The `Bees` are back !

Ok, so you didn`t know they were gone. Well, out of the blue about three weeks ago I went down to feed the doves and noticed the bee hive in the old dead tree was silent. On closer inspection, there were one or two lonely bees milling about looking for everyone. Normally at dusk, they were mostly home and busily crowding around the opening, almost in mass form, waiting their turn to get in and unload their pollen.

 

This was how busy it used to be.

Have a look at the post `Bees in the Garden`, June 2014

 

 

We have been having some weird unseasonal electrical thunderstorms for the last three weeks and our best theory is the tree was struck by lightening - not as rare as you might think here in Sydney - our Mulberry tree was struck once. No matter what the reason, sadly, they were gone. So I took this perfect opportunity to prune the old rose climbing the tree. Clair Jacquier` is a natural scrambler, and has grown rampant with neglect. That`s a job I have avoided for years - you don`t want to upset bees.

 

So today. three weeks later, I was out watering my garden and I could hear an unusual buzzing sound, similar to a Cessna airplane. I looked up to locate it and couldn't find it. THEN my eyes focused in closer to thousands of bees buzzing all over the place! Jokeingly, I yelled up to them `Where have you lot been? Get home this minute!` To my amazement as I studied them, sure enough, they were all sort of moving towards the pond and the empty hive in the tree!

 

 

I ran up the yard calling out to my husband and daughter to come and see - the bees were coming home from vacation! By the time we all ran back down to the pond, camera in hand, they were all starting to form a swarm, and blimey Charlie - into the hive they went!

 

 

It only took about half an hour from when I happened to notice them to when they all finally went in. It was a quite a rare moment to witness nature doing it`s thing. Well the hive is now active again, although not as full yet as it once was. I`m sure the Queen will get down to business and populate her hive, after all, that`s all she`s got to do!

 

 

We are just glad they are back. Our bees are an integral part of Bloomfield Cottage. Not only do they pollinate and increase flowers and fruit and veg, but they add another dimension of natures balance.

Visitors are mostly fascinated to watch them coming and going from the hive.

 

I just wonder where they`ve been for the last three weeks?