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Bees Swarming in AthySo on Tuesday as I pulled into the men's shed , I hardly arrived and the lads were coming over to me before I had the car parked fully " Ger , Ger , there is a swarm of bees up the town " . Needless to say I got directions from the guys and drove off up to the centre of town . When I arrived at the town square , on top of Winkles I saw the swarm , a nice swarm and it would of being a lovely addition to my apairy . One problem !! They were on the chimney of the shop - actually it turned out they were on the chimney of Sherry Fitzgerald's next door to the newsagents and I had no ladder with me long enough to reach them . When bees swarm they are looking for a new home - its a bit ironic that they landed on Sherry Fitzgeralds - and were also looking for a new home So I packed up my stuff and had to settle for only being able to take a few photos of the swarm , not being able to reach it . Wednesdays SwarmWednesday morning and my phone began to ring and get text messages at about 10am . The swarm (I'm guessing it was the same one ) had come down from the chimney and settled on the Vodafone shop . So it was back into the car and off up the town again ( I'm glad I always keep some basic beekeeping equipment in the car and in this case a nuc and a bee suit and a water sprayer are ample ) When I got there , the bees had decided to move and only a few were left behind. Video credit Cllr Thomas Redmond So where ever they have settled I hope they are happy . If by chance you notice a swarm of bees and your not happy with them - do contact me , and if I can I'll do my best to remove them . You should not be too worried about the swarm - leave it alone and it will leave you alone . When bees have swarmed they are looking for a new home. They have left the old home and brought some of their store's with them ( honey ) in their honey stomachs . Which is why ( in general ) they should not sting you. With a full tummy - its too hard to bend and jab you with their tail when they are full of honey . They also don't have a hive to defend - they are out looking for one . So leave them alone and they will leave you alone "A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly"
Queen wasp - nest building I spotted this beginning to start in the garden shed this afternoon - check your outbuildings Caróg liathCaught by surprise as we strolled around Mooreabbey Woods to catch a fleeting glimpse of a big red squirrel hopping into the trees , I got the camera ready in case we spotted him again . To no avail - he was gone to the treetops . However a few hundred yards later , Sheila spotted what she thought was a woodpecker - a strange and unusual bird , brightly coloured and picking at the bark at the base of several tree's . This time I got him , and if i don't say so myself , he looks splendid . To read more about the Jay or "Caróg liath" to call him by his Irish name click here to read up about him on Birdwatch Ireland's website
Water Charges So have a listen back to the podcast below , the item about water charges starts at 29 minutes and runs to 42 minutes of the podcast . So and 2 person household can expect a bill from Irish Water , every 3 months for €70 , and a single household can expect a bill for €44 .
Why are single people paying more for water ? How is the waste water measured ? Men's Sheds fundraising We are fundraising so we can develop some training tools for the Sheds!
Can you donate a few bob or share this post with someone who could donate ? Your donation will fund: Men’s Sheds in Ireland to better understand the processes involved with Governance, Sustainability and Insurance for their Shed. Details here : http://www.mygoodpoints.org/charity-project/local/irish-men%27s-sheds-association/1126 Please share retweet and support Wasp removal from the Garden or Apairy
Water Charges - pass the buck(et) So a quick look to see if anyone has set the pending water charges , and a look around Irish Waters website and Irish water tell us to look to the regulator's website. Irish water are waiting for the regulator to set the charges .
So a quick look at the regulators website to see what we will be charged for water - The CER will approve Irish Water’s charges. Who is passing the buck(et) here ? Click on either picture to be brought to relevant websites . |
Gerry Walsh
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