Bees - Honeybees - in a swarm -
Note: bees are not a bright yellow and bright black creature - like the wasps that too many call bees. They are much paler and if you look close actually have fur/hair.
The bee-keeper that came to collect them says he estimated 32,000 bees. Note the branch that they are on is only about a half inch thick. You can see the thickest part of the branch at the top of the second picture. This picture shows bees, sitting on top of another bees, and continuing pile of thickness. I don't know how the bottom ones can breathe. It was super cool.
He collected them in a cardboard box. He taped the bottom corners up then placed the box on the ground under the branch. He cut the branch above the bees (with my permission). He slowly laid the branch of bees into the box and quickly stepped back about 10 feet. The bees flew around a bit but mostly stayed together. We waited about 10-15 minutes until most of them settled back down. Then he stepped forward and flipped two of the top "lids" and stepped back again. Waited again and then flipped the other two lids. Then he taped up the flipped lid (now shut) but left the top corners un-taped. Amazingly the bees inside stayed inside... and the ones still flying around in the air, well most of them actually flew into the tiny corner holes to join the others. When almost all of the bees were inside, he added tape to the top corners, and picked up the box. He let me and my son put our ear on the outside of the box, and it was really cool... you could really hear them all buzzing and they were super loud. Note: He did get stung twice when he first dropped the branch in the box. But he left super happy.
Note: bees are not a bright yellow and bright black creature - like the wasps that too many call bees. They are much paler and if you look close actually have fur/hair.
The bee-keeper that came to collect them says he estimated 32,000 bees. Note the branch that they are on is only about a half inch thick. You can see the thickest part of the branch at the top of the second picture. This picture shows bees, sitting on top of another bees, and continuing pile of thickness. I don't know how the bottom ones can breathe. It was super cool.
He collected them in a cardboard box. He taped the bottom corners up then placed the box on the ground under the branch. He cut the branch above the bees (with my permission). He slowly laid the branch of bees into the box and quickly stepped back about 10 feet. The bees flew around a bit but mostly stayed together. We waited about 10-15 minutes until most of them settled back down. Then he stepped forward and flipped two of the top "lids" and stepped back again. Waited again and then flipped the other two lids. Then he taped up the flipped lid (now shut) but left the top corners un-taped. Amazingly the bees inside stayed inside... and the ones still flying around in the air, well most of them actually flew into the tiny corner holes to join the others. When almost all of the bees were inside, he added tape to the top corners, and picked up the box. He let me and my son put our ear on the outside of the box, and it was really cool... you could really hear them all buzzing and they were super loud. Note: He did get stung twice when he first dropped the branch in the box. But he left super happy.
Cricket #2
Criscket #3 below - Crillos Verdaderos - not blurry - it has a truly mottled look
Cricket 4 - Two spotted tree cricket
Damselflies - in quantity
Stink Bug - Green Stink Bug - Chinavia Hilaris - Note: exoskeleton shell in 2nd pic