- Image Via MyBallard
- It’s Swarm Season.
Central District News reports new details on the stabbing of a 14-year-old last Friday, June 12, at Bailey Gatzert Elementary. Details come from a newly released police report describing the incident. Shortly after 4:00 p.m. outside the school, two teenergs met up to “fight it out”; the stabbing victim was brought into the fight when he tried to intervene between the two. According the report, punches were thrown, and the suspect produced a multi-tool with a two-inch blade that he used to cut the victim underneath the chin, leaving a two-to-three-inch laceration. Central District News also reports that two days earlier in the CD, two men were spotted traveling to fight it out as well. They were seen walking southbound past 27th and East Olive Street; one reportedly carried a rifle in his hand, the other a large wrench, Armageddon-style. And speaking of Armageddon: Yesterday on 23rd Avenue and East James Street an “intoxicated man” was spotted swinging a butcher knife around, reports Central District News. And the day before in the University District, U-District Daily reports that a man went on a wild vandalism spree on the 4200 block of Brooklyn Avenue. The suspect allegedly broke out at least ten car windows and had two backpacks with him that he was loading up with stolen items, and witnesses report that he was armed with a hatchet.
On Monday afternoon, a giant swarm of bees about four houses long invaded Ballard and took up residence in a tree outside one (cursed) person’s home. My Ballard reports that the homeowner made an intelligent decision and called the Puget Sound Beekeeper’s Association, who came out and put the approximately 10,000 bees into a temporary beehive. But watch out: It’s apparently “swarm season” all over Seattle, and in these warm summer months, the city has plenty of heathens and shirtless gays running about, taunting God. My advice: invest in a scapular.
In other seasonal news, it’s a sad farewell for many to idyllic summers-gone-by at the neighborhood wading pool: Wedgwood View reports that both of their community’s wading pools are taking a hit in the mid-year budget cuts announced by the mayor’s office yesterday. The View Ridge wading pool will be completely closed this summer, and the Dahl Park wading pool will only be open three days a week. The Ravenna wading pool will also be closed this summer, reports U-District Daily.
Oh my God! Bees! Bees! Millions of Bees!
at least the bees didn’t shoot out of the dogs with bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot bees at you.
We had a swarm at Chez Vel-DuRay the other day. Nothing like what happened in Ballard (they’re such show-offs) but scary enough. They came down our alley and thankfully kept on going.
At least the bees weren’t riding fixies.
I was startled recently to discover that my problem all along has been a bee in my bonnet. I’m going to be a much lovelier Slog commenter from now on.
“A swarm in May is worth a bale (or bottle) of hay. A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon. A swarm in July isn’t worth a fly.”
Old beekeeper adage.
Two years ago, my hive swarmed because we were late in putting on a super, and we lost the whole colony because the swarm reduced their numbers too much. Hopefully the more Mediterranean climate will prevent this from happening to whoever’s bees those were.
Also, people, don’t get all worked up about swarms. The bees in one are full of honey and have no hive to defend, so they’re about as gentle as they ever are.
NOT THE BEES!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abpv1VmkR…
Life would be more fun if kids ran around in wading pools in bee costumes.
Just saying.
Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, ’tis enough.
Oh, neat. Those bees were right next to my house; my roommate submitted the pictures to MyBallard. It should be noted that before the beekeeper arrived, there was a group of boys throwing stuff (chunks of concrete, a sweater) into the pile of bees and then freaking out and screaming at their own fate-tempting. Pretty entertaining, and also kind of amazing that they didn’t get stung.
Correction: I probably should have checked the actual link first. The swarm of bees next to my house was much, much smaller and much less Armageddon-y.
Apparently “colony collapse syndrome” was just bees leaving their local hives and forming giant communes in urban centers….are they going..to San Francisco…be sure to wear…Flowers? Where?
June 12th was a Saturday.
I know this because it’s also my birthday.
Negroes are funny critters.
@12: 10,000 bees are not that many. A SINGLE healthy hive contains anywhere from ~30,000 in late winter to ~60,000 in early summer (up to 80,000 if it’s in the American South).