scarbelly (Sep 27, 2010)

TJohnson said:


> Hey Bear!
> 
> Will that trick work to get my Mother-In-Law to leave?
> 
> ...


I still have the box from the cure shipment - when the beekeeper gets here later today I will have him box a few up for ya and send it back your way if ya want


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## scarbelly (Sep 27, 2010)

dale5351 said:


> This has got to be one of the most amusing and active threads I've seen:-}}
> 
> I would not mind having a few honey bees around.  We had planted some bell pepper in pots on our deck.  They bloomed this spring/early summer but did not set fruit.  Most likely reason is that nothing was around to do the pollination.   As we moved from hot summer to fall, they started blooming again.  I've been going out with a Q-Tip and trying to help them along with their sex life -- it has worked.  Lots of small peppers.  Remains to be seen if they will ripen before frost time.


Qtips - peppers - sexlife all in one post that started with bees - LOL

I had to change my avitar on that one


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## ifitsdeadsmokeit (Sep 27, 2010)

we have a bee thing going on at my house right now too in CO...except they are wasps....100's of them, and no nest to speak of around.  They are swarming around my deck and love my 3 ash trees.  wife wont even venture outside because of them, but bees love her.  may have to see if the vinegar thing works on wasps....got a big bbq this weekend for 50 or so friends, dont think having all those wasps around would be beneficial to beer drinking and smoking.


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## princess (Sep 27, 2010)

I am sitting by myself and quite literally Laughed Out Loud.

(did not, however, spit Diet Coke out my nose... barely)

:)

 


wildflower said:


> not much meat on them except the breast but you can smoke them and hold them by the stinger to eat, I would not take them over 160


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## Bearcarver (Sep 27, 2010)

Scarbelly said:


> Qtips - peppers - sexlife all in one post that started with bees - LOL
> 
> I had to change my avitar on that one


LOL---Safe Sex


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## dale5351 (Sep 27, 2010)

Scarbelly said:


> Qtips - peppers - sexlife all in one post that started with bees - LOL
> 
> I had to change my avitar on that one


:-}}  Glad to be of service!


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## scarbelly (Sep 27, 2010)

I talked to a couple of beekeepers today and I think we are good - I have bees here all the time but not swarming like this - would not have even bothered if they were not going into the attic - We have red apple on one hillside so I always have bees there and it helps keep my 20 fuit trees happy and my wifes rose garden going most of the year


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## tom37 (Sep 27, 2010)

Oh man thats  an easy fix if there is drinking involved. All you have to do is drink the first couple beers indoors and when folks start to venture outside arm them with a bad mitten racket and all will be good. Nothing like old fashion lawn games.


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