Laughing Dog Arts

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Going Buggy


Hello, I have some new followers and would like to extend a welcome to them before I say anything else.  I have finally passed the 100 mark thanks to you all!  I can hardly believe it.  When I began blogging I thought maybe 20 or even 30 followers if I was lucky.   I haven't even been posting very often but here I have gained some lovely new followers.  Thank you!  I appreciate your support, all of you.  So I figured I had better post something new before I begin losing people.
I've been very busy out of doors but I have managed to slip a bit of studio time in now and then and created the above piece to honor all the bugs I have been battling.  The garden plants attract mostly slugs and chipmunks but still it struggles along.  There seem to be more bees this year than last, and this post will mainly deal with the capturing of a wild swarm.
Above shows a wild swarm of bees that landed in a tree in my yard.  That is a big ball of bees, waiting for the scouts to return to tell them where to set up a new home.

Here comes Chain Saw man, dressed in his bee suit, working to capture the swarm of bees.  He tells me a swarm of bees might carry as much as a gallon of honey with them as they move out with a new queen to try and find a new home.  Imagine what a gallon of honey weighs.  Then imagine what a swarm of bees carrying a gallon of honey weighs.  Not light!
They ball up high in a tree usually, as they wait for information about prospective new homes/hives.  Chainsaw man climbs up and cuts the branch they are collected on and brings it down.

He holds it over the new bee box home, gives it a firm rap.....

and all the bees dislodge and fall into the bee box.  Just like that.

He slowly works a lid onto the top of the box.


Soon, the bees are settled into their new home.  There has been a lot of wild bee activity this year, swarms coming in and out and one settling into a fallen down willow tree, as well as 3 captured swarms counting two at the neighbors.  Lets hope they have time to produce some surplus honey.

The weather has remained mostly cool, cloudy and damp around here.  It is a constant battle against the slugs and other critters, in our attempts to grow a garden.  But quite worth it.  I hope the rest of you are enjoying some fine summer weather.  Sorry I have been remiss in visiting others blogs, but it is a busy time of year.  Thank you for your time, if you are reading this post.  If you don't have time for leaving a comment, I understand.  Please return when you are able and I hope to visit your blogs again too.

Be well.
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25 comments:

yoborobo said...

That is so cool! Chainsaw Man is awesome - lol! I love bees, but I can't imagine climbing up into a tree to get a swarm. I do have a butterfly-bee garden, because I know they need our help. xox - Pam

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Love your bug tribute. You can KEEP the bugs. LOL

Very interesting process in containing the bees. Not many people get to see THAT!

maddyrose said...

As always a delightful post. Chainsaw man must have nerves of steel. I'd be scared spitless doing what he did capturing the bee swarm. I have noticed more bees in my yard this year as well. I took it as a good sign. Congrats on the new followers. Have a happy and productive day.

Marlene said...

Wow Jan, that is awesome. Chainsaw man is my hero. I would have been so scared to get that close. I hope the bees are happy in their new home.
FYI - Leaving for the mountain for a week, will check in when I return.

Crazy Mama said...

congrats on your 100 follower mark. i hope to one day share that honor with you. chainsaw man is pretty brave. i just hope you don't get the africanized bees like we have down here. mean, nasty, and even deadly when they attack. i think it might be too cold where you live for them. hope so!

audrey said...

Yipes!! All those bees!!
Jan, I have been thinking about you a lot and wondering what you've been up to. So glad to see your post.
You do have a large yard and I know how much time it must consume to maintain... and the dogs and the llamas and the bees and the birds...and art... I can't imagine how busy you must be just with outdoor chores.
I have noticed more bees this year already, too. Nothing like what you are dealing with.
Mom has been having a lot of health problems so I have been busy with Dr. appointments, ER, Urgent Care, etc. Little time for much else. I hope to hear something from the Dr. tomorrow on her recent CAT scan.
Congratulations on your 100 followers, Jan!! My followers section has been missing from my blog for about a month now. Not sure if Blogger will ever return it.
Your "Going Buggy" fabric piece is both fun and pretty!!
SO happy to hear what you've been doing. I've missed you.
xxoo audrey

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I've been going buggy, but for different reasons! LOL! ;-D
I still can't get over the number of bees you have there; we are sooooo short on bees here and the only thing I can connect it to is the fact that everyone is always spraying chemicals.
My garden has bloomed and gone, so I see no bees now. Hopefully there will be more blooms in late summer, but not enough for me to don a bee suit.
I am thinking that might be a disaster....humorous, but a disaster none the less!
Enjoy that honey...YUM!!!!

