Re: Ground nesting bees?

Posted by Billy NY on April 02, 2007 at 21:41:28 from (64.12.116.14):

In Reply to: Ground nesting bees? posted by Mike in Ind. on April 02, 2007 at 17:22:44:

Not sure if I've ever seen those, I think we get the yellow jacket/ground wasp that have the paper nest in the ground. The ones we have are usually only aggressive if you really distub the nest. It's funny to watch them go in and out, and I always get a kick out of covering there hole with a pan or something, the traffic backs up, but they don't get aggressive, they just work around the obstacle and clear a path. I've stood next to the hole, even when covered they just go about their business. I've had em on the lawn and found them in various places but they don't seem prevalent here, I do like to leave em bee LOL, if I can, but if they are in a high traffic area, I flood em out, then go to the nasty chemical warfare if need be. Something eventually digs up their nests, skunk or something, not hard to get rid of em, it seems. If you stomp by the nest they will bumble around in all directions, seems to take em a while to get a bee-line on you ! I cleared 12 acres of nasty brush with a dozer 18 years ago for a friend who needed an operator for that job and hit a large nest, they were bumbling everywhere, but the dozer threw em off and they never found me, lots of em too, I did not test my luck and made note of that area, stayed away from it for the rest of the job.

The big hornets that make the football or basketball size paper nest, are some nasty critters, followed by brown wasps which will take off like F-16's in a straight line after you, although you can out run those, seems they turn around after they feel you are no longer a threat, I've played that cat and mouse game many times, lot of times getting a light sting, seems they really need that full speed hit to really git ya, if they just get a glancing blow, hardly notice it.

Those big hornets I have never messed with too much, they command a lot more respect, but you can stand in their flight pattern and they'll go right around you, they do leave a sentry out at night and will attack in the dark. We don't get a lot of those, I've poked at a few nests and ran quickly, funny how they immediately repair the damage. I'm not sure what it is, but if they can't figure out what causes the disturbance they don't seem to find you, and they calm down after a short time. Get caught by those, it's gonna hurt. I barely missed one of those big hornets nest while clearing brush, saw it in time and went around with the brush hog, they were not bothered at all, had I hit that bush, they were at face height, don't even want to think about it, now I keep an eye out for those nests and no working at night after that one.

The yellow jackets that make the same kind of nest, just look at em funny and they are on you, just get too close, they let you know they are close by, had one of those under the rear fenderwell of the old chevy that I did not know about and got nailed a few times right in the forehead, everytime I was near it, so I took a careful look and boy I'm glad I found that nest before I bumped it or how about watering the grass if you know what I mean, was the biggest I've ever seen, no foolin with those guys. They bumble around too, seems they all do it but once one gits ya, they all follow, kinda like wackin at a pinata. When it's hot out at they sit outside of the nest fanning it all night. I left em, though, but if I had to move the truck they'd have been waxed ! The sting is annoying for an hour, although if anyone was allergic, all would have to be rid of no matter what.

We get another variety at the farm, they make nests like brown wasps, but much bigger, problem there is, say around August, you don't touch anything that has sat, I don't care what it is, there will be a quart container of em just waitin to git ya, that is when they are at peak population, they are everywhere and in everything, there is no controlling them, I've never seen an infestation like this, some right in the open stuck to something, attached a wall, no cover at all. So many nests get started and even if you wack a nest, you have to get all of em, or the survivors return and hang out for days trying to sting, even if the nest is gone, I think they are by far the worst, although not too aggressive if undisturbed, horses and people around, no real problems, only when you stumble onto a nest, or do a poor job killing them. The obvious ones close to doors or anywhere dangerous in the open have to go, but if you don't do it right, you'll regret just not leaving then alone, cannot figure why so many at this place, it's unreal. These are best dealt with at night.

Those brown wasps are funny, carefully get one on a stick and place the wasp near another nest, they hate it, I love to watch em fight, every once in awhile they too come out for no reason like a missile, hunched up stinger forward, usually just one though, unless you disturb the nest. The yellow ones seem to outnumber these now, I've worked beside these brown ones not seeing them until after and well best to leave em alone at that point if'n they aren't bothered by ya. I've also not known there was a nest of these and got whacked good while wrenching on something, stung repeatedly until I found the nest.

I've kind of fooled with most of them, except honey bees, do know if you injure the queen in a hive, they get really aggressive and find you far from the hive ! Friend the beekeeper crunched a queen once and there was no workin around his place until he introduced a new one and she was accepted. Got nailed too many times, had to leave. Bumble bees, I never find those nests anymore, used to be a lot more when the barns were still here, they like soft wood, used to nest in the soffit boards and the like. I can recall those being real nasty, and having the worst sting, and seems if you put a brown wasp in a jar with one, the bumble bee wins everytime. Was running lowboy once, dropped the machine off and started climbing gears, was summertime, no shirt on, bumblebee got between my back and the seat, I had to take it until I could stop the rig and get out, that really sucked, and could have been a disaster if I freaked, jumped out, get run over etc. still cannot beleive I got er stopped, jumped out and did not get run over, looked like a raving idiot too flailing around on the side of the road, sucker got me good.

Seeing as young kid I got nailed so many times, was really not too bright, even stepped on a nest in an old JD manure spreader on my 5th birthday, nailed in below the eye, free trip to the hospital, so I sought my revenge in adulthood by messin with em now !

Every year, the best thing to do is when they first get started, knock the small nest off, usually only one wasp or bee on it, get em early, there is no big nest, so here I go around and get as many as I can, truck, tractor old dozers etc. at the farm, it's a lost cause to many of em. Sucks when you need to work on something that has sat, you have to get rid of em first before you can turn a wrench. Last year I was busy, did not get em early, lot of big nests, well who needs spray, one person pokes the nest once, 2 or 3 others with old tennis rackets shredding them, chase em down, sounds crazy don't it ? We have fun on saturdays, party's over when you run out of nests. Don't try any of this at home, we're just a bit crazy sometimes.

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