Rational Fear of Bees

So while some of you are complaining about the lack of bees I have been having the opposite problem. They've officially become a pest. I enjoy them coming and visiting my garden but do no appreciate them trying to build condominium around the property. I tried to make it a nice vacation spot but apparently I made it too nice, like Florida 10 years ago, they are building everywhere. The locals are not enjoying their new neighbors. I have been stung several times, every time minding my own business. I have to have a very high pitch rational fear of bees. And now they've begun swarming me on occasion when I'm outside. I need ideas to let them know they aren't welcome to set up shop in my yard without killing them. I am petrified of knocking down the largest nest. I thought about doing it later, like in winter but between my panic attacks and my rational fear I am afraid they are starting to show some aggressive tendencies. Not good for a gardener who can't be next to her garden for more than 2 minutes. Help. And if you want to come over and do it, even better

EDIT: By the way I think they are wasps... not bee's. I have bumble bee's, honey bee's, and wasps in my yard but it's the wasps that are being scary.

Oh no! This is upsetting to read about. I'm so sorry you've been stung. I also consider myself rationally afraid of bees/wasps, so I know what you mean.

I can tell you what we've done about wasps, as we've had problems with them making nests every year. We've never had them so bad that we've been swarmed on when going outside, but we have knocked down as many as seven nests at a time. You need to buy the sprays that shoot out 30 feet so you can keep a reasonable distance from them. And you use the sprays either at dusk or dawn when the wasps have all gone into their nests for the night or before they've come out. Spray the heck out of the nest. They'll start coming out but most will drop to the ground dead. Spray them as they're coming out. When you stop seeing them come out, use a very long stick to knock the nest down so you can dispose of it.

Wasps are territorial. When you kill their nest and take it down, survivors will continue to come back to the same spot looking for it. So you'll still see them hanging around for the rest of the summer, but not nearly in the same numbers.

That's all I can tell you. Hopefully others can chime in with assistance. We don't want you bullied away from your garden!

As far as the bees go, Many times local bee keepers love a free hive and will come and take them away with them. You may be able to connect with some through your local Ag. center.

Hope this helps. I have had Mud dobber wasps build nests on the window near the garden. They were alowed to stay because they are so peaceful, but if I had paper wasps anywhere near my house I would get rid of them post haist.

Thanks everyone. After further investigation I am sure they are paper wasps.... ugh. We have a dog kennel (we don't use but it's close to the door) and I think more are using the metal fence tunnels as nests.

Oh, wasps aren't fun. I had a hive (colony? I don't know what to call them) of wasps decide to make a nest INSIDE my house one year. It was terrible. They were swarming all through our kitchen. I was terrified my cats would swallow one. They eventually died out though.

We tried a natural wasp killer that was made from mint oil. It killed a lot of them, but that didn't stop the rest from continuing to barge into our house. It sure made the house minty fresh, though.

If it gets really bad, I would consult a pest person about them. You shouldn't be afraid to be in your garden!

We've had the same issue from time to time with Yellow Jackets. Talk about mean! Every time I've had YJs around, they have found me. That's the only way I've discovered them.

I feel for you, and hope you find a solution soon. I nuke mine with sprays. When it comes to being stung, I am not interested in saving spotted owls or being "organic."

Add plenty of Dawn dish soap to enough water so you can get the whole nest covered. I use a really large drinking glass and stand back as far as I can to throw it on the nest.

Mix the Dawn and water together good.

I have had ground bee's (yellow jackets) in the dog pen this year, unfortunately our dog found the nest by lifting his leg then being stung in the... ah ... sensitive area...

That night my son and I dug the nest and sprayed it with wasp and hornet killer. Used a single bulb LED flashlight. Killed 'em all... but Zeke won't lift his leg over that part of the pen anymore.

We've had yellow jacket's in the fence posts before, and I just sprayed into the pole at night. I used one of the foaming varieties of killer. Worked and all of the Yellow Jackets were killed.

We had some Yellow Jackets located in one of wooden fence posts ( I am quite afraid of bee's since childhood so I understand how you feel) and we would spray where they would come out but it didn't kill the nest. I ended up getting a tarp and more or less sealing the post area by draping and covering the fence post and weighting down the edges of the tarp, then tossed a bug bomb inside the tarp and the next day all of the bees were killed and were laying on the ground. Gave me the heebie jeebies to clean them up.

Paper Wasps are easier to kill the nest since you can usually easily soak the nest at night, and so they won't come after you when it is dark. Last resort is to knock the nest down at night with a pressure sprayer directed at the attaching point of the nest. Be ready to spray with wasp killer as soon as it hits the ground. That's how we got a nest which was located at the top of a maple tree in the neighbors yard. They were only unhappy for a moment.

Mark

My understanding is that Bee's will only sting when threatened and if I'm not mistaken release some kind of "help me I'm being attacked" pheromone when they sting you as they have a barbed sting which typically gets left behind and essentially kills them when they leave it behind.

Wasp's on the other hand are just plain mean. Of all the creatures on earth I've never really seen the point of wasps.

I have however seen paper fake wasps nests for sale at the local hardware store, the thinking being that they will not nest near another nest, allegedly.

Never had the problem personally so can't vouch for them but think we have to be as environmentally responsible in our disposal of pests as we are in everything else. Chances are those dead critters are gonna either decompose right into your soil or be eaten by other, beneficial creatures, that may well suffer as a result of the poisons we can so easily justify when it comes to pest removal that would otherwise have us up in arms.

I too have a fear of getting stung by the likes of yellow jackets, wasps and hornets, UGH I really, really do not like them... but all of these are not bees.


Just a few facts... Bees and wasps are members of the order Hymenoptera. Ants also are in this order. Wasps generally are predatory and some are parasitic (we like this kind), may establish annual colonies, do not have hair and play a minor role in pollination, if any. Bees on the other hand have sensory and pollen collecting hairs, are members of long lived colonies and survive on nectar and pollen, thus garden friendly.
This episode of Nature from 2007 doesn't focus on the differences of wasps and bees, but is fascinating nonetheless.

Thanks everyone... I think I have a plan. After dinner I'm going to run to HD and get some killer stuff (hoping organic or less poisonous to other creatures), I'm going to place a garbage can beneath the nest prior to spraying in hopes all will go directly into the garbage can. Knock the nest in and dispose of the black garbage bag.... Please pray for me, lol. I really don't know if I can handle it.

hankyknot wrote:I have however seen paper fake wasps nests for sale at the local hardware store, the thinking being that they will not nest near another nest, allegedly.

Off topic (hey it's my own topic): Nice use of the world Allegedly, my favorite word in the English language.

I've made wasp traps in the past by cutting the conical part off a plastic pop bottle, putting honey or syrup around the neck, then inverting it and reattaching it. Then half filling the bottle with water and adding a drop of dish soap. The wasps go in after the sweetness and can't get out and the dish soap removes the surface tension on the water and they can't get out.

The only predatory wasps I don't like are the paper wasps. They are mean and nasty. That is unless hornets and yellow jackets are wasps that is, that bunch is mean and nasty too. I have seen other predatory wasps pokeing around under the vegie leaves until they find a catapillar to carry away with them. Amazing to see. I have not used BT all year thanks to the wasps and hand picking a few horn worms.