Bee Stings
Read the article this discussion is about
- LadyB
- biogardener
- LadyB
- birdgard
- bindweed
- LadyB
- bindweed
- bindweed
- LadyB
- bindweed
This archived discussion is "read only".
For the corresponding "live" discussions, post in the active topic forum here.
« Previous 1 2 Next »
» LadyB - People, I have to tell you all, I have learned a LOT about bees
People, I have to tell you all, I have learned a LOT about bees this season...with enough time gone by that my body has somewhat forgotten all the pain and fear of allergic reactions so that the sound of buzzing no longer makes me JUMP, I have begun to watch the bumblebees in particular more closely.In years past (and without a drought) I have worked around them and at worst they lift a leg at me if I disturb the flower they're on. Lately I have noticed that one seems to have been elected to be the 'bouncer', and in response to disturbance (and with a line like "Oh no, it's HUGE and it's MOVING!!!!!") one bumble bee will change it's tone of buzz and begin flying in very angry angular patterns. If the HUGE moving creature (that's me) just stands still, the act soon wears off.
Occasionally there is just a crazy bumble bee. The buzz is very different, it can't find a flower that makes it happy, and it lunges at everything that moves.
But the honeybees have been most fascinating. We have one cement and stone fountain here on the property. The honeybees line up at the water's edge and drink and then take off like planes off an aircraft carrier and make a BEELINE across the back yard of the Main House and bank to the right, headed down to the sheep barn behind which are the beehives. It's fascinating to watch.
Yellow jackets and wasps I don't trust at all and don't know what they're thinking. I just do my best to stay away from them. I understand they can get truly 'drunk' on fermented apples and get really crazy, but as we all have virtually no apples this year.....we'll see.
Yep, it's been QUITE a gardening season....
Lady B, Weeds and Wild Things Cold Spring, New York
-- posted by LadyB
» biogardener - I kept my word. You can read about the most powerful antidote f
I kept my word. You can read about the most powerful antidote for poisons in my article on my Natural First Aid Kit.A few hours ago, I had occasion to once again test my most powerful poison antidote, the one which originates with Manitoba's indigenous people. It is even more effective than the vitamin A oil. I write about the experience in the article which I linked here.
As far as getting out the bee sting, I have never bothered. When all the poison is drawn out, the sting has no effect. I have one in my finger right now, and I don't even feel it. Getting the sting out without the poison, on the other hand, is useless.
I very rarely get stung by insects any more since I have learned to wear colors which don't attract them. That is rather difficult for me, because I certainly love bright colors, the ones which insects mistake for flowers.
-- posted by biogardener
» LadyB - A little update on this bee thing...I finally purchased those pl
A little update on this bee thing...I finally purchased those plastic jar wasp traps and filled them with cranberry or orange juice and I have to say they are doing QUITE a job! They're quite ingenious. The regular plastic lid is black and above it is mounted a bright yellow dome that creates four triangular compartments, each with a hole. The underside of the yellow dome is black. The yellow jackets fly into the holes looking for the juice and don't get out because when they perchance look UP, all they see is black.When the jar becomes crowded (as it does every few days) the instructions are to plunge the entire jar into hot soapy water and everyone's done in in a matter of seconds. It's not one of my favorite grislly duties, but it lowers the population without poisoning anything else. So far, although a few small moths have gotten in, I haven't seen any bumblebees trapped yet.
Somehow it's easier to empty the jar's strained contents into the compost than to be having horrors that some bird or chipmunk is going to eat one of the sprayed, poisoned wasps. But either way, it's not easy to obliterate ANYTHING. But knowing that my assistant in particular could possibly DIE from a wasp sting, I feel it's a necessity. Also because we have conferences here where I work, we have to be very careful what our guests might be exposed to.
So at least this is one less toxic way to deal with the problem.
Lady B, Weeds and Wild Things Cold Spring, New York
-- posted by LadyB
» birdgard - yellow jacket control
We sell the Transonic CIX which is a professionally quality ultra sound unit with 5 modes. One for each pest. Bats, squirrels, insects, spiders, mice. It would be effective at repelling yellow jackets up to a 3,500 sg ft area. Hence, no need for chemicals. It would also effect pollinating bees too. Is there a time, or situation where the Transonic CIX can be used so it doesn't interfere with pollination?-- posted by birdgard
» bindweed - Bees and critters
Hello Barbara,Don't know where to begin; I had just wanted to post a personal raccoon experience, then saw so many discussions on bees and wasps.
I will agree with many readers that they don't understand yellow jackets and wasps. Perhaps best to stay away from them is a sensible answer ... however, consider that they are attempting to do the same with you.
(At least where they build their homes.) If you leave them alone and respect their right to homes of their own, they will reciprocate. My middling child offered to clean up one of my garden houses -- full of dumped pots etc. She worked in that area some few hours when I came across her (headphones attached like antenna) working under a yellow jacket nest and a wasp nest against the wall. They, (the BUGS) like her were busy doing their jobs.
Loud noises, smelly perfumes and hair lotions will often attract these insects into an attack. So will sweaty woolen clothes. Wear cotton, light colors and little perfume and these creatures will go a lot lighter on you.
