It's All in the Timing!

Yesterday we had one of those it could have been so much worse situations.

At this time of the year there are lots of bees around here naturally ( wild ) and in hives stockpiled around the district in open paddocks and near bush, ready and waiting to be  taken into Gold Kiwifruit orchards and Avocado orchards at night ( when they are all inside  the hives ).( in a couple more weeks into Green Kiwifruit orchards as well ) So we are used to bees. BUT...
We were sitting eating lunch when we heard a lot of buzzzzzzing. Bees had decided to swarm and that our chimney might be a good sheltered place to make a home! They started entering one after the other down a crack in the chimney surround. The room was rapidly filling with flying bees. While I rushed and shut all doors to contain them,  R grabbed the only spray we now keep - natural Pyrethrum and climbed up and started spraying where they were coming in. After a few worrying minutes it did slow, then stop their entry. Meanwhile out the windows we could see bees everywhere circling the house. It wasn't safe to go outside for some time till they came to their senses and swarmed into a Magnolia tee in the garden.

This isn't a clear photo for obvious reasons and it is just a small swarm. Our beekeeper came and collected them by dropping them into a box about 10 pm last night. Today a few lost ones are still looking for the rest of the family.

Now comes the what if part.   If we had not been inside the house at the time the whole swarm would eventually have been inside our lounge!( or somewhere else inside the house, cause the internal doors would have been open. )This morning I vacuumed up lots of dead bodies  - we feel awful for killing our workers but on the spur of the moment felt we had to protect ourselves. The remarkable thing is not one sting! ( apparently they are less likely to sting when swarming ).... yeah right I'm not taking any chances..... I will continue to love bees for the work they do for us and take their photos when they forage in my flowers............ but lets not live together!