More Swarming- On a Bee Line
I never saw this before- an interesting bee incident (I think so anyway):
I work at home - a few feet from 8 hives- and there is a constant low level hum, which is basically white noise to me. So when that bumps up- as in a swarm - my ears prick up- and I look out to see which hive is boiling. So I heard that sound- about noon- and looked out and saw the air up high over my neighbor's yard boiling with bees- a big sphere of the, up high on the Doug Fir I caught the last swarm on. So I hurried over to see if I could see which hive it had come from- but I couldn't see any hive acting that way- all calm.
But as I watched the swarm, waiting for the to light down, hopefully low, it moves west to a Cherry Tree in my yard, so I go back over, and watching it, again waiting for it to settle down, it moves again, a big roiling mass of bees, most up high, like 20 feet up, but plenty down low too. And it moves to the ash tree, and I think, finally! They are going to stop there- and already how odd this is that this swarm doesn't ball up and stop- something is wrong.
But they don't stop there, the start across the street, kitty corner, to another neighbor, and into a tall cedar, a slow moving ball of bees, everywhere, I am walking with them. And they move on, further and further east, over Mark and Shelly's house, over the church, down onto a fire engine and over the fire department, and down on to Velma's house.
So far, no one has seen the but me- the streets are empty- though its midday. But the bees don't stay on Velma's trees, they keep swirling and moving and rolling forward, down onto Main Street, which is the highway. But they are above the cars, people don't see them, and I go to the crosswalk and cross, and they are in a tornado of bees at the gas station, and moving to the liqor store. At this point, anyone leaving the store would be in a mass of bees- but no one does, though I pass one man with eyes wide open and jaw dropping who sits in his car as the bees roll over it.
They drop down through the blackberry and I crash through into the mobile home park, with the bees everywhere still, in the hot Spring sun, and heading to the trees. There are tall cottonwoods and maples, and I think- this has to be the place- I keeep thinking they are going to stop. But they don't- in the bright sun and into the new leaves, they rise up 50 and 60 feet- and are into the forest by the edge of the river- and I walk into the woods and up to the old abandoned bridge buttress, and stand by the river, which is fat, and look up into the blue sky and the bees are just coming out of the woods. And they stop. At the edge of the river.
I think- well- they've stopped here.
Wrong of course- they leave the trees and are crossing the river- and many are already on the far side, swirling up into the blackberry.
My walking with them ends- they've crossed the entire town- I run back home and grab binoculars and drive back across the river and down the farm road to see if I can see them come through. But I don't- not a bee anywhere, just sheep and corn stubble.
And so I lost them. But it occurs to me- that this wasn't a swarm that just left the hive- it was a swarm I missed from the day before- that had been up high in a tree- and had found a home- and was heading to it. I don't know where.
I mapped their course on a Google map- which is below- and you can see the straight line they traveled on- with a small twist at the river where the wind was blowing. I drew a long redline (hard to see here) to continue their path- which I assume is in the far woods, about a mile beyond the river. I will go looking, but I doubt will see anything- but I hope they do well in their new home!
I work at home - a few feet from 8 hives- and there is a constant low level hum, which is basically white noise to me. So when that bumps up- as in a swarm - my ears prick up- and I look out to see which hive is boiling. So I heard that sound- about noon- and looked out and saw the air up high over my neighbor's yard boiling with bees- a big sphere of the, up high on the Doug Fir I caught the last swarm on. So I hurried over to see if I could see which hive it had come from- but I couldn't see any hive acting that way- all calm.
But as I watched the swarm, waiting for the to light down, hopefully low, it moves west to a Cherry Tree in my yard, so I go back over, and watching it, again waiting for it to settle down, it moves again, a big roiling mass of bees, most up high, like 20 feet up, but plenty down low too. And it moves to the ash tree, and I think, finally! They are going to stop there- and already how odd this is that this swarm doesn't ball up and stop- something is wrong.
But they don't stop there, the start across the street, kitty corner, to another neighbor, and into a tall cedar, a slow moving ball of bees, everywhere, I am walking with them. And they move on, further and further east, over Mark and Shelly's house, over the church, down onto a fire engine and over the fire department, and down on to Velma's house.
So far, no one has seen the but me- the streets are empty- though its midday. But the bees don't stay on Velma's trees, they keep swirling and moving and rolling forward, down onto Main Street, which is the highway. But they are above the cars, people don't see them, and I go to the crosswalk and cross, and they are in a tornado of bees at the gas station, and moving to the liqor store. At this point, anyone leaving the store would be in a mass of bees- but no one does, though I pass one man with eyes wide open and jaw dropping who sits in his car as the bees roll over it.
They drop down through the blackberry and I crash through into the mobile home park, with the bees everywhere still, in the hot Spring sun, and heading to the trees. There are tall cottonwoods and maples, and I think- this has to be the place- I keeep thinking they are going to stop. But they don't- in the bright sun and into the new leaves, they rise up 50 and 60 feet- and are into the forest by the edge of the river- and I walk into the woods and up to the old abandoned bridge buttress, and stand by the river, which is fat, and look up into the blue sky and the bees are just coming out of the woods. And they stop. At the edge of the river.
I think- well- they've stopped here.
Wrong of course- they leave the trees and are crossing the river- and many are already on the far side, swirling up into the blackberry.
My walking with them ends- they've crossed the entire town- I run back home and grab binoculars and drive back across the river and down the farm road to see if I can see them come through. But I don't- not a bee anywhere, just sheep and corn stubble.
And so I lost them. But it occurs to me- that this wasn't a swarm that just left the hive- it was a swarm I missed from the day before- that had been up high in a tree- and had found a home- and was heading to it. I don't know where.
I mapped their course on a Google map- which is below- and you can see the straight line they traveled on- with a small twist at the river where the wind was blowing. I drew a long redline (hard to see here) to continue their path- which I assume is in the far woods, about a mile beyond the river. I will go looking, but I doubt will see anything- but I hope they do well in their new home!
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