XXOO~~
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

P.S. CONGRATS ON THE FOLLOWERS!!!!
(told ya so.....) ♥♥♥

Anonymous said...

Chainsaw man is indeed spectacular capturing that swarm. Love your piece, so much depth. You will enjoy that honey for sure, helps keep allergies at bay too! 100+ great!!!xox Corrine

Glenn Stenson said...

Looks and sounds like you have been a busy bee!

sjmcdowell said...

Hi Jan,

What an interesting post!! Love the pictures of Chainsaw Man working with the Bee's. What a job that must "bee"!! Ha ha could not resist!!
I don't see as many Bee's around here like last year...Last year we were afraid to go outside on our back patio.

I love the "Goin Buggy" tribute..really cute!!

All is well here just making things for my Facebook shop.


Hugs and Blessings,

Susan

Emma said...

Wow, that swarm's amazing, he's so high, up there!

Fab collage & great to reach 100! Come by when you can ;)

Robbie said...

First, loved the primer on bees!! And your art piece is great!!! I clicked on the picture to see it up front and close!! Love the 3 flowers on the bottom..what a great touch!! Very, very nice piece!

Martha Bright said...

Nice work Jan--your outdoor activities and art are working together. Are you going to do a bird piece too? I am glad you have been able to do both. I have been so swamped with stuff outside that the most creative thing I've done is paint my tack room. But I did stencil some dragonflies on the wall and painted the walls pale green and orange... so that's something. I wish I could see your place. It seems so wild and peaceful at the same time. Like you, ha ha.

Anonymous said...

Love the tribute to bugs but I too think you can have 'em!! LOL!!
Come on over to my blog as I am having a Southern Belle Giveaway!!
Marilyn

Patty said...

It's so cool that you're saving/cultivating the bees! If not for bees we'd starve in about 2 seasons!

Linda Vincent said...

I enjoyed seeing your bee photos Jan...that's exactly what my grandad used to do about 40 years ago. He was registered with the police and they used to fetch him from his home to deal with wild swarms.

Love your colourful collage!
xx

Anja said...

Remains me at Puh the bear...;-))

Maggi said...

Love the Going Buggy piece. Chainsaw Man is much braver than I would be. I don't mind providing a habitat for bees but wouldn't like to get that up close and personal!

DVArtist said...

Wow what a great post. You are lucky to have the bees. We have not seen many at all over here and it has upset the pollination of plants.
Would like some of that honey!!
Nicole/Beadwright

Shelley Whiting said...

You deserve all those followers. Your work is amazing. I love all the detail and different collage elements.

Patti Sandham said...

Hi Jan, I had a great visit to your site and looked around at a bunch of your posts. It was fun to go for a walk with you and the dogs in the rain and see you and your display at the show in Clatskanie show. I love your work and am especially enamoured with your new bug piece. Beautiful! I am like you and try and help out the bees. I was thinking of learning about bees and getting a hive and plant more things they like to eat.

wishing you warmer dryer weather.
Cheers

Judy Ziegler said...

Cool Bee Blog! We have a hive in our old pear tree out front by the road.

Jan said...

Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful comments. I do try and reply personally to all comments but if you are a no reply blogger I am unable to so a special thanks for your comments from Pattio and Judy! I appreciate your stopping by.

Marie S said...

I have tons of bees here too. I love them.
I have never seen them taken out of a tree though.
Thanks you for sharing that!!
Yay bees!!