Quick, call Noelle!
360-280-4594 | noellenordstrom.oly@gmail.com | #beeallaboutit
Hello neighbors, my name is Noelle and I am a hobbyist beekeeper who moved here last fall. I live on 9th street in Port Angeles. Alas, my bee colonies did not survive the winter. Since I am renting, I decided not to purchase bees this year and I have several empty beehives standing by in my backyard. Honeybee swarming season is revving up, so I wanted to ask you to please give me a shout if you see a honeybee swarm in our neighborhood. I have homes for them. I can even set up a hive in your yard if it has the right conditions and you think it would be fun. I will tend it and we can share the honey. When a swarm clusters, time is of the essence. Please know that though a honeybee swarm is a dramatic, kind of scary looking event, the bees are in a very good mood and not likely to sting. Do not be scared, it is a festive occasion! Please magnetize my contact information above, to your fridge and put it in your phone.
My second request is that everyone keep their eyes peeled for an invasive menace called the Asian Giant Hornet. Please familiarize yourself with what they look like so you can report them to WA Dept. Ag. and consider trapping them if you are interested. If you have a hummingbird feeder it is possible you might see one stop by for a drink. It will be nearly as large as a hummingbird! These hornets are dangerous to humans and can decimate honey bee colonies as well as other colonial insects. Just last year they were discovered in British Columbia and in Blaine, Washington. The Washington Department of Agriculture has instigated a volunteer trapping program to try to get a handle on them. Clallam County is one of the spots they want to watch closely. We have at most 2 years to get a grip on these things before they become a long-term problem. If they are here, the queens will be emerging right about now and looking for sugar. They like tree sap, especially oaks.
New York Times article: Murder Hornets’ in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet
AGH Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hornets
WA Dept Agriculture AGH information, report sightings, etc: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/insects-pests-and-weeds/insects/hornets
I am going to set up some traps and am getting supplies. More traps improve our chances of detecting them, so consider setting out and tending (weekly) traps of your own: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/insects-pests-and-weeds/insects/hornets/trapping. If you decide to set out traps, two places you can get the rice cooking wine are McPhee’s on Race St and Saar’s on Lauridsen Blvd in PA.
If you decide to set traps, let me know, and I might be able to offer advice or help.
Thanks a ton! My husband and I are very happy to land in this excellent place! We look forward to making friends around here.
Take care everyone -Noelle noellenordstrom.oly@gmail.com
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