Bee Advice Wanted / Smart Bees, Dumb Me

[msocko3]

<font color=blue>I think you nailed it, msocko3.

<font color=black>I've spent a few years battling the little beasties I'm a believer in know thy enemy.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

msocko3,

Can you help identify my "attack bees"...

they are just like a miniature honeybee, but with red and black stripes and extremely aggressive that sting multiple times...

Thanks...

 

[skent]

It seems this year the wasps have been out in larger numbers. We have 3 underground nests arounf the old well, and four more within 100 feet of the farmhouse.

Seems every time I think I know where they are, they add a new home.

Some are right up against the foundation or a tree stump, and two are right out in the middle of the lawn.

I guess it was the mild spring.

Steve

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It MUST be a good year, for THEM, when I went to get some spray the first 4-5 places were sold out.
del

 

[msocko3]

<font color=blue>Can you help identify my "attack bees"...

<font color=black>Wish I could help you, I've never come across a bee or wasp with those markings. You might do some web surfing and see what you come across. At times when I can't identify the critter I check with my Terminix man.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yes, I've searched and searched...but found nothing yet except... Africanized Honey Bees that look and act the closest except the color...

How about "reddish-brown and black stripes"

The funny thing is... when all is done and complete... what could I do about it... Nothing... just get back on the tractor and keep on cutting...

This has been the worst year for the bees... almost like an Alfred Hitchcock movie... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[msocko3]

<font color=blue>How about "reddish-brown and black stripes"

<font color=black>Doesn't ring a bell, its amazing how many different nasty little stinging criters ther are. I'm betting it was a cousin to the yellow jacket which can be evil tempered when messed with.

<font color=blue>This has been the worst year for the bees...

<font color=black>You said it. I've killed bunches of the critters, everything from yellow jackets to a bald faced hornet. I haven't seen any European hornets yet this year I'm sure I will. They are nasty critters when ticked off and they take lots of wasp & hornet spray to kill.

 

[jimmoore]

Harv, Ya you got a HORNETS nest there!. Bird I found a bumble bees nest in the walls of an old abandon house, tore into the wall and found that they store their honey in little papery bags. Opened one up and tasted. Tastes like regular honey only stronger and darker. I had killed off most of the bees by spraying diesel.

jim

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Tastes like regular honey only stronger and darker</font color=blue>

That's what I first heard when I was a kid, Jim, but I've never found a bumblebee nest.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I think I have battled them back to win or a temporary truce if the queen is still alive.

From my reading on the internet, most likely the wall nests, or underground nests, or cones from the eaves are yellow jackets, which seem to be an extreme problem country wide. The german yellow jacket seems to be taking over. Unlike a honey bee or bumble bee, the yellow jacket has an unbarbed stinger so it can get you over and over. They are also known to sting for the fun of it, at least for reasons other then defending the nest.

Especially liked the one entomology website that mentioned not to plug a wall hole until you are sure they are dead from poison as they can chew through the wallboard and be inside the house.

Am also glad I have left the big hanging melon in the tree that is a safe distance away. Supposedly those are a type of hornet, sometimes called a bald faced hornet I guess, that actually attack the yellow jackets.

Apparently as the german yellow jackets migrate west, the hospital visits are on the rise. One queen equals 3-5000 kids.

del