BilletHead

Hey @oneshot 1, I was watching the radar. Looks like there was a thunderstorm warning that went right over you and Bennitt Springs. Did you get any rain with this one?

Very good trip report buddy! We want to back to the driftless again. good pics also. It's good to see you and Kathy in the picture. Who took it? 😁

Speaking of Joe Walsh,

Could Jeff be a reincarnation or Ray Walston?

I heard the same thing. Cannot remember where but it is true.

Remember the OAF stickers @Phil Lilley had made and distributed to the members a few years back? Some of us put on our boats and outbound motors and I have seen some on vehicles. Well I completed the 15th hive a few days ago. Pat painted it. It's a Bee billboard. The different ways we paint the hives the colonies we put in them helps the bees recognize their home. Let the bees spread the word about the OAF forums.😆 It's going to be the buzz in the apiary. Well today was the day I transferred the bees from the swarm trap into the new hive. Did not use any smoke just moved slowly and put them in the same order I pulled them out. Six frames were in the trap. In just over two weeks each frame had over halfway drawn in comb. Five of those frames had brood capped and uncapped on each side. Amazing IMO. VID_20240601_112740996.mp4 I got to see the queen on one of those frames. Here is one of those frames and the brood . I know any other beekeepers on here like JD will like it. Also got into ten other layens hives today and had to add more frames to all but one that hadn't filled all I had given out last check. All the rain we have got this spring has helped the nectar flow. Last two summers drought was hard on the bees.

I think those you are finding might be the jumpers @jdmidwest was talking about. I have seen those also. Nitecrawler has a pointed head and flat type tail. I do know those jumpers do go bonkers when grabbing them.

I kind of am JD. It was totally nuts this season. Had no idea. Pat and I hand caught four swarms out of our hives that were within reach. Had swarm traps out here around our hives. Put two hives over at moms' place. Baited them like swarm traps. Had a swarm move in one. That was a first for us. I know it happens and has happened to you. I had a friend in Weableau built two hives and he needed swarms. This year he caught his own and an extra for me. Then my outlying traps started catching swarms. Then another new to me thing happened. The mother tree that has had a feral colony swarmed and went 45 foot up. Giant swarm. Boy I would have liked to have that. 24 hours later I seen scouts looking at swarm traps in yard and then it happened they took flight up, out over the swarm trap and like a tornado tail right down into my trap. Got to see it happen. Since all my hives were full, I took a single deep Langsdorf box and fixed it up. Put that swarm into it. About that time Pat said Hey we should start pulling down outlying swarm traps. We tried one day but found some of those occupied. So, my friend Tim built two more layens hives and I did one more also. Total Pat and I caught 15 swarms. We know have 15 hives filled including the ones that made it through winter and three lost late last summer. Tim came over and took three swarms' home and he has one trap he will use as a resource hive to help a slower hive. I will end up with two resource traps full to do the same. I am tired of shuffling traps and going after dark shutting them up and bringing them home. I still have one to bring home that I caught in a tree stand close to the house. I took them three miles away and will bring them home to place where I need them. All I was shooting for was 10 to 12 as a goal.

Would you believe we are up to 15?

Yes thank you bees. Boy I have given even more homes this year. I need to update. Been a crazy swarm season.

You are a tough old bird Oneshot. From the stories of your past that you have shared with us. Chemo should be a breeze. Good luck

Supper?

Still nothing here either Jeff. Guess we are too far West.

Pretty!

Great variety there Mitch. Would me and Bobby McGee be the Janis Joplin version?

I like Rush also. In my little shop today. Have you ever seen such an unruly place. Too many projects going on at once. Building another bee hive at the moment. VID_20240526_121627331.mp4

Sounds like someone brought it in on boat trailer or in the hull or live well. Maybe someone dumped an aquarium fill of plants and piranha.

Sounds like you are stuck in or out of your chair.

Way to go @Smallie Seeker. You did well!

I seen those too Daryk on the panfish group. Is that where you found it?

I like the cars!

I know that cove going into Orleans. Will check it out next time around there.

It could be. Other States DNRs are concerned. As big and deep as our big lakes are it may not be. If it does it's going to take many, many years.

Curly leaf pondweed. Curly-leaf pondweed | (Potamogeton crispus) | Wisconsin DNR FS1235: Curly-leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus): a Non-Native Aquatic Plant in New Jersey Waterways (Rutgers NJAES) So and so forth. Seems like no one wants this invasive.