Bees!! what do yall do about them

[wvlogger]

I have a question few ever want to but all to often experience. Bees when you find em what do yall do with em. And im not talkin little sweat bees i meen yellow jackets hornets and so on. I burn but I also try and avoid em. soo lets hear it

 

[Mike PA]

If they're in a tree I just cut down, I leave the tree alone until winter, then go back and get it. If it's in my wood pile, I wait until night and then spray them. I don't see much purpose in burning. I've used wasp and hornet spray and have also used water and soap. Depends on the bees and the nest.

 

[fields_mj]

Depends on what I find and where. If they are regular old bee's, I leave them alone if I can. If it's yellojackets or ground hornets, I'll wait until night time, and mix up a jug of Malathion (SP?) at about 2x the concentration. I put it in an old 2 gal weed sprayer that I have that doesn't work anymore. I just use the jug. Then I go out at night, and turn the jug upside down on the hole and walk/jog away. The jug keeps them all in there.

I've seen people burn them out, but if you're using gas or some kind of fuel, I think it's better to just poor it in and leave it without lighting it.

 

[wvlogger]

i only burn them when all othger methods fail i like putting used oil in a fire extigusher and pressurise it then spray me good

 

[CountryBoy19]

There is a big difference between "bees" and hornets & wasps.

Bees typically refers to honeybees, leave them alone if possible. If they're in a tree that must be removed, contact a local beekeeper and ask them if they're interested in messing with them. Some beekeepers may be willing to come out and take a look. If you can't find anybody to take the bees then killing them would be acceptable (as a last resort). Mix up some soapy water in a normal hand-held sprayer and spray them liberally. If you're careful in your spraying, you may be able to salvage some of the capped honey and enjoy it.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Most instances, RUN

If I know where the hive is, I'll go back in the late evening if possible, and hit 'em with the spray while they're in the hive. Approach with caution the following morning. If there's no activity it's pretty safe to assume you got the little buggers.

Take Care

 

[wvlogger]

There is a big difference between "bees" and hornets & wasps.

Bees typically refers to honeybees, leave them alone if possible. If they're in a tree that must be removed, contact a local beekeeper and ask them if they're interested in messing with them. Some beekeepers may be willing to come out and take a look. If you can't find anybody to take the bees then killing them would be acceptable (as a last resort). Mix up some soapy water in a normal hand-held sprayer and spray them liberally. If you're careful in your spraying, you may be able to salvage some of the capped honey and enjoy it.

i never mess with honey bees the are to doscile

 

[Swamp Yankee]

i never mess with honey bees the are to doscile

Agreed

They're not usually the issue.

Yellow Jackets, Mud Wasps and White Face Hornets on the other hand usually declare war before you even know they're lurking.

Take Care

 

[CountryBoy19]

Agreed

They're not usually the issue.

Yellow Jackets, Mud Wasps and White Face Hornets on the other hand usually declare war before you even know they're lurking.

Take Care

Yes, I've always had good luck killing them with fire...

We use just enough of the wasp spray to suppress their attack so a gallon of gas can be dumped on them and lit. They try to fly out to "attack" and are incinerated by the fire. Works pretty well from my experience, but that may not always be an option. So just use liberal amounts of wasp spray I would say. I don't think soap water would be effective enough on wasps.

 

[Mike PA]

Yes, I've always had good luck killing them with fire...

We use just enough of the wasp spray to suppress their attack so a gallon of gas can be dumped on them and lit. They try to fly out to "attack" and are incinerated by the fire. Works pretty well from my experience, but that may not always be an option. So just use liberal amounts of wasp spray I would say. I don't think soap water would be effective enough on wasps.

You'd be surprised how well it works.

 

[brian660]

I tend to yell at them alot, sometimes they listen sometimes they dont

 

[Windwalker7]

Part of our home has an old rock foundation. Last fall yellow jackets had a nest inside the foundation.

I set up a shop vac with the hose set up right at their entrance. It was pretty cool to sit back and watch them get sucked up.

I'd see them hoovering around the entrance hole to go in and all of a sudden get sucked in the shop vac.

As they would exit, I'd see them trying to hold on to the rock but would lose their grip and get sucked in the tube, also.

Kinda put a smile on my face every time I would hear the slight ticking sound as one would be bouncing through the vaccum hose.

I opened the vac a few days later and had several hundred in there.

 

[wvlogger]

Part of our home has an old rock foundation. Last fall yellow jackets had a nest inside the foundation.

I set up a shop vac with the hose set up right at their entrance. It was pretty cool to sit back and watch them get sucked up.

I'd see them hoovering around the entrance hole to go in and all of a sudden get sucked in the shop vac.

As they would exit, I'd see them trying to hold on to the rock but would lose their grip and get sucked in the tube, also.

Kinda put a smile on my face every time I would hear the slight ticking sound as one would be bouncing through the vaccum hose.

I opened the vac a few days later and had several hundred in there.

Thats funny i will have to try that some day to a nest.

 

[smokinj]

I had an aeration crew run into a bee's nest in the ground many years back time we got the tree shurb truck there with the high pressure hose and insecticide the both aerators had idle so long they ran out of gas. Even with 175psi they where no joke.

 

[Marc]

I once had a white face hornet sting my between the eyes. Good times.

I mostly only have mud wasps to deal with and I use the 30' spray can with good results. If I have to deal with white faced hornets or yellow jackets I wait until a cool night and they're flying a little slower if I can and then spray.


Once I ran into a yellow jacket nest with the string timmer and just dropped it and ran. The little punks kept swarming my trimmer because I didn't shut it off, so I had to wait until it ran out of gas to retrieve it.

 

[gwiley]

Hornets etc. are slower when they are cool, if I know I will need to deal with them I like to wait until early morning before things warm up - temps in the 40's make a difference.

For a big nest hit them with more poison than you think you need and have an escape plan in place to get to shelter or under water if things go bad.

Some of these are aggressive - yellow jackets will chase you a LONG way to get their piece of your hide. I have run 200-300 feet and stopped just to discover that they were right there waiting to light me up.

 

[lone wolf]

The most important thing is to see them before they see you always look when approaching trees and bushes and carry hornet spray with you in the truck now because its wasp and hornet season.

 

[Woodcutteranon]

Go out at dusk and spray their nest with carburetor cleaner. I used to work at an autoparts store and once a week this Greek man would come in and buy a case of carb cleaner. I asked him if he rebuilt carbs for a living and he said that he was a painter and carb cleaner is the cheapest hornet killer on the market. Its spray pattern is perfect for reaching a nest and is much cheaper than bee spray.

 

[Marc]

Go out at dusk and spray their nest with carburetor cleaner. I used to work at an autoparts store and once a week this Greek man would come in and buy a case of carb cleaner. I asked him if he rebuilt carbs for a living and he said that he was a painter and carb cleaner is the cheapest hornet killer on the market. Its spray pattern is perfect for reaching a nest and is much cheaper than bee spray.

Unfortunately it tends to be a little bit flammable, so avoid it around, in and under the house.


And I mean "a little bit" in the way that I'd say Oprah is *a little bit* obnoxious.




So like, a lot.

 

[Taxmantoo]

If you buy wasp and hornet spray, get the Ortho brand. It shoots a good distance, then expands on contact to fill the nest with foam.