[obol] Skinner Butte Thurs morning: Bee Swarm

[Clint Brumitt]

Skinner Butte Thurs morning: Bee SwarmBarry, with my limited knowledge I think you saw the making of a new hive.  I once saw a huge ball of bees hanging in a tree along Siskiyou Blvd. in Ashland.  That was a lot more interesting than going to class at SOSC so I watched the beekeeper capture the ball.  He told the group that was watching that this is a behavior of bees when they are in the process of spliting off and making a new hive with a new Queen.

How neat to see it in motion.

Clint Brumitt
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: McKenzie, Barry A. MD 
  To: obol at lists.oregonstate.edu 
  Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:39 AM
  Subject: [obol] Skinner Butte Thurs morning: Bee Swarm


  OBOL- 

  Off topic, but they have wings and they migrate... 

  Pre-office birding this morning at Eugene's Skinner Butte, I encountered a bee swarm in the Lower Meadow. 

  After enjoying great views of the Dusky Flycatcher (still there), a bit of motion in the shadows caught my eye...bins up ----> bee swarm !!!

  About 0930 this morning. A solid ball of bumble bees (not yellow-jackets, bald-faced hornets, or the fuzzy/hairy kind bees). 

  Irregular-shaped wad of bees about the size of a basket ball. They were suspended between branched of a small tree...I could not see any branches or connecting lichen, leaves, or anything else in the middle of the mass of bees --- gave the impression of a solid ball of them. 

  Estimated 3000 individuals??? Is that typical? Anybody know? 

  I assume they'll fly off in a swarm when they warm up bit. 
  I've spent a lot time in the field over the years, but have never before seen a bee swarm. 
  Very cool. 

  Barry McKenzie 
  Eugene 







------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  The contents of this electronic mail message and any attachments are confidential, possibly privileged and intended for the addressee(s) only. Only the addressee(s) may read, disseminate, retain or otherwise use this message. If received in error, please immediately inform the sender and then delete this message without disclosing its contents to anyone. 



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  obol mailing list
  obol at lists.oregonstate.edu
  http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/listinfo/obol

  To unsubscribe, send a message to:
  obol-leave at lists.oregonstate.edu.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.oregonstate.edu/mailman/private/obol/attachments/20070510/32192ef0/attachment.htm