Bee Advice Wanted / Smart Bees, Dumb Me

Harv · Sep 24, 2001

I guess we all have our bee stories, but I just happen to have a picture of our little bundle of joy from last October up at the property (see attached). The nest was about the size of a volleyball, and the inhabitants were humongous. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

I managed to take several pictures, getting closer each time, but when I stuck the lens right up to their front door, they got agitated. I think I said something like "uh-oh!", or a phrase that was a bit more profane, as I ran cartoon-style from the little dive bombers. Made what I thought was a clean getaway until I felt something on the back of my neck. Put my hand back there to brush it away, found out it was under my shirt collar, and... well, there went that profanity again.

It only hurt for a few hours. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I was prapared to live and let live until one of the beasties stung my daughter and I became the enraged dad, looked for a suitable weapon, picked up the... well, the phone and called in the "swat" team (exterminator). Next time we went up there the little varmints and their house were nowhere to be seen. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MarkV · Sep 24, 2001

Those yellow jackets are mean little critters! Last year my wife hit a nest in the backyard while mowing and the yellow jackets declared war. Chased her, and the dogs, into the house, up the stairs and into the shower. She got bite a few to many times to count and we ended up at the hospital for varies shots and pills. Everything was OK in a couple of days, although I don't think she thought of it as a good day in the garden.

MarkV

Bird · Sep 24, 2001

Now I'm a long, long ways from being an entomologist, but Harv, that picture looks like what I thought was a hornet nest instead of bees (and of course I could be wrong). And I've never known of yellow jackets nesting underground, but they very well may do it. The worst I ever got stung was when I backed into a nest of yellow jackets in a honeysuckle vine when I was a kid. And I've always heard that bumblebees nest under ground and make honey in capsules instead of a honeycomb like honey bees, but I can't recall ever finding a bumblebee nest even though we've had plenty of them on the blossoms in the garden (and I've never seen any bumblebee honey and don't even know whether such exists). And of course honey bees nest in man made hives, hollow trees, and in walls when they get a chance./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif When I was a kid, Dad had 7 bee hives so I was forced to pretend I wasn't afraid of them (I was more afraid of him than the bees anyway) and help him move them, harvest the honey, cut down a hollow tree, get the honey and move the queen bee into a hive to start a new hive, etc. I still remember how to handle honey bees, but before I do it again, someone would have to pay me a lot more than the honey's worth./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I'd make Homestead Honey before I'd steal the honey from the bees again.

Bird

kerr · Sep 24, 2001

Darn things look as big as flying squirrels man!About a dozen would make a mess !!" FLAME THROWING TANK"

DarinRay · Sep 24, 2001

I've been stung by all sorts of bees and hornets and wasps but have never (and hope I don't ever) have I been stung by one of those big bumblebees that pretty much fly right around you without even bothering them. Anyone out there know if they do sting? And no I'm not going to go grab the next one I see like I did when I was a kid.......saw this pretty blue flying insect (wasp but didn't know it) and everytime I tried to catch it it would fly away...So I crawled on the ground as close as I thought I could get and jumped at it and caught it in my hands. OUCH!!!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Dang that hurts. Ever since then if it resembled a wasp,bee,hornet I just leave them alone it I can. Normally dont' swat at them or nothing...was sitting on our porch across teh street and kept noticing this wasp (looks like a yellow jacket but no hive just a cone) and then the wasp kept getting closer to me while I was watching him......Well they fly by your head and then normally leave right????This sucker flies right up and grabs my nose instantly stinging the heck out of my nose. Well in the meantime I almost broke my nose killing it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif NEXT

Darin

msocko3 · Sep 25, 2001

Yes sir the bumblebee does sting. I found that out when one flew into my boot to scope things out before I put the boot on. The rotten little critter nailed me 9 times in the shin before I smashed him into a knat and got the boot off.

Timd · Sep 25, 2001

What the pros use is plain old soapy water. Suffocates them
just as dead, and allegedly wipes out a nest faster than
insecticides. I haven't had the guts to try it that way yet.

Timd

Pks · Sep 25, 2001

That photo looks like it is of a Paper Wasp home.

And guess who can dig into a paper wasp nest and not care... a skunk. Turns out that's food.

TonyC · Sep 25, 2001

I think soapy water sounds like a great idea. Effective and environmentally safe. Let me know how it turns out!!!!!

Anonymous Poster · Sep 25, 2001

Since this has wandered off into more bee stories, does anyone know the recordtime for getting off a motorcycle to a standing position?

I believe I hold it.

Was off on the dirtbike on a logging road, visor up, heard the BZZZZZZZZZZZ in the helmet. Was stopped, off the bike with the helmet off pretty quick.

A friend riding with us who rides steet bikes (I don't) pulled up along side and said "The way I saw you dump the bike I knew it was a bee..."

He said some guys have torn off their helmet with both hands before their bikes are stopped and have been injured worse.

Another time when doing some tree thinning I inadvertently stepped on a nest, walked off, felt a pin prick on my back, sometimes feel things like that, no big deal then another, then another, OW. Tore ass away from the place, (wish someone had timed me, probably my best speed ever). Bee's follow your scent, started tearing off clothes as I was running hoping to throw the bees off my trail (like military planes throwing out hot shreds of metal to deter missiles). Bees I guess follow your scent.

Must have worked. The "real" tree guy that was working on my place sauntered by with his chainsaw over his shoulder, calmly looked at me and asked..."Bee?" and walked off.

Never did find the buttons to my shirt.

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