Saturday, June 4, 2011

it's a guessing game for you...

Can you guess what this is?



did you guess large pinecone?

nope.

look closer...


BEES!!!
(honey bees to be exact)
This afternoon as I was weeding, and Hannah was mowing, I moved some furniture around in the yard, looked up and saw a huge swarm of bees flying around our huge pinetree in back.


Now, I think I've shown my fondness for the little critters.
But I have mentioned on here before...
I am a wimp.
Not ashamed to admit it either.
Bees scare me.
I mean have you seen the movie MY GIRL?
(spoiler alert)
The little boy dies from bee stings!!!
I want to be the queen bee in my home, but I don't want to meet one that is flying around my tree!



After a quick call to a bee retriever (for lack of a better name for him)  I have been schooled in the life of bees.

(this is why I tell my children to pay attention in school, I probably learned this in elementary school but was too busy doodling a Holly Hobby on my notebook)

The colony that we apparently have in our eaves has split.

There are two queens now and well, we know how well that would work in OUR homes right?

So when the colony split, the ones that left all gathered around their new queen and the scouts of the group went in search of a new home.  (probably our barn or something equally inconvenient)
All of the bees you see here, which are over 1 foot long are just thousands of bees hanging on to eachother and the queen is in the center.

When I am in need of my troups, I expect the same treatment!

just saying.

 So the bee man just got here and he is going to take them home with him.

Thank you bee man.

On to another little pest that I usually try to avoid...



ants!


but if they will help this bud get to this



well then, let's have a picnic!

The peonies are starting to bloom!  This morning there was one bloom and as of right now, there are eight!

I can't wait, I love them so...  I will show pictures when they are in full bloom.

lastly, Max says thank you for all of the sweet comments wishing him well.  Today was his first day of playing with his buddies. After a rousing game of nerf guns this is how I found him...


laying in the front yard.
When I asked him if he felt o.k. he answered nonchalantly,

"yeah, I just like laying in the grass"

oh happy day!

love,
Theresa xoxo



17 comments:

  1. Oh, isn't he cute? Max, not the bee man. Of course, the bee man is sweet for taking those critters off your hand. I thought maybe for a minute, shudder, they were june bugs! Those nasty things really freak me out! What kind of bees are they?

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  2. oh my gosh, Max is to cute.
    Glad he is feeling better and taking it somewhat easy in the grass,lol
    Oooo, scary bees adorable in art scary in real life

    Amy

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  3. OH MY HECK!!! I have NEVER seen a bunch of bees like that!! Is that some kind of temporary set-up they have (well, yeah - I know from your perspective it is...but - were they going to get a more permanent housing plan together??) Eeekkk. I like bees too (ummmm....and I LOVE that bee pendant of yours! ;o)) but yikes....Good luck with that! Your Max is a cutie ~ love those freckles!! Hope the rest of your weeding goes a little more uneventfully! Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

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  4. Wow! That is scary looking...the bees, not Max...he's a handsome fellow! Awesome pictures of that swarm....I would have been afraid to get anywhere near it! :)

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  5. Oh How I wish I had peonies, my favorite! Now, about the bees YIKKES, you are a much better person than me, I had a tree filled with bees and I just emptied a can of hornets spray....all gone. You had soooo many I would be afraid to spray them! Glad all is well

    Carol

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  6. Yikes! If I saw that many bees all in one place, I think I'd be running away (although they are necessary creatures and I do enjoy their honey).

    Danielle

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  7. Hi Theresa, glad to hear you took care of the bees in a humane manner. Julie at A Vintage Chic has them in an outside wall at her house which will have to be removed to get them and the honey out. Bees and ants are amazing creatures -- what they can accomplish in no time. We have tons of ants here. Dirt is used between floors of buildings so when there is a crack, they find their way in and take up residence. Summer is especially bad for them. Your peonies are beautiful! Glad to hear Max is on the mend. Have a great day. Tammy

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  8. Oh my gosh, Max is adorable!!! And I sure hope he feels better. And that beehive is unreal!
    I hope you have a wonderful Sunday with your family.
    XO
    Cindy

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  9. Oh Theresa what an adventure! We had a swarm in my mother's yard one year when we lived in Houston and it took no time at all for the local bee keeper to arrive and fetch them home! They love when they get a call to retrieve a swarm!
    I have a question for you about soldering. When you put your glass pieces together do you apply foil tape around the edges before soldering? I was told yes by one person and no by another and before I start learning to solder I want to make sure I am doing it right. If the answer is yes, would HVAC aluminum tape work? Or is there a special kind? Sorry to bombard you with questions but you are the only person I know who solders. Thanks Theresa and have a great Sunday!
    Tina xo

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  10. What a great post! Those bees...thank goodness for bee-men!!! We have had a couple of hives in our neighborhood over the years and it's pretty amazing.
    Your peonies I am sighing over. I bet it's spectacular when they all are in bloom. I'm excited to see more pictures!
    xo
    lynn

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  11. and here I thought you were going to say they were attracted to your sparkly earrings lol

    YAY Max,

    ouch buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
    xxx
    z

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  12. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Okay that freaks me out & I am not even around them! But you sure are right about the 2 queens in one house :) Unless you are a sister wife of course :)

    Looking at Max lying in the grass makes me put:
    LIE ON THE GRASS on my summer list...I mean if I HAD a summer list...great, now I need to make a list! Thanks Max :)

    Monday here we come! :)

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  13. I'm so glad you called someone to take those bees instead of getting out some spray or something. Bees are such an important part of our lives and our gardens- I've never seen something like this- it sure is fascinating and I'm super glad you shared it with us :)

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  14. Interesting, awesome and scary! Congrats on being in the magazine..I love your jewelry!
    Rene

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  15. Max is a sweetie! I would have been freaked out seeing those bees, but they are really amazing!

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  16. I cannot get OVER those bees. Incredible.

    I want to lay in the grass too. :)

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Thank you so much for visiting me here at The Old White House, your comments make my day! ~ Theresa xoxo