tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712110501673732079.post1110667653652174067..comments2024-01-31T10:28:04.742-06:00Comments on The Peace Bee Farmer: Soybeans in BloomRichard Underhillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014016516339819639noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712110501673732079.post-39373308105537916932010-07-21T14:47:11.218-05:002010-07-21T14:47:11.218-05:00Honey bee hive entrances are typically protected b...Honey bee hive entrances are typically protected by about two thousand guard bees. They stand ready to repel intruding wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, robber honey bees, and vandals with bricks. The guards are 21-day-old bees. At this age, the venom in the guards’ sting is at its maximum potency. The guard bees very effectively protect their colonies and my bee yards. Once the first bee stings and attacker, the person is marked with attack pheromone for repeated stings. The vandals surely learned this painful lesson. Other than the broken wooden ware, which I replaced, the greater damage caused by the vandalism may not show for a few weeks. Honey bees emit alarm pheromone when stressed. The pheromones released during the attack on the hives would attract small hive beetles from great distances. These pests can overtake hives, driving the bees away as the small hive beetle larvae devour the comb, brood, pollen, and honey.<br /><br />The linden tree, or basswood, is a wonderful honey plant. I once had the opportunity to graft some with horticulturist George Ayres. I wish we had lindens, but they don’t grow here in the Arkansas Delta. I’m wishing you a good linden nectar flow in Vancouver.<br />--RichardRichard Underhillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00014016516339819639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712110501673732079.post-10277553053109093162010-07-19T23:14:08.600-05:002010-07-19T23:14:08.600-05:00What a shame that your hives were vandalized. I ho...What a shame that your hives were vandalized. I hope those prats learned their lesson. Thanks again for your lovely blog. It's so interesting for us Vancouverites to see what's blossoming in the South. Our Linden trees are in bloom right now.Beespeakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08549876651062705757noreply@blogger.com