Bee/wasp/hornet/etc id

[jaotguy]

found a nest close to the house .... hooked up a shop vac ( with soapy water in the bottom) and put the nozzle close to the entrance....

turned it on, poked the nest and ran..... waited a couple of hours then checked the vac .... 1/4 full of drowned bugs.

I also stepped into a ground nest once .... foot was useless for a week, twice its normal size, still have the bite scars.


nasty beasts .

 

[SPIKER]

This past week it was real warm 70's monday thru wed. I found (first for me) several breading/mating pairs of bees. They appeared to be 1/4 sized hornets very fuzzy & mostly black & white. they were on my concrete pad area out front of the barn. there appeared to be at least 3 pairs attached on each (2 bees) one holding onto the other.

I know male bees of varying degrees will chase a non-fertile female up into air and grab on. they eventually can't fly and fall back to earth. BUT Never seen it myself only heard tell read on this.

Mark

 

[fordmantpw]

I unknowingly mowed over a yellow jacket nest while trimming around a tree about 5 years ago. I ticked 'em off pretty good, as they got me at least 17 times (that's how many whelps I counted). I just shut the blades off, jumped off the tractor, and ran toward the house. Standing by the door, my wife starts to open it, asking what's wrong. I waved her off and told her to shut the door...I didn't want them in the house with the two little kids. Once the stinging stopped, I went inside to gather my thoughts, calm down, and grabbed my EPI pen (I was getting allergy shots) just in case. The next day, I dressed up in long sleeves, pants, gloves, a face mask, and armed myself with two cans of wasp spray. I empty them both on the nest, and took care of them. It was a large nest right next to the trunk of a small tree. Unfortunately, all the bug spray killed the tree, so I had to replant. But, at least I made sure that nest didn't bother me again!

 

[shortwave]

Sorry to spam the board, but if you can capture one and take a picture, try sending it to What's That Bug? - Are we experts yet?. They also have a long list of bugs already identified.

 

[JRobyn]

These guys have a bunch of info and good images of all of the MANY varieties of yellowjackets/hornets/wasps.
The WHY Trap for Wasps, Hornets & Yellowjackets from RESCUE!

 

[Pilot]

I have used the Rescue traps for years and catch a lot of yellow jacket queens in the spring when it first warms up. I usually catch about 50 queens, which are the only ones that survive the winter. Haven't tried the WHY traps, which are a recent development. Location is VERY important. I have one spot that catches over 90% of them while other locations hardly catch any. So if your trap isn't trapping, move it.

 

[Old Retired Cop]

You might "google" Cicada Killer. They are large and hover and rarely sting humans.

 

[KTurner]

They were out in number again today, and I was able to get a picture, which, if I did it right, should be attached to this post. I'm trying to id them to see if they're beneficial/safe to have out in the front yard or if I should go get the spray.

Keith

 

[Pilot]

Now that you know where the nest is, go out at night with a jar of about 8 ounces of gasoline. Quickly pour the gas on the nest and walk quickly away. Don't ignite the gas, the fumes will kill them. Best if it's cool, below 50 degrees because they are sluggish at those temps and you are safer from attack. If it doesn't cool off at night, just do it when it's coolest.

 

[J F]

They were out in number again today, and I was able to get a picture, which, if I did it right, should be attached to this post. I'm trying to id them to see if they're beneficial/safe to have out in the front yard or if I should go get the spray.

Keith

View attachment 313629

Can you take a picture with your hand next to one, so we can get an idea of the size of the critter?






















:laughing: