What are these bees doing?

[BeeMaster2]

Watch the bees and look for bees with pollen on their hind legs. If you see pollen going in then it s a hive.
Jim Altmiller

[RL]

Thanks folks.
I know enough about bees to know they die after stinging, and they don't (or shouldn't) sting without good reason.

I grew up on an acre of established gardens in the country, with masses of flowers all year round, and there were always a lot of bees moving among the flowers. In 18 years, I got stung maybe twice.

We've only been at this place 6 months, and so far my wife, my 7yo and me have all been stung after stepping on bees that were wandering round on the grass (we pulled out stingers each time). There's no weeds in the lawn, we had it sprayed. 5yo and 7yo have both had bees fly into their hair and get tangled, 7yo was stung (I found the stinger in his head), thankfully 5yo wasn't due to quick action, but she was so traumatized she might as well have been.

My wife was sitting on a wall outside (the one in the video) when one landed on her face, she reflexively lifted her hand up and was immediately stung up inside her nose. I got the stinger out with a flashlight and long pointed tweezers. Thankfully all without the kids finding out.

My experience growing up in the country set a kind of benchmark for me for what I thought was "normal" bee numbers and behavior. I don't remember bees walking round on the ground. The bees also flew fairly lazily between the flowers.  Here they're zooming round the yard like little jet planes, sometimes there are clouds of them. Based only on my own experience, it doesn't seem normal, and 6 stings in 6 months also doesn't seem normal. I don't know enough to understand this yet, but given this situation, I need to learn the reason, and then do something about it if I can.

Anyway I am grateful for what I have learned so far.

Regards
RL

[yes2matt]

Thanks folks.
I know enough about bees to know they die after stinging, and they don't (or shouldn't) sting without good reason.

I grew up on an acre of established gardens in the country, with masses of flowers all year round, and there were always a lot of bees moving among the flowers. In 18 years, I got stung maybe twice.

We've only been at this place 6 months, and so far my wife, my 7yo and me have all been stung after stepping on bees that were wandering round on the grass (we pulled out stingers each time). There's no weeds in the lawn, we had it sprayed. 5yo and 7yo have both had bees fly into their hair and get tangled, 7yo was stung (I found the stinger in his head), thankfully 5yo wasn't due to quick action, but she was so traumatized she might as well have been.

My wife was sitting on a wall outside (the one in the video) when one landed on her face, she reflexively lifted her hand up and was immediately stung up inside her nose. I got the stinger out with a flashlight and long pointed tweezers. Thankfully all without the kids finding out.

My experience growing up in the country set a kind of benchmark for me for what I thought was "normal" bee numbers and behavior. I don't remember bees walking round on the ground. The bees also flew fairly lazily between the flowers.  Here they're zooming round the yard like little jet planes, sometimes there are clouds of them. Based only on my own experience, it doesn't seem normal, and 6 stings in 6 months also doesn't seem normal. I don't know enough to understand this yet, but given this situation, I need to learn the reason, and then do something about it if I can.

Anyway I am grateful for what I have learned so far.

Regards
RL

You are right that this isn't normal. I'm looking at your video and they do not look like bees foraging for mineral water as much as they look like bees bringing back nectar loads. Hence the landing early and crawling toward the hole.

If they live there,  it would explain why they are crawling in the grass in that area, and why they are flying so low to be getting in your face/hair, and why they are inclined to sting.  Also it sounds like they are not gentle bees, neither are they very healthy, based on the video.

Can you ask your beekeeper neighbor to evaluate the situation?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Ben Framed]

We've only been at this place 6 months, and so far my wife, my 7yo and me have all been stung after stepping on bees that were wandering round on the grass (we pulled out stingers each time).

I have lived in the country my entire life. There were always Honey Bees around. Once in the eve of our home. Always in a hollow tree in our backyard. We nor any of our neighbors were beekeepers. I do keep bees now. I have 'never' seen 'honey' bees just wandering around in the yard or crawling through grass.
Moving from clover top to clover top forging as you describe as your childhood experience of the blooms and flowers, yes. Naturally when this occurs as you know, barefooted pedestrians will receive stings on their foot. If that was the case in your situation, only six strings from such in six months would be a conservative number considering bees finding a food source, they concentrate on it. Since your yard has been sprayed, I assume there is nothing blooming in your yard. So this does not add up. Bees stay busy 'gathering' when not in the hive. Lottering in the grass away with no food source away from the hive is not in their nature. Honey Bees will sometimes land on a human and when mashed will sting as stated earlier in the topic about bees natural self defensive .

As a child honey bees were noticed in our location, as were wasp, spiders, ants, frogs etc. Our main concern was poisonous snakes (which were plentiful). 'Shorty' our dog handled that problem most of the time. lol (You should have seen him in action! He was a snake terroriser!  My parents educated us on each of these potential encounters. Such encounters of each were expected and boundaries of each potential were realized and dealt with when needed and accepted as our way of life. A price of living in the country as opposed to city living.

I doubt the following relates to your case as you seem like a level headed fellow, and a reasonable thinker.

As a side note just for fun: 
We had a family move here from the city many years ago, back before my area was so 'domesticated'. The fellow groomed his yard, sprayed, edged etc with extreme precise, just as he had done during his city living. Which out in the country, in those days was not a common occurrence. Yes grass was cut and hedges were pruned but the precision of this fellow was not so much demonstrated. . One day one of the ranchers cattle happened to get out. A couple crossed his beautiful lawn. The new fellow happened to show up at the country store, interrupted the conversation which was going on at the time and commenced fussing about cows getting on his beautiful lawn. One of the oldtimers told him."You knew this was the country when you moved here. You knew cows and horses abound here and yes cows and horses do on occasion get out." "What did you expect when you moved here? It amazes me how you city folks want to escape the grind of city living, yet bring your city ways and thinking to the country." Of course the entire audience bursted out laughing and the fellow left mad. But he soon got over it. He did not move back to his safe city living he learned to assimilate. 
      

[The15thMember]

Thanks folks.
I know enough about bees to know they die after stinging, and they don't (or shouldn't) sting without good reason.

I grew up on an acre of established gardens in the country, with masses of flowers all year round, and there were always a lot of bees moving among the flowers. In 18 years, I got stung maybe twice.

We've only been at this place 6 months, and so far my wife, my 7yo and me have all been stung after stepping on bees that were wandering round on the grass (we pulled out stingers each time). There's no weeds in the lawn, we had it sprayed. 5yo and 7yo have both had bees fly into their hair and get tangled, 7yo was stung (I found the stinger in his head), thankfully 5yo wasn't due to quick action, but she was so traumatized she might as well have been.

My wife was sitting on a wall outside (the one in the video) when one landed on her face, she reflexively lifted her hand up and was immediately stung up inside her nose. I got the stinger out with a flashlight and long pointed tweezers. Thankfully all without the kids finding out.

My experience growing up in the country set a kind of benchmark for me for what I thought was "normal" bee numbers and behavior. I don't remember bees walking round on the ground. The bees also flew fairly lazily between the flowers.  Here they're zooming round the yard like little jet planes, sometimes there are clouds of them. Based only on my own experience, it doesn't seem normal, and 6 stings in 6 months also doesn't seem normal. I don't know enough to understand this yet, but given this situation, I need to learn the reason, and then do something about it if I can.

Anyway I am grateful for what I have learned so far.

Regards
RL

I agree with Matt and Phillip, the behavior you have described is not that of bees who are just in the area to forage.  This sounds much more to me like the way bees act at a hive.  I agree that asking your neighbor for her opinion may be very helpful, as it's obviously more difficult for us to diagnose whether the bees are residents or not from just your one video.  But bees crawling in the grass and stinging with minimal provocation sounds much more like a colony living in the wall to me.     

[Ben Framed]

But bees crawling in the grass and stinging with minimal provocation sounds much more like a colony living in the wall to me.

Member, I totally agree with you and Matt; 'If', the ground stings are occuring next to the block wall area, (whether for drink or now hived). But if the strings are occurring in other areas of the yard, just wondering around in the grass away from a hive without a source of food or drink, this would be very strange behavior indeed.

As far as the bees having an established hive in the blocks, I reiterate Beemaster2s' post #20 concerning bees bringing pollen into the block opening. That in itself should tell the tale..

[Ben Framed]

RL wishing you and your family the very best in this situation. I look forward to your updates..

Adding thank you very much for joining beemaster, showing you confidence in our forum as a helpful aid in your unique situation and circumstances. Please also feel free to join in the conversation under any other topic that you may have interest. Questions are always encouraged! Who knows; you and your family may someday become beekeepers!!



This lady is a beekeeper who has quite a following of children watching her bee chanel.  She has even commented of class rooms anxiously viewing her chanel with thanks. Your family might be interested.

"The Honeystead" on youtube.  Though I am not a subscriber, this lady post videos which are quite interesting, especially for beginners and children.





 

[The15thMember]

Member, I totally agree with you and Matt; 'If', the ground stings are occuring next to the block wall area, (whether for drink or now hived). But if the strings are occurring in other areas of the yard, just wondering around in the grass away from a hive without a source of food or drink, this would be very strange behavior indeed.

I will often see workers and drones wandering around on the ground on the path up to my hives, even a good 25 feet from the hive entrance.  I probably wouldn't have ever noticed them if I didn't have a dirt path, but it seems like a pretty regular occurrence.  I routinely see about one or two a day, and those are just the ones on the path.  I always assumed that perhaps they are bees at the end of their life who can no longer fly.  However, you do have a point.  If stings are occurring, for example, on the other side of the house, then it would be odd if these bees had anything to do with it. 

As far as the bees having an established hive in the blocks, I reiterate Beemaster2s' post #20 concerning bees bringing pollen into the block opening. That in itself should tell the tale.

         
I agree, this is THE test.  Bees will only carry pollen into a cavity like this if they are living there.  If you stand off to the side so you don't interrupt their flight path, you should be able to watch them without them being bothered by your presence.  As long as there are pollen producing plants blooming in your area at this time of year, sooner or later colony will bring pollen into the hive if they are living there.  Here is a picture so you know what to look for.  Notice the pollen pellet on the bee's hind leg.  The pellet can be larger or smaller and of course varies in color based on the pollen the bees are collecting. 

[Ben Framed]

Member you always post the most awesome pictures.  Another good one!  Thanks

[The15thMember]

Member you always post the most awesome pictures.  Another good one!  Thanks

No problem.    I got that one from HoneyBeeSuite.com. 

I forgot to mention that I liked your story about the city slicker who moved to your country town, Phillip.  I can just picture him out there with his edger mourning his lawn! 

[Ben Framed]

 
I forgot to mention that I liked your story about the city slicker who moved to your country town, Phillip.  I can just picture him out there with his edger mourning his lawn! 

Haa haa thats is funny! "mourning his lawn": he did 'morun' for a day or two I suppose!!