How to get rid of bees?

patrickg · Aug 1, 2002

Makes the palm of my hand itch just hearing about all these critters. I had a nest of bumble bees in my attic. they were entering and exiting through a vent with an old old screen on it (1928 house). Could hear the buggers really loud buzzing away as the sound carried through a vent and was loud in the master bedroom. No way was I going up after them in the attic. I placed a ladder up on the side of the house and climbed up near the vent during the day with bees coming and going. I used a can of hornet and wasp spray which squirts a stream rather than a mist and acted like a human anti-aircraft gun. I shot 21 of the buggers out of the sky and when traffic stopped I put up more screen to let the ones in the attic starve. Unfortunately while cliimbing the ladder with one hand (spray can in other) I placed my palm down on a dead or dying bumble bee lying on a ladder tread. Essentially I impaled myself on his stinger. NOT FUN! Later I found a nest in the ground and gave them a dose as well. Dug up the nest and it was full of eggs or what looked like eggs about 3-4 to 7/8 inches long and bright yellow in color. They gave a satisfying squish when trod upon.

Patrick

Bird · Aug 2, 2002

<font color=blue>eggs or what looked like eggs about 3-4 to 7/8 inches long and bright yellow in color</font color=blue>

I've seen lots of bumble bees in gardens and such (been stung several times), but never came upon one of the nests. When I was a kid, I heard that they make their nests in the ground and that they make honey in "capsules" instead of a honeycomb. I haven't the foggiest notion as to whether there was any truth to that, but your description sounds a little large for eggs, and made me think of that.

rmorgan · Aug 2, 2002

Bird--

We were just talking the other day about bumblebee stings. Neither my wife nor I could remember ever having been stung by one, and this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mearns.org.uk/mrssmith/bees/body.htm#sting>bumblebee website</A> indicates that stings are likely only when the bumblers are really threatened. So, shucks, Bird, what were you doing to those poor things?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Or, more seriously, do you folks have some form of bumblebee other than the European down there which is working its way northward? The site indicates that some folks say the stings are worse than regular bee stings, others worse--What were yours like?

Bird · Aug 2, 2002

<font color=blue>stings are likely only when the bumblers are really threatened. So, shucks, Bird, what were you doing to those poor things?</font color=blue>

Rick, I think that's absolutely right./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Although I've been stung quite a few times, it's been many years ago. When I was a kid one of my personal money crops was okra and bumble bees seem to have a particular fondness for okra blossoms, so several times when picking it in a hurry, I grabbed a bumble bee; my fault. I still have bumble bees on the okra every year (actually about the only time I see one around here), but I'm more careful about watching for them now.

Of course when I was a kid we also had 7 hives of honey bees, so at one time or another I've been stung by bumble bees, honey bees, yellow jackets, red wasps, red ants, fire ants, and even 3 times one night by a scorpion./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I'm not sure but think the bumble bee sting might be a little worse than a honey bee sting, but not enough worse to worry about.