> From: Collin Forbes <[log in to unmask]>
> First I need to identify the bees.  My mother thinks that they are
> honeybees. They are currently living in comb against bare dirt in a
> shallow depression under a board.  The comb is about 6 inches in diameter.
> I think they may be bombus rather than apis, after hearing stories of
> honeybees setting up housekeeping in high places like trees, chimneys,
> attics, and walls, and bumblebees in heaps of lawn debris.  I don't think
> I can tell a honeybee from a bumblebee without a side-by-side comparison,
> however.
 
        Be *VERY* careful, they may also be Yellowjackets which are
*VERY* nasty things. They sting, repeatedly, and bite!
        Yellowjackets look like very shiney bees and will hang out by soda
cans and other sources of free food, they'll also rip pieces of meat off
your plate. Bombus are big, lumbering, fuzzy things.
        You've probably got the right idea calling the extension agent, if
they're not available or knowledgable about bees (the one around here doesn't
consider them very agricultural related, go fig'er!) then call the police
and ask them for the number of the person they call when someone reports a
swarm. There's got to be a beekeeper that has cozied up to the local police to
get free bees...8-}
        I hope they're honey bees, good luck and if you've got bears around
where you're moving them...build a bear fence or you'll end up like me,
I'm back to being a bee equipment keeper! *smirk*
 
 
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Dave D. Cawley            |     The information on the Internet is only
University Of Scranton    |     interesting to people who are interested
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