"I am inclined to say yes. I like the sound of what you are trying to do. And there are good reasons for wanting to say yes to you - the bees you want to trap are a source of concern to the park visitors. We hear about them pretty regularly.
"But the guidelines don't allow me to approve your request."
I had called up to the Vicksburg Military Park - the National Parks' Service office here in Vicksburg. And proposed a different approach to getting bees. Last summer, when Remi and Gabi were with us, I spotted a beard of bees in a boll of a cedar tree in the park, just fanning away. I got as close as I could, and got some really nice pictures using my wife's phone, and kept thinking about it all the time.
It is now springtime, it is warmer, and the bees are starting to get restless. I suspect that they are about to swarm, if they have not already. So I called to ask permission to set out a box that they could move into. I picked out a likely spot - about a half mile (as the bee flies) away from their current home, and right next to the Mississippi State Master Gardeners garden. It is an open spot, pretty near to the middle of the park, and has some tree cover, some flowers, and a source of water between the two. Nearly an ideal place to put up a lure box.
Swarming happens when there is space pressure in the hive. Once the available space is nearly filled - with brood, honey, and pollen, the queen will lay a few eggs into cups the workers have prepared. These eggs are fed a rich diet, and they become queens.
But there can bee only one.
Sometimes, the virgin queen will leave, taking a portion of the hive with her. Sometimes, the older queen will abdicate, and take a portion of the hive with her. The scouts look for a good location. And a good space. Putting a box together, and attaching it to the tree adjacent to the garden would provide both.
Shockingly enough, the Park Service has rules against trapping wild animals on their land. And it makes no distinction between elk and honeybees. If you have a lure, or a trap, and have designs on getting an animal (s) into the trap for the purpose of removing it from the park....
You can't.
Exceptions include scientific research, and permits for removing specific pests. Maybe.
Meanwhile, I had also asked the Master Gardeners of Vicksburg for permission to use their location as a place for the trap. Or maybe as a permanent place for a hive.
I received a resounding NO on that front, too. I mean, who wants pollinators near their garden, right? Pesky bees, always buzzing around my flowers. just GO AWAY!
I seem to be bumping against a number of negative responses. But my enthusiasm is undaunted. I have tracked down a hive that has been partially removed, and am considering bringing the rest of the bees back (probably not a good idea.) I have called another beekeeper in the area, who has agreed to call me when he has a removal - and I will be free labor for him. I have found another friend with a large garden outside of town, and have gotten permission to put bees on it if I ever do get more bees than Kathe will allow. I am writing up a proposal for getting a box of bees set up in the military park - away from the paths. I figure by leaving them within the park, I am simply providing them a space to do what they would do normally. I am also headed to pick up my "nuc" (nucleus) of bees in a week from the beekeeper in Hattiesburg.
That hummmmm you hear is me doing my waggle dance. I can't wait.
Sting Count: 0
"But the guidelines don't allow me to approve your request."
I had called up to the Vicksburg Military Park - the National Parks' Service office here in Vicksburg. And proposed a different approach to getting bees. Last summer, when Remi and Gabi were with us, I spotted a beard of bees in a boll of a cedar tree in the park, just fanning away. I got as close as I could, and got some really nice pictures using my wife's phone, and kept thinking about it all the time.
It is now springtime, it is warmer, and the bees are starting to get restless. I suspect that they are about to swarm, if they have not already. So I called to ask permission to set out a box that they could move into. I picked out a likely spot - about a half mile (as the bee flies) away from their current home, and right next to the Mississippi State Master Gardeners garden. It is an open spot, pretty near to the middle of the park, and has some tree cover, some flowers, and a source of water between the two. Nearly an ideal place to put up a lure box.
Swarming happens when there is space pressure in the hive. Once the available space is nearly filled - with brood, honey, and pollen, the queen will lay a few eggs into cups the workers have prepared. These eggs are fed a rich diet, and they become queens.
But there can bee only one.
Sometimes, the virgin queen will leave, taking a portion of the hive with her. Sometimes, the older queen will abdicate, and take a portion of the hive with her. The scouts look for a good location. And a good space. Putting a box together, and attaching it to the tree adjacent to the garden would provide both.
Shockingly enough, the Park Service has rules against trapping wild animals on their land. And it makes no distinction between elk and honeybees. If you have a lure, or a trap, and have designs on getting an animal (s) into the trap for the purpose of removing it from the park....
You can't.
Exceptions include scientific research, and permits for removing specific pests. Maybe.
Meanwhile, I had also asked the Master Gardeners of Vicksburg for permission to use their location as a place for the trap. Or maybe as a permanent place for a hive.
I received a resounding NO on that front, too. I mean, who wants pollinators near their garden, right? Pesky bees, always buzzing around my flowers. just GO AWAY!
I seem to be bumping against a number of negative responses. But my enthusiasm is undaunted. I have tracked down a hive that has been partially removed, and am considering bringing the rest of the bees back (probably not a good idea.) I have called another beekeeper in the area, who has agreed to call me when he has a removal - and I will be free labor for him. I have found another friend with a large garden outside of town, and have gotten permission to put bees on it if I ever do get more bees than Kathe will allow. I am writing up a proposal for getting a box of bees set up in the military park - away from the paths. I figure by leaving them within the park, I am simply providing them a space to do what they would do normally. I am also headed to pick up my "nuc" (nucleus) of bees in a week from the beekeeper in Hattiesburg.
That hummmmm you hear is me doing my waggle dance. I can't wait.
Sting Count: 0
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