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Sunday, 14 October 2012

Macro Monday - Bees

A swarm of bees formed on a garden fence just down the road from our house this weekend.  The same thing happened a couple of years ago as well.  There is a long tern hive in a concrete light post at almost the same spot, so I think this must be a group of bees striking out to make a new colony.

There were a large number of bees in the air around the swarm, but I was surprised at how many people managed to walk to almost level with the swarm before they notice!  Once they noticed they normally fled in panic.  I was stood there camera in hand - and I think most people thought I was crazy.  The bees seemed more relaxed than most of the people.



You could see a number of the bees doing their figure of eight waggle dance on the surface of the swarm - which is the first time I've seen this happen.


You can find more macro shots at Macro Monday.

Enjoy the close ups.
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16 comments:

  1. HansHB14 October 2012 at 21:05

    Great close-up photos. A little bit creepy to see all these bees so close...
    Have a great Sunday!

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  2. eileeninmd14 October 2012 at 22:03

    Oh my, I think I would have fled too. Glad you stayed and took your photos. It is a neat sight to see.

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  3. SandyCarlson14 October 2012 at 23:59

    Talk about strength in numbers!

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  4. Rustic Vintage Country15 October 2012 at 00:29

    Amazing photos and I know I shouldn't laugh but the thought of those poor people running when they realised! That bottom photo reminds me of a pair of slippers, not that I'd want to wear them.

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  5. Sylvia K15 October 2012 at 02:17

    Strength in numbers indeed!! That is a barrel of bees if I ever saw one!! What great shots, Stewart!! Hope your didn't get stung!!

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  6. TexWisGirl15 October 2012 at 03:04

    i hope they find a new hive to settle into.

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  7. Penelope Notes15 October 2012 at 03:14

    Wow … these are amazing! I’ve heard that bees might one day be on the endangered species list. It sure doesn’t seem like it by the looks of your photos. They sure don’t mind invading each others space, either. In fact, it looks like the bees rather enjoy it. :)

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  8. Gail Dixon15 October 2012 at 04:22

    Gosh, that's a lot of bees. Since I've gotten into nature photography, I've found that I'm less scared of bees or stinging insects when the camera is in front of me. Being an observer through the lens, you realize that they're more interested in their nectar or whatever than worrying about you. Good on you to be brave and get these shots!

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  9. Kenneth15 October 2012 at 06:34

    It is fascinating to see the bees swarming to hear the buzz!

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  10. Sallie (FullTime-Life)15 October 2012 at 15:08

    Oh my gosh -- I like creepy crawlies, but a whole swarm of bees is a little scary! Beautiful macro.

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  11. SeaThreePeeO15 October 2012 at 21:15

    Wow, what an amazing thing to see. My six year old would probably die on the spot. She has a big phobia about bees. Anything that buzzes in fact.

    Herdign Cats

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  12. carol l mckenna15 October 2012 at 23:36

    Wow! Excellent ~ you were brave ~ (A Creative Harbor)

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  13. Andrea16 October 2012 at 00:23

    I will flee also if I see that, as I've been stung maybe 5 times with them, but not from the swarm. I wonder why they do the figure it, and you are so observant to have figured that out. I figured the loop is not very long for you to notice, the figure, haha! I intentionally emphasized the redundant figures!

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  14. Anonymous16 October 2012 at 00:39

    Amazing shots!

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  15. EMily16 October 2012 at 02:16

    Holy lots of bees!

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  16. Anonymous16 October 2012 at 05:42

    I've never seen a swarm like that. Amazing!

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