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An Unusual Attack.
Unusual Attack.
The attack came when I least expected it. The first zoomed in, a short sharp attack. The damage slight but it was only a warning of what was to come. Out in the open that is to say in my own back garden they had all made mobile and the leader led the way directly to my face. I was not unprepared; I had on the regular clothing that all good beekeepers wear. The hat with its bright peak and the fine mesh netting, was adequate protection against this swarm of wasps.
I lit the small canister containing a substance to cause clouds of smoke to emit from its nozzle. The attack got under way and my smoker came into action. Wasp after wasp turned away from the smoking nozzle to settle on the branch of another tree.
Do not get me wrong I do not dislike wasps but as a beekeeper I did not want a swarm of wasps upsetting my honeybees. Now it was my turn to attack. This time making sure that I was fully covered by the protective clothing. I advanced to the tree and with a large pole I pushed the swarm from off of the bough. As I expected, all hell was let loose. Wasp after wasp attacked not only the pole but also myself.
I retreated behind my garden shed, deciding to start another attack I boldly walked from behind my garden shed with the pole in the one hand and the smoke sprayer in the other. I do not know if the picture I made dressed in my protective clothing or the pole for suddenly the whole swarm as if on a signal flew off in another direction away from my twenty beehives.
Later talking to my neighbour about the episode he smiled and gave me this very god advice. If you get a swarm of bees settling anywhere near your house or property call the local Fire Brigade they are specialists on swarming wasps, bees too for that matter. Easy for him to talk I thought to myself but he does not keep bees or he would not make a joke about a horde of swarming angry wasps.
