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EdgeBrew · 10-03-2012, 05:51 AM

Hi.

I overheard someone saying bees drop around and say hello when they brewing. Is he off with the fairies, or are bees attracted by the sugar odours from brewing?

On the weekend I did my first all grain batch. Afterwards I put the grains into the compost heap. A few days after that found a bee hive in my back yard. Where they attracted by the grains?

This might not help the ever strained approval factor us married brewers struggle with.

Cheers

**bottlebomber** · 10-03-2012, 06:09 AM

Crazy. You wouldn't typically see anything like that where I live.

**biochemedic** · 10-03-2012, 06:49 AM

That photo looks like a swarming event, which is somewhat random but does occur in the US as well. As I understand it, it occurs when a hive outgrows itself...some of the bees leave with a new queen and form a new hive...

Perhaps if we have any beekeepers lurking around, they can chime in, but I'll be that the grains and/or beer brewing had nothing to do with this.

Try brewing a bochet (boiled/caramelized honey mead) in the spring or summer though...it's definitely helpful to have an assistant for swatting away the interested bees!

**unionrdr** · 10-03-2012, 12:21 PM

We had yellow jackets do that inside the wall above our master bedroom door at our previous house. They slowly chewed through the sheet rock. I thought it was mice or rats,tapped the wall with a broom handle,& this whole heard of them buzzed out. They took over the wall above the window box on the opposite side of the room. The exterminator said it was the biggest yellow jacket nest he ever encountered.
When we put out lids of beer to attract slugs in the garden away from the plants,bees & yellow jackets shared it as well. I think the malts smell like something familiar to them.

**daksin** · 10-03-2012, 06:18 PM

I was going to say I know that wasps, (esp yellowjackets around my area) are attracted to that sweet smell, but I haven't ever had bees. Weird.

**static** · 10-03-2012, 06:31 PM

Do you have a bee keeper in the neighborhood? From talking to a friend that's a bee keeper he said its not totally uncommon for a hive to move. There are associations around that list members in the area. Check Google. If they are honey bees don't exterminate have a bee keeper relocate them.

jtejedor · 10-03-2012, 06:54 PM

Bees suck. I had to move to overnight mashing to boil early enough so they would not bother me. My exterminator told me most of the bees in our area are africanized and to try not to mess with them too bad. If I have a real vigorous boil going and its late enough in the day they freaking start swarming me. I usually have to start a smokey fire in my bbq to make them leave me alone. And there was always one or two dead bees in the wort. I understand they are vital creatures but back off my beer dammit.

david_42 · 10-03-2012, 08:22 PM

Definitely a swarm and I'm certain there is someone close by that would love to gather it in. Had one a couple months ago in an old Weber grill, but they moved on.

EdgeBrew · 10-03-2012, 10:20 PM

I suppose it is spring here at the moment. I couldn't imagine trying to make a mead.

Yes they are honey bees. We called the local council and had a bee keeper come to relocate them. The little guys are now happy at his farm. Our chickens can now happily finish off eating my spent grains.

I had hoped for some honey from them but apparently a wild swarm like that might not make honey for a year or two. It would be cool to add your own honey to a brew.

**lou2row** · 10-03-2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtejedor

Bees suck.

Not boo bees.