Bright or dark colors or fabric types such as woolen materials attract certain behavior's. Attraction! Wear white and be bright! Good body cleanliness is a must. Mammalian sweat is an attractant -- or for a better word -- for insects a threat!
Clothes that hold such smells are a NO DO!
As for ultra sound units that repel pests such as bats, insects, spiders etc. are you out of your mind? Bees have enough problems with mites that they don't need 'uman' ignorance to add to their woes. Many of the wonderful parasitic wasps are already doomed by those damned yellow glue stickies, much less than electronic devices such as these. (How would you feel if local watering holes had such devices to attract barflies?)
Any sound unit that attracts insect predators should be BANNED much less given advertising room.
Sorry -- I am very irate about such products. The Raccoon I wish to deter also eats my snails and slugs. Birds eat the snails - by poisoning them we kill the thrushes and the frogs and much more.
Guess this discussion just convinced me to do an article on bees and wasps.
<img src="http://www.fritech.com/skyline/images/bumblebee.gif""
Herbert Senft
Visit the friendly Pacific Northwest
-- posted by bindweed
» LadyB - The device mentioned...
...is said to REPEL the bees, which is still a disturbance of the balance. There are things being pollinated ALL the time, so there is no good time to send the bees packing. And honeybees in particular are hanging on by a thread because of all the threats to their habitat, all the poisoned flowers and the throat mites that are wiping them out.Our human presence creates an imbalance right there. We can do our best to minimize it, and where we are AWARE of creating an imbalance, to attempt to balance it again without throwing everything ELSE off.
If the greenhouse where the wasps build their nests was MY OWN, I'd say good morning as I walk beneath it. It's not. This greenhouse is on a conference center with visitors. It's a hard call. And I know how frightening an anaphylactic allergy reaction can be, and I wasn't going to have my assistants in constant fear of that.
I use one of the sound repellants for mice in my pantry. I have no problem at all with that. Just annoys them out of that area. But I would never put down poison for them and risk having other members of the food chain feeding on poisoned prey.
So no, I would not recommend a broad sound repellant on creatures as necessary to the food chain as the members of the bee and wasp tribe. The balance is just too fragile. But thank you for bringing it up. Got a few of us thinking!
-- posted by LadyB
» bindweed - Critters and stuff
Barbara,Good return, I agree with your post and will reemphasis "If the greenhouse where the wasps build their nests was MY OWN, I'd say good morning as I walk beneath it. It's not. This greenhouse is on a conference center with visitors. It's a hard call. And I know how frightening an anaphylactic allergy reaction can be, and I wasn't going to have my assistants in constant fear of that." ...
and of course the ever presence of potential lawsuits. Litigation in the garden might be a good article for someone to write on.
Last note, on all the wild creatures we wish to encourage -- do try to provide a helping hand. Flowing water will aid the mason bee. The skunk and the raccoon do eat insect grubs and snails and slugs. etc.
On another forum I kept being queried about how best to kill this, how to kill dat, that I finally blew it and wrote a piece from the slugs point of view. A Mollusk fights back
Herbert Senft
Manager Director - Pacific Northwest Gardening
Pacific Northwest
<img src="http://www.fritech.com/skyline/images/sl...">
-- posted by bindweed
» bindweed - Lemon ammonia
Just guessing, but a diluted spray of Lemon ammonia might deter wasp/hornet nest building.There is also a foul smelling extract called B-Bgon that can be purchased from Bee supply places. You pour the liquid onto a rag and place in over the supers. The vomit-like smell drives the wee creatures out, and then go in and steal the honey. The chemical dissipates upon heating.
Everything you never wanted to know about honey. Heh,heh, always, playing with new discoveries!
Personally, I always smoked the little buggers. However the B-Bgon might work on other insects like wasps and yellow jacket nests.
Mint oil and some other products I have used, do not seem to work.
P.S. Carol and I would like to recruit you to add some interesting recipes! Check out her site. I also started a grass article -- yet to be finished!
Herbert Senft <img src="http://www.fritech.com/skyline/images/gardenerstroll.jpg">
Visit the friendly Pacific Northwest
-- posted by bindweed
» LadyB - Well, Herb....
....you read my mind! I was puzzling today as to whether anyone had come up with anything that might discourage the wasps from building nests in the FIRST place....Lemon ammonia, eh?I, too tried the mint sprays and found them to be dismally ineffective. The nest in question was RIGHT on the inside of the top of a storage bin. Whoever opened the bin came face to FACE with it! It just HAD to go, I had no choice. I must have hit it 6 times with the mint spray.
But thanks, I will DEFINITELY try the ammonia spray.
-- posted by LadyB
» bindweed - Just a note on bees! African or otherwise.
I did get carried away on another forum -- since I receive so many questions there.If folks have some questions about Mason bees, parasitic wasps or the Killer bee issue you will find some stuff at the local Northwest Rainy Side forum. I am the ever-beloved 'Bindweed'. BLACK BEE thread.
http://www.rainyside.com/forum/aspfiles/...
Herbert Senft
Visit the friendly Pacific Northwest
-- posted by bindweed
« Previous 1 2 Next »
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.