Category: Wildlife

House Hunting for Honey Bees

Debbie Roney Smith on
The swarm season for bees is underway. A spring phenomenon, this is an event that is growing rarer to see as the global bee population is rapidly declining due to various threats to their life cycles. Swarm season is actually an important step in bee colonies’ natural reproduction. Bees swarm a temporary home such as a tree branch while scouts go out to find new homes (aka hives) for the season. In this process, one swarm often becomes two or more colonies. If you see a cluster of bees, do not panic! Simply contact a local beekeeper if you need them removed or simply leave them be as they are often gone within two weeks.
If you desire to have the bee swarm removed, call a beekeeper, your County Extension Office, local beekeeping club, police department, or a similar organization. Many of them will gladly direct you to a beekeeper who would be happy to pick up these bees and give them a good home. Swarms are usually quite docile as they have no need to defend their hive, so simply walk away and contact an expert to keep everyone – and everybee – involved safe and sound! 

National Bird-Feeding Month

Debbie Roney Smith on

Here in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, the health of our local ecology plays a huge part in helping migratory (and local) bird populations. February is National Bird-Feeding Month, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of providing wildlife with necessities as well as encouraging healthier, sustainable bird feeding habits. Birds have it tough in winter as they have new families to feed and the natural resources to do so aren’t as plentiful as at other times of the year.

Want to help? Most importantly, make sure you are only putting out seed that is natural to the diet of birds in your area. Secondly, be sure to squirrel-proof any bird feeders or baths you put out. As birds often gather in places where food, shelter, and water are reliable, being consistent and generous is the best way to get to see a wide variety of species. Furthermore, bird watching in your yard or surrounding land will not only help you relax and make you happier but also help provide the right resources to get those birds coming back again and again. Spotting patterns and identifying species will help you identify what kind of feed is most beneficial, what plants will help encourage birds to land, and what kind of water sources are most useful.