so this was a wild hive? Neat....I seen some wild hives around...not that common where I live. I would like to start bee keeping at some point in the future though.

That's a swarm of bees.....all following the queen as she seeks a new location. Bees swarm when their accomodations become too small for their growing numbers.

That's a great picture, calliope.

Cool. I once walked by one that was just a couple feet from me when I realized what it was. A few days, when I was walking my dog, a swarm of bees were flying in my direction and I had to duck. That freaked me out.

We have an established feral colony in a tree near our house. It's been thriving now for five years and they are such docile bees I've never been stung and have been a blessing to our orchard, brambles and vegetable garden. Yes, as rhizo says, the colony must split off when their numbers grow too large. A few of the larvae are fed royal jelly and develop into young queens and no more than one queen stays with a colony, so the new ones must take some workers with them and find a new home. They form a living ball around the young queen to protect her and that's what the picture is. They fly off then and look for new digs. Amazing creatures.

Do you know any bee keepers in your area? If that swarm is still around, I'm sure that a bee keeper would love to provide a new home for those bees!

Brad N.IL/Z5